SCADA helps improve brewing efficiency

Pantek's Duncan Fletcher looks at how investment in a new SCADA system has made a brewing operation more efficient

Robinson's brewery is in the middle of Stockport and its packaging plant is about three miles away. The packaging plant processes bright beer from Robinson's own brewery and many others ready for filling casks, kegs or bottles on site. Each different product requires special handling and finishing, and the packaging plant manages the complete operation from road tanker to bottle, keg or cask.

The packaging plant has recently completed a four-year upgrade project during which the system in use at the main brewery site was phased out and the operation moved three miles away to the new packaging site. This new packaging facility includes a tank farm with eleven storage tanks, an automatic computer controlled racker, tanks for processing rough beer before racking, and a process automation system. The process is made up of tank farm control and followed by beer processing. To get optimum yeast count a centrifuge is used, or finings and dissolved sugar are added to make bright beer. This is then transferred to the racking side of the plant under SCADA supervision and bottling, cask or keg lines are fed on demand with processed beer through a single system, with beer condition being monitored throughout.

Five SCADA workstations are networked together; three in the process area, one in the laboratory and one in the packaging manager's office. The system is recipe-based with product routing, tracking, reporting and alarm handling facilities to allow plant management and optimisation decisions to be made in real-time. Robinson's production planning manager works at the brewery three miles away and he has full access to tank capacity information which allows prompt decisions to be made affecting brewing and rough beer distribution.

System flexibility The SCADA package was selected to meet the need the need for a flexible system which included the facility for managers and operators to use recipes and change process parameters. Routing, conditioning, cleaning in progress and other procedures had to be very flexible owing to the wide variety of beers being processed. A typical recipe menu allows changes to be made to parameters such as CO2 pressure, holding temperature, rousing regime and a variety of additions. Process PLCs were standardised to give rapid control with secure networking between the PLCs and from the PLC network to the SCADA system.

The chosen system was integrated by ABM, and uses Allen-Bradley PLCs and visualisation using Wonderware InTouch from Pantek. The decision was made on the basis of the packaging plant staff being confident about ongoing vendor support and ABM's vast experience in the brewing industry.

ABM's experience in brewing enabled them to develop a customised interface for Robinson's packaging application. The SCADA interface lets both managers and operators control the plant with easy-to-use process visualisation. System design was a close cooperation between the client and the system integrator with the client having direct input during design and during simulation and factory acceptance at ABM. This methodology contributed success of the project by ensuring that the SCADA and automation system truly represented both plant operation and process operator functions.

The on-line modem connection between the plant and ABM has enabled ABM's support engineers to provide rapid help during commissioning as well as ongoing support and maintenance after plant handover. Although the plant has been operating efficiently for the last three years, the use of a modem link now allows modifications to be tested on-line whilst telephone advice is provided at the same time, reducing downtime and minimising production losses.

For Robinson's the business advantage gained by this investment comes from improved decision making within the production period. Temperatures, volumes and levels are now scanned almost subconsciously by operating staff, and rapid decisions can be made quickly and accurately with reference to the exact state of the plant and the production plan. The SCADA system is a natural extension to their experience and it has proved invaluable.

Details of the process are controlled by referring to SCADA information at particular points in the plant and the topography of the plant allows beer to be conditioned, racked and made ready for casks, kegs or bottles as if it all took place in one room. Individual operators know that all is correct from beginning to end of the process and product quality has been maintained throughout the automation project, especially during the changeover period, a good testament to the expertise of the companies involved.

• Pantek
  Email b145@industrialnetworking.co.uk
  

C1: To get optimum yeast count in processing, a centrifuge is used, or finings and dissolved sugar are added to make bright beer

C2: Under SCADA supervision, bottling lines are fed on demand, with beer condition monitored throughout