Automation

Getting the most out of a plant

The nature of dairy operations has changed over the past few decades. Small, local dairies with manual operations have become outdated and been replaced by larger units with factory-style production. This trend has caused many and far-reaching consequences. Processes in small dairies were supervised and controlled by a few skilled people, who carried out most operations manually and also cleaned the equipment by hand at the end of each run. As dairies expanded, both the number and size of the machines grew, as did the number of manual operations required. Cleaning, in particular, was a laborious business every machine that had been in contact with the product had to be disassembled and cleaned by hand at least once a day. Cleaning-In-Place (CIP), introduced in the mid-1950s, is used at most of todays dairies. CIP means that equipment no longer needs to be disassembled for cleaning. Machines are designed to be cleaned with detergent solutions, which are circulated through the production lines according to a set cleaning program. Extensive mechanisation of dairy operations gradually became a reality, with the result that more and more of the heavy manual labour was taken over by machines. Mechanisation, together with the rapid expansion of production capacity, also led to a substantial increase in the number of operations that had to be executed. More valves had to be operated, more motors had to be started and stopped. The timing of individual operations also became critical. Operating a valve too soon or too late, for example, could lead to product losses. Every malfunction in the process, and every operator error, could have serious economic and qualitative consequences. Automation was the solution to handle these problems.

Process control
Automation is a fast-moving field. Only a few decades ago, process control systems were based on electro-mechanical relays, wired together in a logical pattern. They were replaced by hardwired electronic control systems, which were faster and more reliable, as they contained no moving parts. The next improvement was programmable control systems with the logic expressed in data bits stored in an electronic memory, not in the physical arrangement of the wiring. This not only made it easier to modify the program whenever necessary, but also reduced the cost of the hardware. In modern control systems, the growing capability and reduced cost of computers and microprocessors has been utilised to distribute control functions to local units. This gives the system as a whole more flexibility and a very high potential. The new processors can be used to control a single machine, or build up a total control and management system to make an entire plant more productive.

Dairy Processing Handbook/Chapter 6.10

177

Totally integrated plant control

Nowadays, the next step in the evolution of automated processes is taken towards the totally integrated plant control system. A plant consists of more than one process area, e.i. reception, cheese and liquid milk production. Each area has a its own configuration of one or several Process Controllers and they will often have a User Interface for operators, handling product transfer from one process area to the other. It is essential to keep track of production and economy in a plant. The Process Controllers contain a substantial amount of information and data from the process at all times, day and night, week and month. Knowing what is happening is a key to be able to run the plant more efficiently and economically. The Process Controllers themselves provide all the basic data for the Manufacturing Execution System (MES), where the data can be further processed and stored in a database. This is preferably handled by a separate computer.

Host
Project: startup
Project: startup

Raw Milk
Tank 1 Tank 2 Tank 3 Tank 4 Tank 5 Tank 6

20 C

90 C

Raw milk 250591 5.1C

Raw milk 500101 5.6C

Raw milk 151001 5.7C

15.3

Project: startup

Project: startup

Pasteurizer 1

Lorries
B1 B2 B3 B4

Prod Circ Water C Start Stop

185 C

Clean
185 C 185 C 185 C

Reception 1 R2 -> T1

1
Area milk
-2h51m

Fill Stop

185 C

Reception 2

Pasteurizer 1

Utility consumption
920822

Water Steam

Lorries 1-2
LO1-2
200000

Receved products

24:00

Area milk

Line utilisation
Start-up/Shut-down Production

4000

R1-2

-9h17m
Not operational Cleaning

3000 10 2000

From
100000 1000

Lab values

to

0 00 -1d -18h -12h - 6h 0

-1d -

12h

Project: startup

Lorries
B1 B2 B3 B4

185 C

Project: startup

Raw Milk
Project: startup

Reception 1 R2 -> T1 Fill Stop

185 C Raw milk 250591 5.1C Raw milk 500101 5.6C Raw milk 151001 5.7C Tank 1 Tank 2 Tank 3 Tank 4 Tank 5 Tank 6

Reception 2

20 C

90 C

15.3

Project: startup

Project: startup

Raw Milk
Tank 1 Tank 2 Tank 3 Tank 4 Tank 5 Tank 6 Tank 1 Tank 2

Raw Milk
Tank 3 Tank 4 Tank 5 Tank 6

Project: startup

Pasteurizer 1
20 C 90 C Raw milk 250591 5.1C Raw milk 500101 5.6C Raw milk 151001 5.7C 15.3 20 C 90 C Raw milk 250591 5.1C Raw milk 500101 5.6C Raw milk 151001 5.7C 15.3

