In a Tech Update feature headlined “PLCs/PACs: Keys to the IIoT kingdom,” we looked at programmable controllers (PLCs), programmable automation controllers (PACs) and to some extent industrial PCs (IPCs), the latter of which can certainly be applied to most any level of control—e.g., discrete, PID, batch, etc. We considered new functionality in today’s controllers, internal operating systems, I/O capabilities, security and networking—both at the fieldbus/controls level (OT) and IT-side connections.
The Hershey Company has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire ONE Brands, LLC, the maker of low-sugar, high-protein nutrition bars. The acquisition is expected to enable Hershey to provide a competitive offering in the nutrition bar category.
As more advanced instruments are available with hygienic configurations, processors find new ways to use these capabilities to improve plant performance
In the food and beverage industry, any process instrument used for temperature, pressure, flow or level measurement that contacts product must meet hygienic requirements designed to provide cleanable surfaces and avoid areas capable of retaining contaminants or facilitating bacteria growth. These rules exist for good reason, but until recently machinery and process designers had to settle for workable but basic instrumentation due to the limited configurations available for meeting sanitary requirements.
We’re told to collect as much data from our processes as we can, and there’s practically infinite storage space in the cloud—but how do you make sense of all this data?
With automation and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), it’s now easier than ever to collect data and monitor production—all this in the name of managing food quality and food safety. But, with multiple sites and lines supplying data around the clock, any staff would be all but overwhelmed—without a direction in where to focus their process management efforts.
Crown Beverage Packaging North America’s new 14,000-sq.-ft. graphics design studio serves the entire U.S. and Canada, offering can design and consulting services and providing rapid proofs made on a digital system to preview art and produce printing plates for all U.S. and Canadian customers.
Successfully incorporating cannabis into edibles that are delicious, safe and consistently dosed is not an easily achieved feat. Add in the complexities of chocolate, and it becomes a real challenge, particularly for new and small edibles manufacturers.