OPC UA Application - Food and Beverage

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⌚Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
01:06 - Sensors
03:07 - Equipment
03:31 - OPC-UA configuration
05:53 - Summary

In the food and beverage industries, including dairy, the collection of process data is a key component of the manufacturing process.

These data also provide proof that good manufacturing practices were followed and that the critical parameters of the product fall within strict guidelines.

Many different sensors are used in milk production facilities to ensure quality and flavor. Platinum Resistance Thermometers, called RTDs, are used within pasteurization processes due to their high accuracy and stability over time.

Regulations require a temperature of 72 °C to be reached and held for 15 seconds, enough to kill any bacteria. Even slight deviations from these parameters can render the milk product unsafe or ruin its taste.

A common way to reach these parameters is to flow the raw milk through an HTST, a high-temperature, short-time, heat exchanger. The exchanger is heated to 72 °C and is sized so that the milk at the intended flow rate has a residence time of exactly 15 seconds.

If the temperature is too high or if the milk remains at an elevated temperature for too long, scalding or protein breakdown may occur. If the temperature is too low or if the milk does not reach the pasteurization temperature, the milk may not be fully pasteurized.

To measure flow rates, turbine or electromagnetic flow meters are used since they are able to perform well considering the viscous nature of the milk.

Turbine and electromagnetic flow meters have virtually no pressure drop and are easily sanitized.
pH sensors help the control system maintain the milk's acidity levels within acceptable ranges, thereby improving shelf life, consistency, and flavor.

Equipment also plays a vital role in milk production. Plate and Frame heat exchangers are commonly used in milk production for heating, as described with the HTST, and for cooling.

Plate and frame heat exchangers consist of multiple, thin, separated plates, and enable the milk to be spread out and to heat or cool uniformly and at the same rate.

OPC-UA is the ideal communication method for amalgamating data from multiple sources, such as sensors, controllers, lab analysis equipment, and operator entries. This holistic view is crucial for quality assurance.

Critical parameters that can be collected through OPC-UA connections from these various data sources include flows, pH, temperature, fat yield, fat percentage, protein yield, and protein percentage.

OPC-UA plays a key role in adaptive feedback loops integrated into Programmable Logic Controllers. These advanced control schemes can monitor the milk product at every stage of production and initiate corrective actions before quality parameters are violated.

A key regulatory requirement is traceability. The power of OPC-UA to collect and time stamp each piece of sensor data can be used to track the exact pasteurization heating cycle which would be beneficial in quality audits or should a recall become necessary.

OPC-UA is fortified with advanced encryption methods and strict access controls. These security features are critical to maintaining food safety and to maintaining regulatory compliance.

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