Prod Circ Water C Start Stop Clean

185 C 185 C 185 C

Project: startup

Pasteurizer 1

2
R R R R R R C C TUNE TUNE SET SET C C TUNE TUNE SET SET C C TUNE TUNE SET SET PROG PROG PROG PROG PROG PROG

R R

R R

R R

C C TUNE TUNE SET SET

C C TUNE TUNE SET SET

C C TUNE TUNE SET SET

PROG PROG

PROG PROG

PROG PROG

R R

R R

R R

C C TUNE TUNE SET SET

C C TUNE TUNE SET SET

C C TUNE TUNE SET SET

PROG PROG

PROG PROG

PROG PROG

Tetra etra

Pak

Milk
Tetra Alfast
etra Pak Tetra

Milk
1 litre

Milk
1 litre

Fig. 6.10.1 Schematic control system layout for a complete process line. 1 Business planning and logistics 2 Manufacturing operations and control 3 Production control

A modern MES system is dedicated to handle large volumes of data. It computes and processes the data to produce various types of reports, to analyse production economy, etc. and to assist in planning and making preventive maintenance forecasts.

Why do we need automation?

Several aspects must be considered when designing a dairy. Therefore, the final production solution of a plant is always a compromise between product-related, process-related and economic aspects, in which external demands on the plant must be satisfied. These external requirements relate to factors such as legislation, type and amount of product, product quality, hygiene, production availability, flexibility, labour and economy. The product-related aspects include raw materials, product treatment and quality of the end product, while the process-related aspects include

178

Dairy Processing Handbook/Chapter 6.10

selection of process equipment to satisfy external demands. Even if the processing units in a plant are chosen primarily to achieve the stated product quality, various compromises must be made, particularly if many different products are to be manufactured. Such considerations apply, for example, to the cleaning requirements of the equipment and its suitability for connection to the proposed cleaning system. Compromises must also be made on other matters, such as the consumption of energy and service media, and the suitability of the equipment to be controlled. When selecting process equipment, it is important to remember that the process control solution should also be considered. Correctly applied process control, in which a thorough knowledge of products, processes and process equipment guides the design, has many advantages. The most important are: Safety Product quality Reliability Production economy Flexible production Production control Safety is secured by the control system through the continuous supervision of equipment and processes. A malfunctioning machine will be brought to a safe status if a serious fault occurs, and a process fault will stop the related process. This system ensures the prevention of unwanted mixing of products, overfilling of tanks and other faults, which might cause product losses and production disruptions. The process is monitored in exactly the same way during each production run, which means that the finished product will always have the same high quality after fine-tuning of all processing variables for an optimum outcome. Precise control of the process means that product losses and consumption of service media, cleaning solutions and energy are kept to a minimum. As a result, the production economy of a well-designed and adapted control system is very good. Flexible production can be achieved by programming the control system with various production alternatives and production recipes. Changes in production can be implemented simply by altering a recipe, instead of modifying the actual program. The control system can also provide relevant production data and information in the form of reports, statistics, analyses, etc. The data becomes a tool for more precise management decisions.

A plant design is always a compromise between: 1 Product 2 Process 3 Economy 4 External factors

The most important advantages of automation are: Production safety Product quality Reliability Production economy Flexible production Production control Tracability

Control levels
The following definitions have been adopted to describe the level of control in the system: Manual control Unit control and supervision Line control and supervision Production management

Manual control
All operations in the plant are carried out manually. Control modules are manually operated, but normally they are started or stopped from panels with push buttons, with no interlocking function. Some single valves, such as the diversion valve in a manual pasteuriser, may be automatically controlled, but the plant or line is still considered to be manual.

Unit control and supervision

Each process unit is operated from its specific operator panel. Each unit has a standardised way of communicating with other units and supervisory
Fig 6.10.2 Swing-bend is an example of a manual control system.

Dairy Processing Handbook/Chapter 6.10

179

Tetra Pak
0- 4-13 21 7

TA FLEX

1
21.0 TT01 0 FT20 TC44 21.0

systems. The units either communicate with a limited number of I/O-signals or with a communication link. The complexity of the control systems is low, so the demands on the local service organisation are limited.

