Simulating interactions in production and packaging operations is creating financial returns for food processors, boosting production and saving time by preventing unnecessary investments. New software from the Lanner Group can simulate both discrete and continuous processes. At General Mills' (GM), process engineers prove its benefits when they have a new project proposal or question a process improvement.
"To facilitate simulation use by our process engineers, we created a library of equipment templates that simplify the creation of a simulation model," says Malcolm Beaverstock, manager of advanced control and simulation at GM. Templates define components of plant operations, containing a definition of the equipment as well as operating and downtime characteristics.