Technology/IT | IDM
8 2017 | international-dairy.com · 39
Master is the only piece of software available
in the industry that covers food producers’
entire operations – from raw material reception
to finished packaged and palletised
products, with any brand of equipment, and
at all their sites. It streamlines data collection,
facilitates accurate data analysis and,
ultimately, improves efficiency.
Integration and information
to improve efficiency
Consistency
For food and drink manufacturers, uniformity
of ingredients, taste and quality is paramount.
In globalised – and increasingly standardised
– markets, retailers and consumers expect
consistency in every single product. Growing
consumer awareness of food safety is also
driving demand for more information on the
beverages they buy. This, in turn, is leading to
increasingly stringent food safety laws, with
compliance often dependent on the provision
of regular and detailed production data. Innovations
such as the Tetra Pak PlantMaster are
part of Tetra Pak’s commitment to supporting
customers with all their manufacturing needs,
from processing right through to packaging.
Traditionally in the food and beverage industry,
manufacturers use different equipment
from different suppliers in one plant, and
many of these machines even require manual
data collection. With the new software, the
Tetra Pak PlantMaster provides a single set
of tools that integrate all operations and enable
manufacturers to programme their entire
plant through a single data management system,
from incoming raw materials to finished,
palletised products. This gives manufacturers
complete control of operations, enabling them
to maximize the value of their production while
cutting down on waste and reducing time lost
to inefficiencies in the process. They also secure
consistent product quality and full control
of food safety, while creating full end-to-end
traceability, from raw material to consumer.
Finally, the solution is customised to fit each
food producers’ specific operations – with the
right modules relevant for their operations
today and enabling quick and easy creation of
infinite new functions for future needs.
Efficiency
Tetra Pak PlantMaster consists of three levels,
the first of which is embedded automation.
These are machine-specific automation solutions
built in to all Tetra Pak equipment that
create a solid automation base. Second, at the
production control level, food producers get
production and process management in real
time, with one system that gives total control
over production. Third, the all new MES suite
allows food producers to integrate their entire
operation, enabling everything to be digitalised
into one interface and even combining multi-site
production information into common reports.
This collection and visualisation of unprecedented
amounts of information allows producers
to plan production, monitor efficiency
and trace the lineage of all raw materials. At
any stage in the process, reports can be generated
giving up-to-date information on any
aspect of the process, including how many
packages are being produced, how many litres
are being processed, production performance,
machine efficiency and even cleaningin
place. Additionally, ongoing data analysis,
visualised in ways that are familiar to staff,
can be used to constantly improve efficiency.
The new Tetra Pak PlantMaster provides
customers with a simple end-to-end solution
by unifying plant control in one single
data system, reducing complexity in their
management processes and increasing productivity,
which in turn, positively impacts
the bottom line. The continuing evolution
of systems such as the Tetra Pak PlantMaster
means that producers are in control and
ideally placed to meet the needs of today’s
changing markets – and those of tomorrow.