2 3
TC64 21.0

Line control and supervision

The operator supervises the plant or line from one or more User Interfaces. Process units, with their own specific operator panel, are normally supervised from central User Interfaces. Co-ordination of routings and operation of units is done from one or more plant PLCs. Line control and supervision gives an excellent plant overview and facilitates increased plant functionality, i.e. operations can be carried out in a sequence and losses can be minimised by optimisation of the process sequences. Changes in the process will require modification in the control program, and therefore demands on the local service organisation are high.

R
TC63 21.0

Fig 6.10.3 Unit control and supervision system.

Production management
Production and cleaning can be executed in jobs or batches, using recipes. The Production Manager can schedule batches from an operator station, which can be situated in an office. The operator of the process supervises the execution of scheduled batches from one or more operator stations. In a bigger plant, each operator station should encompass a dedicated production area. Control of process units that have their own specific operator panels should be included in the execution of batches. One or more plant PLCs control the routings, and the plant server co-ordinates all activities in the plant. The history of the batches is stored in a database. The use of advanced technology means the control system is highly complex. Changes in the process will result in modifications of the plant models, recipes and programs, and therefore the demands on the local service organisation are high. Operations can be carried out in sequences, and product losses can be minimised by sequence optimisation. The performance of the plant can be analysed, and the way a specific end product was produced can be traced back through production.

Fig 6.10.4 Line control and supervision system.

Requirements for a control system

Reliability, flexibility and economy are the most important requirements for a modern process control system. This means that the control system should: Be reliable and easy to maintain Have a user interface that is logical, self-instructing and efficient Be based on off-the-shelf hardware and software Include software for diagnostic testing and modification Be easy to extend

Fig 6.10.5 Production management system.

Extending a control system

One of the most important requirements for a control system is the possibility to extend the system when required. It should be possible to build a system of any size, step by step, by adding standard components. A small process controller installed to control a reception line could be extended later with more controllers of the same brand that control milk treatment, filling, etc. At the same time, management routines could be added to existing controllers to feed data into management computers. When extending a control system, it is very important that all control system components, from the remote sensor to the user interface, are easy to connect to each other in order to create a smooth functioning control system platform. Using products from a sole supplier will normally guarantee this.

180

Dairy Processing Handbook/Chapter 6.10

How does the control system work?

Definitions
Automation = Process Control and Production Management. Automation means that all actions needed to control a process with optimal efficiency are handled by a control system on the basis of instructions that have been programmed into it. Process Control System = The system executing Process Control. It normally incorporates: User Interfaces, which are used by the process operator to communicate with the control system and the process. Process Control, normally a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller), which executes actual control of the process. I/O-system interfaces with control modules and transmitters in the process. Management Execution System (MES) = The system executing Production Management. It can also form a link to other company systems such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems.

R R

C C TUNE TUNE SET SET

PROG PROG

Fig 6.10.6 Process Control is normally executed by a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller).

Logic
Logic is a fundamental concept in Process Control. It denotes the decisionmaking mechanism, making it possible to perform a given task according to a given model. The human mind is programmed by education and experience to perform a task in a certain way. Figure 6.10.7 shows in a manual system, how an operator uses logic to solve a control problem, which involves supplying a process line Which tank shall i choose? with milk from a battery of tanks. He receives information from the T2? No, its being cleaned. process, e.g. that tank T1 will soon be empty, tank T2 is How much milk is currently being cleaned, tank T3 is full of product, etc. This left in T1? I must switch tanks T3? Yes, its OK. information is processed logically by the operator. The figure in 10 minutes illustrates his train of thought the questions and decisions he has to formulate. Finally, he implements his decisions by T1? its empty now. pushing the correct buttons on his panel to actuate the right Wait 10 seconds for the line to the valve valves, pumps and other control modules. cluster to drain The operator has no great difficulty in solving this particular control problem. Even so, the potential for errors is Shut V2, open V1, shut V4, open V3. always present. Detergent and milk could be mixed by mistake. The process line may run out of milk, resulting in burning-on at the heat transfer surfaces. Milk in the tanks may be wasted when the tank is cleaned. The risk of such errors increases if the operator is responsible for several similar sections of the process at the same time. He may be rushed and under stress, which heightens the risk of him making a mistake. At first glance it is easy to assume that the operator is constantly faced with choices between many alternative solutions to control problems. A closer look reveals that this is not the case. After many hours of operation the dairy has verified the control sequences, which results in optimum product quality, safety and economy. In other words, the operator has acquired a more or less permanent control logic. He selects tanks according to established routines, uses a stopwatch to time milk drainage from a tank, so that he knows exactly when to switch to a full tank in order to minimise product losses, and so on. Each process can be analysed in this way and it is then possible, on the basis of the analysis, to determine the control logic that produces optimum results. The control logic is stored in the form of a program in the specific Fig 6.10.7 In a manual process the process controller, which is normally a PLC.
operator uses his logic to solve the processing demands.

