FOOD IN ENGINEERING
THE FOOD
REVOLUTION IS
( NEARLY ) HERE
In the ever-competitive
world of food processing,
the challenges of changing
conditions, be it shifting
consumer trends, supply chain
constraints or international
relationships, are omnipresent. The
battle to maintain a competitive
edge dictates that the operations
and facilities we build today must be
prepared to compete in tomorrow’s
landscape.
The hype of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) and
its relevance to the food processing
sector has been increasing
since 2013 when the concept
was conceived by the German
government and for a concept which
has existed for only six years, I4.0
is fairly mature. While the concept
of I4.0 might be mature, it is not the
tidal wave of technological upheaval
it is frequently made out to be, nor
is it knocking down the door of
business. As we shall see, industry
is now just starting to transition to
something which could be referred
to as I4.0, and there’s a long road
ahead.
To get a handle on the value
proposition I4.0 offers to the food
industry we first need a clear
understanding of what it means
beyond the buzzword. While it’s clear
to most people that I4.0 is something
involving technology, computers and
integration in the supply chain or
within a facility, industry consensus
frequently ends there.
For clarity, I4.0 can be defined as:
“The implementation of ubiquitous
sensors and big data analytics
connecting cyber-physical systems.”
In practice, this is the collection
and analysis of data generated
in every aspect of an operation
providing previously impossibleto
access insights. These insights
lead to enhanced strategic and
operational decision-making.
This applies to every aspect of
food processing — from batch
sizes to machine maintenance, to
training and performance, logistics
inventory, energy and water
consumption, waste management
and interoperability between process
units. I4.0 affects every aspect of
the food processing industry and its
operations and hard assets.
This is distinctly different to Industry
3.0, which is characterised by the
implementation of microprocessors
for the automation of production.
For example, consider the transition
between Henry Ford’s factories
and those of Toyota in the ’80s
and ’90s. Toyota implemented
microprocessors to automate their
machines but did not implement
prolific sensors and data analysis
tasked with enhancing operations
through real-time insights. It is these
characteristics that are the hallmarks
of I4.0.
With those two ends of the
spectrum understood, it’s possible
to appreciate industry’s progression
from Industry 3.0 towards 4.0.
Currently, a disappointing 16% of
industry members use hard data to
underpin process flow improvement.
In what could be characterised
as Industry 3.0 behaviour, the
vast majority of process flow
improvements come from human
observations.
ONLY 29% OF
MANUFACTURERS
HAVE ACCESS TO
INSTANT, REAL-TIME
INFORMATION ON EVERY
PRODUCT THEY ARE
PRODUCING.
In a Deloitte survey, 94%
of executives stated digital
transformation was among their top
priorities but only 37% of Australian
Wiley’s chief future officer, Brett Wiskar, elaborates on what I4.0 is
and how it can deliver value to the food industry.
32 March 2020