Control and Monitoring of Food-Manufacturing Processes

Abstract

This chapter begins with descriptions of the building blocks of control systems, which include the sensors for process parameters and product attributes, as well as the control modules, operator facilities and reporting devices. In the later parts of the chapter, methods for the incorporation of these building blocks in control schemes and information systems are reviewed, with special reference to system reliability and database management. In the final section, there is a guide for matching instrumentation and process equipment in specific forms of processing. InstrumentationSensors may be categorized as follows:• General purpose sensors for process conditions • Sensors for humidity and moisture • Chemical composition sensors • Devices for measurement of size, shape, and color • Devices for sorting and sensing of foreign bodies.The first category differs from the others because sensing of process conditions is a common requirement in all sectors of manufacturing industry; food manufacturers can therefore take advantage of the economy of scale and degree of reliability associated with long and widespread use.In all the other categories, not only are there the costs of developing or adapting sensors for particular applications, but there are also the delays and uncertainty associated with such developments. A lack of suitable in-line sensors was highlighted as far back as the mid-1980s (Wren 1985. Brimelow (2001), Tothill (2003), Patel and Beveridge (2003) and Zhou and Therdthai (2012) provide comprehensive descriptions of current instrumentation and sensor technology. Despite the developments that have occurred in recent years, there is still much to be done. Measurement of food quality parameters in real time still largely remains an elusive goal.