Food Industry Use Cases
Explore use cases tailored for the Food Industry industry
21 use cases
General Food Processing
Animal feed silo
Food Industry
In the agricultural industry, animal feed is usually stored in tall, slim silos. To ensure that there is always enough animal feed in stock, a reliable level measurement combined with wireless data transmission is a great business asset. A fully automatic notification of resupply requirement can trigger the sending of an order to the animal feed supplier.
Aroma vessel
Food Industry
A wide variety of aromas and flavourings are used in the food industry. The containers which store these ingredients until further processing often have small dimensions and internal obstructions. They are cleaned several times a day during batch changes. Level measurement is essential for cost-effective stocking of these ingredients.
Batch filler vessel
Food Industry
The small batch filler vessels around 1 m high and 60 cm diameter alongside the production facility supply the filler heads of the tank. The products vary from conserve to peanut butter to chocolate spread, with varying viscosity and temperatures. The product density is also changing from each batch. The level system is required to enable an optimal filling of jars.
Chocolate storage tank
Food Industry
After the “conching” process the liquid chocolate is kept in large tanks for further processing. An agitator stirs the chocolate “mass” to maintain a uniform consistency and temperature in the vessel. A reliable level measurement is required in both the chocolate tank and the downstream filler hoppers to control the production process.
Conveyor belt for sugar beet
Food Industry
The delivered sugar beets are poured from trucks onto conveyor belts that transfer it to the washing and shredding facility. Multiple level sensors are required to monitor the loading of the beet as it goes on the conveyor belt to optimise the feed rate and energy usage.
Evaporator
Food Industry
In the production of spices, the spices are first mixed with water and oil to form a slurry. This is fed into an evaporator, where water is removed to turn it into a kind of syrup. The thickened spice syrup must have exactly the right density - so that it can be spread thinly onto metal sheets for oven drying, ready to be ground into powder. To ensure the optimal density of the spice syrup, it requires a continuous measurement during manufacture. The pressure in the feed pipe leading to the evaporator also requires careful monitoring to ensure a smooth-running production process.
Flour silo
Food Industry
The different varieties of flour are most often stored in tall silos with very narrow chambers. Filling takes place regularly and is done pneumatically from the top. In order to produce the desired blend of different varieties at any time, a reliable level measurement in the individual silos is essential, even during filling. The process challenges include dust generation, strong air movement and a poorly reflecting product surface.
Grain silo
Food Industry
Barley is stored in malt houses in silos up to 20 metres high before it is processed into malt for production of beer. Filling the silos generates a lot of dust and the material cone geometry constantly changes during the filling and emptying process. A reliable indication of the level ensures the smooth operation by sending signals corresponding to the level or possible limit levels of the grain.
Ice cream "Premix" mixer
Food Industry
The ingredients for making ice cream are accurately weighed and fed into a mixing tank, where the "premix" is made. Afterwards, the premix is passed through the homogenizer at a pressure of about 140 bar and then pasteurized at 80 °C. The level in the premix vessel and the pressure in the pipeline leading to the homogenizer need to be continuously monitored to ensure continuous ice cream production.
Mash tank
Food Industry
Elderberries are first mashed up in order to produce a concentrate, from which food dyes are then made. The elderberry mash is refrigerated to maintain the product quality. Accurate level measurement and exact records of the process temperatures ensure hygienic operation.
Meat pellets conveyor
Food Industry
The finished meat pellets and kibbles are fed onto a conveyor belt ready for packaging to be sold as pet foods. In order to ensure a continuous supply of meatballs, the conveyor belt requires careful monitoring.
Reaction vessel for creatine production
Food Industry
Creatine is a naturally occurring substance in the body, but it is also produced synthetically. The ingredients are filled into an agitated reaction vessel. Mixing the ingredients generates an exothermic reaction during which the creatine is separated out. Continuous level monitoring ensures a reliable reaction process in the vessel.
Reaction vessel with agitator
Food Industry
Production of polyvinyl acetate – the base material for chewing gum – is carried out in a reaction vessel with a four stage agitator. The various raw materials begin to react when they are mixed by the agitator. To ensure smooth production, accurate level measurement is required.
Reactor with fruit concentrate
Food Industry
The reactor is filled with concentrated fruit juice and heated. In order to achieve a higher density, the water content is reduced through evaporation. As soon as the required Brix (density) value is reached, the syrupy fruit juice concentrate is pumped out. The concentrate is then pumped over to a filling machine to be stored in barrels or to a cooling machine where it is hardened and granulated. Reliable density measurement is used to monitor quality in the production process.
Small silos for baking ingredients
Food Industry
Small vessels and hoppers are used as intermediate storage containers in which ingredients such as flour, yeast and salt are there, ready for manufacture into baked goods. Level measurement and point level detection ensure that the ingredients required have high levels of availability and replenish when needed to meet production demand.
Storage silo for sugar and flour
Food Industry
Flour and sugar are the basic ingredients for many food products and stored in silos up to 20 metres high. The filling and emptying is often performed by pneumatic systems that transport the media from the large external silos and deposit them in smaller holding vessels for further processing. The filling and emptying processes are controlled by reliable level measurement. Pressure monitoring is also needed in the pneumatic conveying pipelines.
Storage tank for liquid foodstuffs
Food Industry
In the food industry, liquid media such as glucose, fruit juice or syrup must always be kept in stock. To get them ready for the production process, some liquids must be either pre-cooled or pre-heated, while still in the storage tanks. This is done by means of a water-filled ‘jacketed’ container wall that can be either cooled or heated. To ensure uninterrupted production, a reliable level measurement is essential.
Storage tanks for alcohol
Food Industry
Alcohol storage tanks are considered potentially explosive and are therefore kept in special rooms. When the alcohol is needed, it is pumped directly to the appropriate production vessel through a ”ring main” supply system. Reliable measuring instruments are required for dependable measurement of the level in the tank and for monitoring the feed pressure in the pipeline.
Sugar dissolver vessel
Food Industry
In beet sugar refining the raw sugar is heated and dissolved in water into liquor. There are typically several interconnected agitated vessels in this process, each one with a weir allowing the liquor to flow from vessel to vessel. During the dissolving process, sugar byproducts from the downstream refining process are reintroduced to enable sugars to be recovered. To ensure a continuous process, a reliable level measurement is required.
Sugar vacuum pan
Food Industry
The process in a vacuum pan is designed to ensure the growth of sugar crystals. The syrup is cooked in a closed boiler with steam-heated tubes and the liquid is extracted. The intermediate product is magma, a mixture of crystal sugar and syrup. This mixture is then poured into a holding tank, the crystallizer. In the holding tank, the cooling and drying process creates a substance called massecuite, from which the sugar crystallizes. The level in the tank must remain constant, so a reliable level measurement is required here.
Thickener for sugar beet juice
Food Industry
The thin juice extracted from sugar beet is thickened by the reduction of excess water in multiple stages at the evaporator station. This evaporation process is carried out under vacuum and heat. The liquid in the evaporator boils so violently that great amounts of vapour are formed. A level sensor is needed to monitor and control the thickening process.
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