Case Study

Dairy Producer Makes Quantum Leap from Fully Manual to Fully Automatic Manufacturing Operation including E-Records and Reporting for PMO Compliance

Background

A national dairy producer wanted to increase receiving capacity and storage capacity, including cow water processing into Pasteurized Equivalent Water (PEW); in other words water conservation by being able to use the cow water (condensate off the evaporator); at a recently acquired milk powder plant. The plant’s existing milk handling, processing, and cleaning systems were fully manual operations thus creating the potential for inconsistencies in product quality, yield, and traceability. PMO (Pasteurized Milk Ordinance) compliance, including CIP records along with raw and heat-treated product storage tank temperatures, were tracked via manual records and chart recorders. The dairy producer realized it must leverage automation process control, data acquisition and electronic, or computer, reporting systems to help achieve its goal of improving milk production at the plant, achieving its financial goals as well as continuing to meet PMO compliance. Malisko was tasked with not only upgrading the controls, computerized data collection and reporting system platforms but also with helping train the workforce to best utilize the contemporary automation tools.

OBJECTIVES

  • Adding milk receiving and storage capacity to eventually improve operational efficiency and yield across the entire milk processing systems.
  • Greatly reduce the dependence on operator control by incorporating automation.
  • Eliminate reliance on paper records for PMO compliance via implementing a new computerized data collection, storage, and reporting system.
  • Put in place an electronic data and records system compliant with PMO Appendix H. Pasteurization Equipment and Procedures and Other Equipment – V. Criteria for the Evaluation of Electronic Data Collection Storage and Reporting.
  • Reduce troubleshooting time by having in place more thorough and accurate system documentation as well as having in place an operator interface system that ‘leads’ the operator to the likely source of a problem.
  • Architected a PMO compliant solution for CIP Records and Silo Storage Monitoring
  • Meet aggressive project schedule and tight budget.

CHALLENGES

  • Very aggressive project schedule.
  • Client provided high-level guidance on process controls and reporting requirements. Malisko then leveraged their dairy process knowledge to program the operation from high level functional descriptions.
  • Coordination of activities with multiple trades and engineering disciplines.
  • Project took place during the 2020 – 2021 COVID-19 Pandemic.
  • Phased approach on startups. Had to bring on processes in phases so that plant production was not adversely affected.
  • New process required a new robust and secure network with design considerations of tying into the antiquated legacy network.
  • No existing remote support capabilities for the automation system.
  • Designing a fully automated system on a limited capital budget.

SOLUTIONS

  • Create documentation on system architecture, functionality, operations, and requirements covering:
  • Design, Specifications and Bills of Material for:
  • Control System Components and Enclosures – Electrical and Pneumatic
  • Network including Physical (Copper and Fiber) and Logical
  • Process Control
  • Operator Interface including enhanced notifications and alarms
  • Electronic Data Collection
  • Automatic and On-demand Reporting for:
  • Silo Monitoring and Status
  • Clean-in-Place
  • Electronic Data Collection for PMO
  • Process Status, Data and Reports also accessible via secure web portal
  • Created all configuration and programming per the client-approved documentation for the:
  • Process Controllers [PLCs]
  • HMI’s
  • Data Historian – Rockwell FactoryTalk® Historian
  • Microsoft SQL Server
  • Network Appliances and Connection Points
  • Automatic and Ad Hoc Reporting – Asset Framework, FactoryTalk VantagePoint, SQL Server Reporting Services
  • System Security
  • Secure web access
  • In lieu of traditional paper and ink-based chart recorders Malisko provided a verifyable¹ electronic reporting suite complaint with PMO
  • Recommended and implemented process improvements leveraging the new automated controls platform
  • Implemented an Industrial Demilitarized Zone (IDMZ) allowing remote access to the control system for ongoing remote support.
  • Implemented ISA-88 programming structure leveraging equipment modules for system control.
  • Used FactoryTalk View SE PlantPAx® for visualization
  • Implemented “breadcrumbing”; a method on the operator’s display of drawing attention to an item the operator should possibly look at; for system alarming allowing quick and efficient trouble shooting of process disruptions
  • On-site installation support, engineering testing, production support, operator and maintenance training
  • “Record Set” system documentation

RESULTS

  • Greatly improved system for milk receiving and storage.
  • Reduced shrinkage/product loss with tighter process controls, visualization, and alarming.
  • System met the documented specifications and functional requirements referenced above.
  • Successfully implemented e-records meeting PMO compliance.
  • Improvements to the CIP processes:
  • Reductions in cleaning cycle times
  • Reductions in chemical usage
  • Effective equipment and process line cleaning
  • Faster troubleshooting by plant maintenance as a result of:
  • More intuitive messaging and notifications on the system HMIs
  • Having comprehensive system documentation matching the programming code and functionality
  • Automated and Ad Hoc process and CIP report providing timely data and information to supervisors and plant management enhancing time critical and pro-active decision processes
  • Provided a secure network system including secure access via web portal
  • As an outcome of meeting the project results and deliverables, client is asking Malisko to assist them with making additional operational improvements through enhancing and expanding their manufacturing automation systems

FOOTNOTES

PMO

The local State Health Inspector met with Malisko’s PMO Subject Matter Expert for a complete review and verification testing of the new system meeting Appendix H Section V of the code for Electronic Data Collection, Storage and Reporting for CIP and Silo Storage. The local State Health Inspector commented how impressed he was with Malisko’s implementation to meet PMO compliance.

CIP Data Logging and E-Reporting

Malisko deployed its CIP Logging and E-Reporting system developed over the past several years. The CIP logging and reporting is system-agnostic and can be applied to CIP systems of various configurations.

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