INDUSTRY FOCUS FOOD & BEVERAGE
Bringing waste water under control W
Mark Staples from Schneider Electric explains how digitalising processes in the food industry can offer end users greater operational visibility, giving them complete autonomy over how their plant operates, and thus help to reduce waste water
ith food production accounting for 90% of the world’s water usage,
more needs to be done to reduce the amount of waste water that processing our food creates. As the global demand for food grows, we must get smarter in how we manufacture it in order for production to become sustainable, energy consumption to decrease and to reduce the level of water required. Some end users simply don’t realise the
huge amount of waste water that is produced as part of the manufacturing process. This issue has the potential to devastate areas of the world where food is produced, as natural resources are being over used. Professor Tony Allan recently stated that large food producers and supermarkets should be made to account for the amount of water they use, in order to prevent global shortages.
sophisticated monitoring tools to see where energy and water is being wasted, in order to make reductions. After all, we can only change what we can see. Every manufacturer has a mix of new and
Above: Mark Staples from Schneider Electric
existing legacy products in its processing line. What is good to know though, is that not all of these will need to be replaced - the key is enabling them to digitally communicate, enabling plant operators to take an informed view of what needs updating and replacing based on faults, potential wastage issues and energy use.
Below: when you consider that around 90% of water that we use is taken up by food production, the scale of the problem becomes clear
WHAT’S ON OFFER? Most manufacturers within the food and beverage industry in the UK have adopted some sort of digitalisation into their processes, which means they have access to high levels of data on a daily basis. In fact, site managers are hit with unprecedented levels of information from a variety of data sources across their operations every day, to the degree that many manufacturers are data rich but information poor. The answer is not just adding more data,
but investing in the software that can automatically translate it into easy to read reports. The key is understanding the data and then implementing long term change. Granulating data in this way enables manufacturers to save money and use less water and energy in the process. In reaction to this, Schneider Electric has
WORK IS BEING DONE Having said that, some manufacturers are already taking note. For example, Bacardi reduced its water consumption by more than six percent in the last year alone, contributing to an overall decrease of water usage of almost 45% since 2009. This saving is likely to have a positive impact on the infrastructure local to the bottling plant. It’s not only the manufacturers that are taking steps to reduce the amount of water they use, with Sainsbury’s having also announced the launch of its most environmentally friendly store to date in Leicester. To make such changes, businesses
must take a holistic approach. In order to make significant reductions in water usage, as well as all other utilities, companies must assess everything from the plant floor to the boardroom. Facilities managers need to consider
22 APRIL 2014 | AUTOMATION
Below: Schneider Electric has developed a range of solutions for the industrial sector, helping customers to reduce the level of resource required to run their plant through a mix of automation and digitalisation
developed a range of solutions for the industrial sector, helping customers to reduce the level of resource required to run their plant through a mix of automation and digitalisation. One such solution is PlantStruxure - a process automation system which includes a range of production management software solutions. Once implemented, PlantStruxure helps manage production,
keeping down-time to a minimum, lowering production costs, reducing water usage and helping to ensure that energy reduction targets are met. However, it is possible to take the automation and digitalisation process even further. Further building on its Plantstruxure offer, Schneider Electric launched StruxureWare - a software suite specifically addressing the energy and production management needs of food and beverage manufacturers. StruxureWare software enables users to optimise business processes, while conserving resources and integrating seamlessly with third party and legacy products. As this software can be built and developed off-site, down-time during the installation process is kept to an absolute minimum. Digitalising processes in this way delivers
information beyond valuable energy related data, storing information on how and when a product was made, who supplied the raw materials and when, if there were any issues with the production line, and which equipment is due for a maintenance check or replacement. Storing supply chain data in this way enables new digital traceability solutions to be developed now and in the future, to satisfy the consumer drive for information, restoring confidence in the way in which manufacturers produce food and drink.
SUMMARY In terms of energy and resource management, as this software is scalable, manufacturers will be prepared to deal with the variable energy costs which the business may face in the future and ensure their plants are always operating as efficiently as possible. While it can be easy to rest on our
laurels as the economy continues to strengthen, it is vital for manufacturers to grab this opportunity to future-proof their business. We are living in a digital age where UK manufacturers must maximise their business opportunities, utilising solutions that will improve overall efficiency while increasing sustainability in order to ensure that business remains booming.
Schneider Electric
www.schneider-electric.com T: 0870 608 8 608
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