Precision Automotive Manufacturing Automation

Food and Beverage Automation for Production Operations 

Food and beverage plants combine high throughput, strict hygiene requirements, ingredient management, traceability, frequent changeovers, and tight quality control, which means multiple pieces of equipment and processes are operating in sequence. Automation provides the controls needed to coordinate those operations while giving operators greater visibility into production. 

Kasa integrates control systems around a facility's existing equipment and production requirements, connecting the equipment with information needed to manage production. Depending on the application, these systems can include PLCs, HMIs, SCADA, data acquisition, databases, and connections to ERP or MES systems. 

Batching and Recipe Management 

Batching requires precise coordination of ingredients, equipment, recipes, and production information. Automating these processes can reduce manual steps while helping operators consistently execute established formulas. 

Kasa develops automated batching and recipe management systems that can: 

Kasa has also developed systems that provide source-to-destination traceability for food facilities. By connecting recipe, inventory, and production information, automation can provide a more complete view of materials as they move through production. 

Related case study: Kasa helped REPCO replace its batching system with automated controls that centralized feeder, inventory, and batching information.The system eliminated about 16 hours of manual tracking and documentation each week while improving inventory accuracy. Read more.  

Processing and Production Control 

Kasa develops PLC-based control systems that coordinate equipment and process operations. Sensors and other field devices provide information to the control system, while PLCs execute programmed sequences and respond to operating conditions.Operator interfaces can provide visibility into equipment status, process information, alarms, and other production data. 

Conveying and Material Handling 

Kasa integrates controls for conveying and material-handling applications so equipment can operate as part of a larger production system. Controls can coordinate equipment starts and stops, respond to sensors, and communicate operating conditions to the overall control system.This integration helps prevent individual pieces of equipment from operating independently when production processes depend on one another. 

Packaging, Bottling, and Canning Automation 

Kasa provides automation and controls integration for packaging, bottling, and canning applications. Control systems can provide operators with information about equipment status and production activity while coordinating equipment as part of the overall manufacturing process. 

Production Visibility and Data Integration  

Production automation generates information throughout the manufacturing process. Kasa integrates control systems with HMI, SCADA, databases, ERP, and MES platforms to give operators and production teams greater visibility into equipment, materials, and production data. 

HMI and SCADA  

Kasa develops Human-Machine Interfaces (HMIs) and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems that can bring information from PLCs, machines, controllers, and sensors into a centralized interface, giving operators and production access to information happening on the plant floor. Centralized visualization can make it easier to understand the status of interconnected production operations without requiring operators to move between multiple systems or screens. 

Depending on the application, operators can use these systems to: 

Inventory, Traceability, and Production Data 

Kasa develops systems that can collect and exchange production information with databases, inventory systems, ERP platforms, and other business systems. This can help manufacturers track materials, manage recipes, and connect production activity with work orders and inventory information.For food and beverage manufacturers, this integration can reduce reliance on handwritten records and manual data entry while providing greater visibility into production. 

Food and Beverage Automation Operating Requirements 

Food and beverage facilities have operating requirements that need to be considered when designing automation and control systems. Equipment may operate in environments where sanitation, washdown, electrical requirements, and facility conditions influence control-panel and system design. 

Kasa designs and builds control systems with applicable industry and electrical requirements in mind. Its capabilities include UL 508A and UL 698A control-panel construction, along with experience applying NEC/NFPA 70 and NFPA 79 requirements where applicable.Considering these requirements during system design helps ensure the controls, panels, and associated equipment are appropriate for their intended application and installation environment. 

Kasa's Food and Beverage Automation Capabilities 

Kasa provides controls engineering and system integration for food and beverage operations, from individual equipment controls to plant-wide automation systems. 

Capabilities include: 

Whether a project involves automating an individual process or connecting multiple systems across a production facility, Kasa can design and integrate the controls needed to support the operation. 

Connect Your Food and Beverage Production Systems 

Food and beverage automation can bring equipment, processes, operators, and production information together in a single control strategy. Kasa works with manufacturers to design and integrate automation systems around their existing equipment and production requirements. 

Talk with Kasa about your food and beverage automation project. 

FAQs About Kasa's Role In Food and Beverage Automation