If you’re running an older programmable logic controller (PCL), you should consider upgrading to a newer technology sooner rather than later. Your PCL may be completely functional at the moment, and it might’ve served you well for several years. However, like any computational device, you must keep in mind that your PCL won’t last forever,…
Is it time to upgrade your outdated programmable logic controller (PLC)? Your current control system may have served you well for years, but replacing your old PLC before it breaks is among the wisest business decisions you can make. PLC migrations come with several unique challenges. The new PLCs, for example, lack 1:1 ports which…
Today’s enterprise-level digital environments are built around system integration planning. For those unfamiliar with the concept, system integration describes the process of linking your existing sub-systems into a larger one. The idea is to simplify your operations and ensure that all your departments have access to important business data. Integration makes up the core of…
If you run a food and beverage manufacturing plant, it is easy to lose track of your industry’s latest technological trends. This is especially true if you run a smaller company that hasn’t introduced a manufacturing execution system (MES) to your operations yet. And while investing in new technology may not top your current list…
Once your food manufacturing plant grows to a particular size, you’ll need to invest in an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. And, at a later stage, you’ll probably realize the need to integrate a manufacturing execution system (MES), specifically developed for the food processing industry. When you invest in an ERP package, you are either…
Lean Manufacturing and MES Solutions: Can They Coexist? While lean manufacturing has become more prevalent, the approach is not always amenable to the latest industry technologies. Lean manufacturing originates in the Japanese automotive industry, a localized manufacturing sector that once operated under tight financial constraints. In response to those economic conditions, Japanese car manufacturers developed…
Thermal capabilities are at the forefront of your bakery production because they play a key role in determining profitability. Proofers and ovens impact every aspect of your operations, from waste reduction and quality to throughput and consistency. Irrespective of your business goals, whether scaling your operations or gaining more efficiency, wholesale industrial bakeries can reduce…
To describe the food production industry as competitive is drastically to understate the current landscape of this manufacturing sector. As such, processors realize there’s no substitute for delivering consistent products of excellent quality and high nutritional value. Of course, nearly everyone agrees that effective shop floor management is the key to producing superior goods. The…
In most food processing facilities, the typical weighing system is comprised of a weight controller, a load cell-based platform scale, and a programmable logic controller (PLC). In the early 1980s, process weighing systems and control instruments found significant advancements after the introduction of strain gauge-based loading cells that allowed for batch weighments in containers as…
The food manufacturing industry follows distinct development flows or a combination of the two. These two production techniques are known as the batch process and the continuous process. In the early days, major food production facilities almost exclusively relied upon a large-scale batch process to avoid investing capital into the upgrades required to outfit their…