Automation/schmautomation: where is Industry 4.0 in the meat industry?

Five years ago we were being told that machines and plant will not only supply independent information about the condition of all important processes and systems but also communicate with each other and intervene in production processes to correct and optimise them without any human input. So where is this new nirvana?

Improvements in software, sensors, data control and networking are paving the way for Industry 4.0 to become a reality, but there are still many hurdles to be overcome.

Not the least of which is access to sufficient IP addresses.

Innumerable interlinked high-performance sensors will be needed to monitor product, machine and process data. However, Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4) cannot supply the huge number of IP addresses required for this. Therefore, the most urgent task is the rapid conversion to the new internet standard, IPv6, which is capable of providing an almost infinite number of IP addresses for sensors, devices, machinery and plant.

IPv4 is the most widely deployed internet protocol used to connect devices to the internet. IPv4 uses a 32-bit address scheme allowing for a total of 232 addresses (just over 4 billion addresses). With the growth of the internet it is expected that the number of unused IPv4 addresses will eventually run out because every device — not just those used by industry but also computers, smartphones and game consoles — that connects to the internet requires an address.

IPv6 is being deployed to fulfil the need for more internet addresses. IPv6 was designed as an evolutionary upgrade to the internet protocol and will, in fact, coexist with the older IPv4 for some time. IPv6 is designed to allow the internet to grow steadily, both in terms of the number of hosts connected and the total amount of data traffic transmitted.

While IPv6 will increase the pool of addresses, the new IP protocol will bring other benefits:

• No more NAT (Network Address Translation)
• Auto-configuration
• No more private address collisions
• Better multicast routing
• Simpler header format
• Simplified, more efficient routing
• True quality of service (QoS), also called ‘flow labelling’
• Built-in authentication and privacy support
• Flexible options and extensions
• Easier administration

Networked sensors in the meat processing industry

Sensors with direct or wireless network connections, as well as data loggers, are increasingly being used for measuring the temperature, humidity, viscosity, electricity consumption, torque, pressure, material flow, weight, etc while RFID (radio frequency identification) tags exchange information and signals wirelessly with the read/write devices of the various processing machines and the transport, refrigeration and storage systems.

Integrated into everything from slaughtering hooks and transport cradles to containers, E2 meat crates or packaging, they can control machinery and plant, not to mention register all product and process conditions along the value chain. The process data is available at all times and provides greater production transparency, control and efficiency, and represents a reliable stock of information for manufacturers with regard to the traceability of products and batches.

Labelling technology for transparency and safety

Intelligent and flexible labelling systems are essential for processing, packaging and logistics, including the storage of meat and sausage products. The focus is on information defining the product with information such as the country or place of origin, the slaughter house, individual series and batch numbers, as well as details of ingredients, nutrition declarations, net weights, the freezing date of meat and meat products, etc.

Laser, inkjet and thermal printers have become standard equipment for printing labels with bar, data matrix or QR codes while laser scanners and digital cameras ensure that the labels are printed and positioned correctly. RFID technology offers considerable benefits here as, contrary to other systems, it does not require a clear line-of-sight connection to write or read data. Thus, RFID tags can be attached anywhere on the E2 meat crates or other transport containers. This simplifies the entire handling side (transport, palletising, storage, etc) and makes the whole process significantly more reliable by, for example, avoiding incorrect storage.

How machine operation is changing

The demands on the operability of systems increase with the growing complexity and interlinkage of production, processing and packaging lines. Touchscreens with functions similar to those to be found on smartphones and tablet PCs are rapidly becoming standard. They offer simple, safe and, above all, intuitive operation because most people are familiar with the basic operating commands from their communication devices.

User interfaces with self-explanatory symbols and photorealistic illustrations of the machines and plant on the process line dramatically improve working ergonomics. In the near future, stationary systems are likely to be replaced by mobile operating devices. However, there are still many questions to answer with regard to machine, product and data safety and security, as well as ensuring obligatory standards can be met and are seen to have been met.  

Plant availability and production safety and security

Unscheduled production stops are a nightmare for every manufacturer. Networked sensors for machine monitoring (condition monitoring (CMS)) in connection with intelligent data analysis and integration in ERP systems provide an opportunity for predictive maintenance (PM). This can also take place within the framework of a remote-maintenance agreement with the machine or plant manufacturer, which can reduce service costs and increase not only production quality but also make planning more reliable.

You can gather in-depth information about networking machines and processes using modern information, sensor and control technology in accordance with the principles of Industry 4.0 at IFFA (7–12 May 2016 in Frankfurt am Main).

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/branex