Most food and beverage manufacturing plants have implemented various upgrades to their systems in recent years, with the latest trend being updates to their supervisory distributed control systems (DCS) and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems. However, integrating both your DCS and SCADA systems into a single unified interface carries several benefits worth considering. In this post, we explore how connecting your DCS and SCADA at your food processing plant can streamline your operations before highlighting a few benefits of SCADA and automation in general.
Modernizing your control system
A fully integrated control system lets you synchronize all your applications and devices under a single umbrella to simplify your manufacturing processes. When you merge your DCS and SCADA systems, you converge the information flow under one interface to enable access to all the valuable data they provide in real-time. The best approach to linking the two systems is through industrial automation software and advanced information controls.
The recent supply chain instability and other environmental factors have contributed to stricter industry standards and evolved customer preferences. This ever-changing business clime means that food and beverage producers increasingly rely upon manufacturing execution systems (MESs) to help them pivot and adapt to the latest economic obstacles.
System integration improves performance
Connecting your independent SCADA and DCS systems in a unified master interface provides actionable information to your plant operators and you in live-time. Furthermore, if you manage multiple food production facilities, full system integration gives more visibility and traceability across these sites, allowing for better control and enhanced security. Linking your SCADA and DCS systems also helps food manufacturers develop targeted process improvements, since it gives them access to reliable and up-to-date production and performance data.
System integration enables digital twinning, as well. Twinning describes the process of setting up a virtual model to simulate your physical operations. That means site managers can set up virtual models of your plant to effectuate a visual that helps you reduce costs and make better decisions. Integration brings more flexibility to your plant that will ultimately boost the efficiency and productivity of your maintenance and manufacturing processes.
Improved regulatory compliance
The food industry has been plagued with safety recalls and other supply chain mismanagement issues in recent years. Subsequently, new regulations emerge all the time that require more transparency from food and beverage manufacturers. Ensuring that your operations adhere to the latest industry standards, regulations, and manufacturing processes is crucial. Integrating your DCS and SCADA systems improves quality control while reducing potential downtime. Conjoining these systems under a single interface also hastens reaction times when you need to mitigate a supply chain emergency.
What if you haven’t implemented SCADA in manufacturing yet?
Food manufacturers that haven’t leveraged automation and supervisory control and data acquisition in their plants yet are missing out on several value-add opportunities. Automated food manufacturing systems can improve your entire supply chain, from the initial manufacturing stages in the food production plant to shipping and distribution to the retailer shelves. SCADA is among the most effective solutions for increasing productivity and efficiency in food and beverage manufacturing. Here are a few specific ways your facility can benefit from SCADA:
Better integration
We’ve previously underscored the benefits of integrating your SCADA and DCS, but SCADA allows for additional integration with other disparate hardware and information control systems that help keep your operations current with the latest industry standards. SCADA is a great way to ensure your food manufacturing processes remain flexible and scalable enough to adapt to an ever-changing industry.
Product consistency
In the food and manufacturing sector, your brand reputation is staked on delivering the same high-quality product your customers demand every time. Moreover, plants that place a premium on accuracy are more likely to tap into new markets and expand their business footprint. Inflexible systems pose several challenges because they make it difficult to balance product quality and operational efficiency. SCADA in manufacturing helps generate user-specified recipes automatically. That means your operators won’t have to manually supervise each production batch to ensure accuracy.
More reliable reporting
SCADA systems are renowned for streamlining access to valuable real-time information that translates to reliable and accurate reporting. SCADA lets you generate reports directly within the interface to analyze and improve the various aspects of your production. The reports help prevent common manufacturing issues like bottlenecks and system downtime while giving you all the requisite data to calculate important key performance indicators (KPIs) and present this information in a concise, easy-to-understand format.
SCADA in manufacturing and industrial automation companies near me
EZSoft is a top integrator of process control systems with decades of background experience working with the food and beverage manufacturing industry. We help businesses like yours get the most out of food manufacturing systems through the right combination of automated industrial solutions that can optimize productivity and profitability at your plant.
Our manufacturing execution systems and enterprise resource planning (ERP) software are excellent options for food manufacturing companies that need to integrate their existing systems and keep their operations up-to-date.
Learn more about our integration and automated engineering services by completing a request for contact online or dialing (484) 568-5040 to connect with a food manufacturing systems expert today.
