Industry 4.0 in the Food and Beverage industry
13 October 2017
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Connectivity asked Mitsubishi Electric to take a look at how Industry 4.0 can benefit the Food and Beverage industry. This sector has a long history of innovation so is likely to embrace Industry 4.0 quickly but food producers still have some challenges to overcome if they wish to remain competitive.
Industry 4.0 can be defined as the development of manufacturing technologies to allow higher levels of interconnectivity, leading to greater communication between machines and decentralised/local processing of data. The result is smart factories in which machinery is increasingly autonomous, so able to manage its own service and maintenance requirements, and adapt instantly to new production requirements.
Food and drink manufacturers could benefit from the implementation of Industry 4.0 even more than most industries.
• The constant pressure on costs in the food industry means it has a long history of innovating, so is likely to embrace Industry 4.0 quickly and enthusiastically.
• The need for traceability right through the production chain has already ensured that machines are interconnected and archiving data. Industry 4.0 will enhance this.
• Greater flexibility will enable faster changeover times, bespoke production for each customer and rapid adaption to changing product specifications.
• Energy usage can be monitored and optimised to new levels as well as visibility of production and production data.
The net result will be improved machine performance, optimised maintenance and reduced costs. This should help win new customers and retain existing ones. It is also likely to create new revenue streams in the form of value adding services, and allow seamless connectivity with upstream and downstream supply chain partners.
Industry 4.0 is leading to greater communication between machines and decentralised/local processing of data. The result is smart factories, able to manage their own service and maintenance requirements and adapt to new production requirements
Whilst many food and drink manufactures are keen to look to 4.0 and the benefits it can offer, a common challenge for many is developing the infrastructure to utilise 4.0. The ability to provide industrial networks to connect and carry such data can require investment and planning. The user should consider the infrastructure required to connect the sensors and machines in a secure manor (which may require a new data management policy and all the issues concerned with cyber security), how disparate machines containing various technologies can provide common communications and do you have the required skills knowledge within the business to manage your changes?
Significantly, Industry 4.0 is not just a ‘big boys’ toy’. If anything, it offers even more opportunities for small- and medium-sized food and drink producers, which will be able to form seamless links with their machine builders and technical services suppliers. This will make their production systems just as advanced and sophisticated as those of their larger brethren.
For instance, it will permit the optimisation of preventive maintenance programmes, so that expensive and delay-inducing machine failures are all but designed out. Put another way – the overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) strategies that to date have been the preserve of larger companies, will come within reach of all.
We can sum up Industry 4.0 as improving data management through better communication and data collection across all machines in the production chain; instant archiving and data historian functions; real-time analytics; multifunction alarm management; web-publishing; as well as interconnectivity and data transparency throughout the entire value chain.
Most engineers are able to see the practical advantages that the new cyber-physical interface of Industry 4.0 will bring. However, like the internet 20 years ago, or mains electricity a hundred years ago – it will almost certainly over-deliver on expectations by orders of magnitude. This is because while we can foresee the immediate and obvious benefits, far more will almost certainly evolve over time.
Food producers will need to continue to automate processes to remain competitive and produce the increased volumes a growing population will require. The consumer will remain demanding in the desire for greater product ranges, more flavours and varied serving sizes. Food must be secure and safe with traceability of ingredients, constant quality and to a high standard with growing demand for ethical products and local organic ingredients. The vast volumes of data required to monitor and report on the processes required to meet these challenges in a fast and efficient way is 4.0.
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