Dairy Processing Handbook/Chapter 6.10

181

Control system
All the transmitters and control modules in the process (4) are connected to the logic by the Input/Output (I/O) system (3). In this way, all the necessary information regarding temperatures, flows, pressures, etc. is transmitted to the logic of the control system. After processing of I/O-signals and operator commands, the logic sets the correct output signals to actuate the control modules involved in the process. This is done in a certain order to comply with the logical conditions that apply to the process. The control modules send back feedback signals confirming that the commands have been carried out. These feedback signals are used by the logic as conditions, permitting the next step in the sequence to be actuated. The principal layout of a control system is shown in Figure 6.10.8. If the output signal and the feedback signal do not match, an alarm signal is generated, trying to bring the related process to a safe state. This assumes, of course, that the fault in question can be predicted. As a

1 3

Logic

In/out

4
Fig. 6.10.8 Principle of a process control system. 1 2 3 4 Operator VDU Printer terminal Input/Output units Process equipment

2
EM ST Y S

process becomes more complicated, and demands on operational security and economy become stricter, the required control program (logic) has to be extended accordingly. All user interfaces (1) are connected to the logic as well as local operator panels.

Distributed intelligence
Efficient process control requires first-class electronic solutions in the process. The operation of the entire automatic process control system will be jeopardised if transmitters and sensors do not work properly. The valve control system shown in Figure 6.10.9 is an example of distributed intelligence. Running a dairy of any size involves keeping track of hundreds or thousands of valves and operating them in different combinations and sequences. PLCs are dedicated systems to solve these control tasks in the shortest possible time. To do this, the PLC needs a channel for instant communication with all the valves. This makes the installation expensive, but new valve control systems have been developed to provide an economical solution. A modern system consists of a number of valve tops (1), one for each valve. The valve tops are connected to a common fieldbus cable and a common compressed-air line. The fieldbus cable is connected to a gateway communicating with the control system (2) and the power supply serving

182

Dairy Processing Handbook/Chapter 6.10

the valve tops. Several fieldbuses can be connected to the process controller to control the required number of valves. Another important advantage of the system is that the valve top unit reports the valve status back to the control system. The modem scans the status of all valves continuously and instantly informs the process controller if a malfunction arises. This facilitates fault tracing and maintenance, especially since it is possible to disconnect individual valve units without disrupting the operation of other parts of the control system. The fieldbus concept is also starting to be applied for transmitters and instrumentation as a whole distributed temperature control and flow-metering are just two examples. For the producer, the advantage is not only a significant reduction in installation and commissioning costs, but also the increased amount of useful information, which makes the total investment in a control system lower than for a traditional system.

1
Fig. 6.10.9 Valve control system. 1 Valve control units 2 Control system (PLC)

Batch control
Production in liquid food plants is becoming more complex as new and more complicated recipes are introduced. Strict recipe procedures must be followed to manage production and guarantee product quality. The increased number of products demanded by producers means shorter production runs. In order to stay competitive in this situation, the efficient planning and running of production is a necessity. The manufacture of 50 tons of strawberry yoghurt, for example, is called a batch. Instead of only executing conventional process operations, such as transfers to and from process units, the batch control system takes total control of production, from milk reception until the yoghurt cups are stored for distribution. The major benefit of batch control is that the system helps with all the necessary actions.

Recipe management
Using recipe management, a producer will have full control when introducing new products. If no new process equipment is needed, there is no need to call in external assistance to reprogram the control system. All procedures are edited on site using easy-to-understand tools. All previous recipes are automatically stored and ready to use whenever needed in the future. Any existing recipe can be easily modified on line and stored as a new version or a completely new recipe. Flexibility is maximised, as all recipes are scalable.

Control of production
The batch control system gives comprehensive on-line information about what is happening in production: production figures and totals to date, data on products scheduled for runs later in the day, and current problems related to production and lines. All this information can be displayed on any user interface connected to the network.

