Beer is a very ancient alcoholic beverage of mankind and is the third most consumed beverage in the world after water and tea.
The beer production process mainly includes malt manufacturing, raw material crushing, saccharification, fermentation, wine storage and maturation, filtration, filling and packaging and other processes. Food machinery and equipment such as winnowing machines, screening machines, saccharification kettles, fermentation equipment, filters, filling machines, and packaging machines are required. The automation and intelligence of these food machinery and equipment jointly promote the intelligent production of beer.
Beer manufacturing companies are promoting the construction of smart manufacturing factories with the support of technology and big data. Through the use of technological means such as the Internet of Things and big data, the production and management process can be digitized, intelligent, and visualized, thereby improving the core competitiveness of enterprises and promoting the sustainable development of the industry. The key to the digital transformation of food and beverage companies is to fully tap the value of data, integrate IT (information technology) and OT (operational technology), and let the data "speak".
Case description:
The customer decided to improve the automation level of his factory in 2021, chose the barium-rhenium industrial computer BL302, and applied it to the fully automated beer production line. Through PLC (programmable logic controller) control and OPC UA client data upload, this industrial computer plays an important role in the production process. In this context, the customer chose the barium-rhenium industrial computer BL302 because of its advantages as the core equipment of the automated production line, including high reliability, easy integration, and powerful data processing capabilities.
Equipment is usually based on mechanical, electrical and hydraulic systems. Data interaction in traditional beer processing plants is mainly carried out through manual records and paper documents. Operators need to regularly check the working status of the equipment, such as temperature, pressure, liquid level, etc., and record these data in notebooks or data sheets. This data may be used for simple analysis and troubleshooting, but does not enable true data-driven decision-making and optimization.
In terms of automation, early beer processing plants usually used semi-automated equipment. For example, raw material transportation, filling, packaging and logistics require manual monitoring and adjustment.
On-site problems
1. Difficulty in data collection: Since data is mainly recorded manually, data collection may be inaccurate and inefficient.
2. Failure to detect faults in a timely manner: Equipment faults may not be detected in time, resulting in production interruption or product quality decline.
3. Low production efficiency: Most production processes require manual monitoring and adjustment, and production efficiency is relatively low.
4. Difficulty in quality control: Quality control may become difficult due to difficulties in data collection and analysis, resulting in unstable product quality.
In fact, data has always existed. But in the past, due to the existence of "data islands" between various links and systems, the value of data was not released.
The solution
uses some auxiliary devices to integrate conveyor belts, robotic arms, sensors, actuators and other devices in process sequence. Each production process on the production line is controlled by an automated control system controlled by a barium-rhenium industrial computer + PLC. Completed; PLC and industrial computer are combined to complement each other's advantages. At the same time, data can be uploaded to the OPC UA client recommended by Industry 4.0, so that it can automatically perform cleaning, filling, labeling and other tasks according to the prescribed procedures, saving time and effort, and getting twice the result with half the effort.
The programmable logic controller PLC receives and processes sensor data, controls equipment hydraulic pressure, air pressure, electrical parameters, etc., and completes the scheduled production process. The barium rhenium BL302 industrial computer is responsible for managing the entire production process. By analyzing the data collected by the PLC, it reports to the PLC Send control instructions and collect information to break the device's information island.
Industrial computers help build a data bridge between the factory execution layer and the upper-end data management system, ensuring smooth communication between factory equipment and MES systems and DCS systems, and improving the intelligence level and data interaction capabilities of the entire factory equipment.
system structure
1. Support various communication protocols and low communication cost.
As an industrial computer product, BL302 supports various PLC protocols and can connect to most mainstream and non-mainstream brand PLCs. BL302 communicates with PLC, collects production process data, and performs monitoring and analysis, quality control, equipment management and maintenance, abnormal warning and detection, production performance evaluation and decision-making, etc.
2. Data processing and decision-making
The barium-rhenium industrial computer BL302 communicates with the PLC to collect the operating status of the equipment, sensor data, recipe data, alarm information, etc. To determine whether it meets the production requirements, based on the analysis results, the industrial computer sends control instructions to the PLC through OPC UA. After receiving the control instructions from the industrial computer, the PLC drives equipment such as robotic arms and conveyor belts to perform corresponding actions. For example, if the bottle body is qualified, the PLC will control the robotic arm to transfer the beer bottles to the filling area. If you need to check data, you can also connect to HMI or other human-computer interaction interfaces for efficient operation.
3. Data recording and analysis
The industrial computer records data on the production line in real time (such as sensor readings, control instructions and product classification, etc.), and can upload the data to My SQL database, management MES, DCS, SCADA and other systems through the OPC UA protocol. or cloud platform for further analysis.
Through data analysis, companies can optimize production processes, increase efficiency, reduce costs and improve product quality.
4. Remote control and monitoring:
Using the OPC UA protocol, managers can view the production line status in real time on the BL302 industrial computer, and adjust the PLC settings or perform actions through the remote control function.
At the same time, the industrial computer can also be integrated with other systems of the enterprise (such as DCS, MES, etc.) through the OPC UA protocol to realize the sharing of production data and the automation of business processes.
Six major factors for using industrial computers
: 1. The early development time of the project is shorter;
2. The design and debugging work is reduced;
3. It can run LINUX, Ubuntu, Debian and other OS, and is compatible with Node-Red, QT, Python, C++ and other applications. Supports MySQL, InfluxDB, SQLite and other databases to flexibly meet the programming needs of various production lines;
4. It has high security and can prevent illegal intrusion and destruction;
5. It has strong scalability and can easily add new functions and equipment;
6. Significantly reduces hardware and software costs, making it easy to learn and use.
Advantages and Benefits
The barium-rhenium industrial computer BL302 plays a key role. Through the OPC UA protocol, it is able to upload and share production data in real time. Managers can view production data in real time in the central control room, including raw material usage, equipment operating status, product quality and other information. Once any abnormality occurs, the system immediately alerts and staff can take quick measures to avoid the problem from expanding.
Production data can also be uploaded to enterprise data centers or cloud platforms for in-depth analysis. Through data mining and analysis, companies can optimize production processes, increase efficiency, reduce costs, and improve product quality. For example, based on historical data analysis, the ratio of raw materials can be optimized and brewing parameters adjusted to produce beer that is more popular with consumers.
In terms of economic benefits, the benefits brought by using the barium-rhenium industrial computer BL302 far exceed the investment. First of all, the introduction of automated production lines reduces labor costs and improves production efficiency. Secondly, through precise control and data analysis, companies can reduce waste and reduce raw material costs. Finally, stable product quality helps improve customer satisfaction, thereby bringing more market share and revenue. The
perfect combination of the barium-rhenium industrial computer BL302 and PLC equipment, coupled with the powerful functions of the OPC UA protocol, makes the beer fully automated production line become possible. From raw material placement to beer brewing to final packaging, every step is under precise control. This not only improves production efficiency, but also ensures the quality and taste of beer. In this era of digitization and automation, the barium-rhenium industrial computer BL302 will continue to help the beer industry achieve higher development goals.