Manufacturing plants typically have a wide range of process controls and automation, and pet food processors are notorious for implementing but not necessarily integrating systems throughout a processing facility. Automating each process and tying them together is no easy task but Daniel Tramp, technical sales, companion animal division, Wenger Manufacturing, Sabetha, Kansas, says in the pet food world, the overall benefits are too valuable not to automate.
"Connecting a data stream to a decision maker on the floor is critical... An empowered employee, making process decisions based on live data, is a company's most valuable asset," says Susan Newman, Ph.D., director of professional services, METER Group.
Ensch adds that people often think of the obvious impact of increased production, but possibly more important is the impact seen in product quality. Today's automation systems have built-in intelligence that enables greater accuracy with weighing and measuring ingredients, uses feedback to control tolerances, and alerts operators of any deviations. Modern control systems also offer formula-based logic to prevent mixing the wrong ingredients or following the wrong material through the stream of equipment.
Track and trace systems can provide the transparency needed to prove the inclusion or absence of specific ingredients in products.
From a process control standpoint, many human-machine-interface (HMI) packages now offer viewers that enable supervisors and plant managers to view automation controls remotely through either desktop or mobile solutions. Even though technology exists to control things remotely, most operations prefer actual process control to be limited to view only from a safety standpoint. "When it comes to data however, the sky is the limit in what you can report, analyze and manipulate," Ensch says. "Advanced reporting packages can be configured to produce and distribute production data as well as provide real-time dashboards to see how a plant is running from your home or wherever your business takes you." The various solutions can be on-premise or cloud-based.
Dryers are often the largest energy users in pet food operations and offer a significant savings opportunity when fully automated.
By ensuring consistent product quality, a process control system can reduce product waste. Gilles Maller, vice president, sales and international, Clextral, Tampa, Florida, says a system that continuously monitors processing conditions and adjusts to changes in production parameters ensures better process and product consistency. "Look for a machine that offers real control of all individual parameters, such as full control of the temperature profile on the extruder. Control of an extruder can include automatic start-up and shut-down sequences set for each recipe and product. Start-up sequences can consume a lot of raw materials and generate waste." Control of the conditional parameters optimizes the process and becomes operator independent. Maller says that with Clextral's automated process control system on its extruders, processors have achieved up to 20% in energy savings.
"We all want to be that person that has the data, has the knowledge, and can execute quickly because the context is correct," says Travis Stoll, director of service and technology, Shick Esteve.
Automation platforms are limited by the information collected and analyzed. "The more sensors at critical points, the smarter your system can be," Stoll says.
Process controls have come a long way in the past 10 years and processors are now able to amass facts and feedback across nearly every area of the production environment. Combining that shared data, working with an external solution provider that offers deeper insights with data analytics, gives the processor access to very powerful information. "Consider leveraging a solution provider that has a focus on process efficiency and can support you and your operators in real-time decision making so you can be focused on what you do best: making pet food," McKeithan suggests.
Read more about pet food processing on our Operations page.