How does the data management system work?

Work Tracking
Logging production data
Everything that occurs in the control system can be logged automatically in a database and tagged with a specific identity. This means it is possible to automatically compare parameters between production runs by producing

Dairy Processing Handbook/Chapter 6.10

183

a report, which will probably reveal any quality problem that has occurred in a specific period. In this way, it is possible to solve problems concerning inconsistent quality or difficulties in running a particular product. In addition, it is possible to automatically produce a report defining all target and actual values during production all events and any errors that occurred during a particular production run. Laboratory data can be added and connected directly to the tagged output.

Tracking production
The producer must define the target level for tracking production. There are systems and methods available to provide the required level. Alternatives are: 1 Full traceability production runs are separated with flush/CIP. 2 Limited traceability filling and emptying of tanks or process lines cannot be done simultaneously. 3 No traceability filling and emptying is done simultaneously. The full traceability level provides all the data for any type of report, but this also imposes restrictions on how the plant can be run. The lowest level will give a more flexible plant, but with minimal or no traceability.

Analysis
The customer requirement trends regarding plant engineering have been more and more focused on lower production costs and minimising losses, rather than process components and simple transfer functions. Often the requirements set out in the contract propose minimising losses or reducing losses to 1 %, etc. There are hardly any proven tactics or methods to deal with such demands, unless a certain methodology is used when designing and commissioning the plant. There are many questions that need to be resolved. How do you: Estimate theoretical product losses? Design the plant process and automation to minimise, measure and confirm product losses? Commission while keeping the product loss paragraph in mind? Ensure that product loss reports during normal plant operation are meaningful and lead to correct actions? For day-to-day production, a report can be produced based on the optimal running scenarios decided during plant dimensioning, optimisation or at later stages. The optimal running scenario for the given production day could also be sourced from other programs. There could be several optimal scenarios in the plant, (generated during optimisation or later), depending on time of the year, the day, etc. The manager or planner selects the correct optimal scenario for the day. The report shows unit by unit whether the plant is operating according to the optimal dimensioning and production planning. Certain figures are shown for each unit. These figures represent specific set values (taken from the optimal scenario) compared with the actual figures. The figures/unit could be: Lines, pasteurisers, filling machines Ratio of production hours/idle hours Ratio of start/emptying/production run hours Ratio of circulation (or, for lines or machines: transfer selected, but pump idle) time/production time Amount and type of cleaning Tanks Ratio of product in tank period/24 hr Amount and type of cleaning The figures for optimal and actual running are compared. If the figures differ by more than a certain value, they are highlighted. The reason could be operator error, less than optimal planning or that the plant is not dimensioned for that type of production. The deviation could also be caused by equipment faults (temporary problems). The findings and causes can be scrutinised later by the planning manager.

D a 56 iry F ar D7 e m 20 live at 03- red 02 1 Q 4: u 2 1 22 an 2 0 t Te 00 ity m 0 04 pe l F C ra a tu re 3, t co 6 P % nte ro nt 2, te 7 in %

kS Silo tan 3 20:04 4:2 Time 1 2 riser B Pasteu 4 20:05 9:3 C Time 1 /15 s1403 74 tion 0565 , standardisa n tio Separa t 1,5 % n te n fat con enisatio homog Partial bar C 4 0 at 200 8 T1 e tank Storag 5 20.06 :3 9 1 2 1 e Tim TBA achine Filling m 5 20.47 9:5 04,5 C Time 1 4 P g line Packin 5 20:58 9:5 Time 1 7 699 er E23 3C Contain ction LL76 0 se e g ra Sto y D24 rr lo n tio Distribu

Product d K MIL C 4 0 4

ata

Fig. 6.10.10 The whole dairy process can be traced.

184

Dairy Processing Handbook/Chapter 6.10

Planning and scheduling

Development of planning and scheduling systems within the industry has only just begun. The basic idea is to integrate the whole information structure of the plant or the entire company. There are already tools available to produce an analysis of customer orders, available production resources and raw materials, and turn this into the optimal production schedule for a specific period.

Fig. 6.10.11 Totally integrated system including Management Information System. 1 Process controllers 2 Operator VDU 3 Manufacturing Execution System

Dairy Processing Handbook/Chapter 6.10

185

186

Dairy Processing Handbook/Chapter 6.10