Application of Pneumatic Automation System in Dairy Processing Industry

Pneumatic systems have become a vital part of the dairy processing industry. This system plays a role in managing the pasteurization and sterilization process using high temperatures that take place quickly and automatically.

Pneumatic technology in the dairy processing industry contributes to maintaining production quality in terms of taste, hygiene and energy efficiency.

For information, the demand for milk in Indonesia continues to increase from year to year. This is also driven by population growth and government programs such as free lunch and milk for school children.

In 2024, demand is expected to reach 4.2 million tons and jump to 5.3 million tons in 2025, mainly due to the free milk program.

Quoting from CNBC Indonesia, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) projects that milk consumption will continue to surge in the next decade. The potential could reach 5.01 kg per capita by 2031.

However, the growth in milk demand is not matched by domestic production capacity, which can only contribute 19% (837,223 tons) of the total national demand (4.4 million tons) according to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) in 2023.

Realizing the great need for milk in Indonesia as a source of nutritional fulfillment, the Bawalaksana.id team felt the need to introduce pneumatic technology that is critical to be applied in this industry.

In this article we will present both of these points:

• Benefits of applying a pneumatic automation system to a milk processing machine
• Pneumatic components used in milk processing machines

Benefits of Using Pneumatic Automation System in Cow Milk Processing Plant

In the dairy industry, especially for liquid dairy products, the pasteurization and sterilization process is the most crucial part. This process is carried out using automated machines designed to work in industrial capacities.

Milk processing plants generally use European machines such as Tetra Pak, Pietribiasi and Galdi.

These machines have been recognized to deliver consistent results and support large-scale production processes with high efficiency.

Using industrial-scale pasteurization and sterilization machines has many benefits, such as:

• Increase production scale
• Keeping the production process hygienic
• Processing process adjustments based on the viscosity of cow’s milk from different cattle breeds
• Make it easy to solve production problems automatically based on events (event-based system)
• Improving process efficiency and plant evaluation for plant scalability

These benefits can certainly be realized by involving modern pneumatic automation systems from vendors with a good reputation.

That way, the pasteurization and sterilization process can run quickly, safely, productively and sustainably.

Before we discuss what the components and technology of pneumatics are, we would first like to discuss some of the benefits and advantages of using pneumatic systems for cow’s milk processing plants.

Let’s take a look at the full discussion below!

Increased Production Yield Without Sacrificing Quality

Modern pneumatic automation system technology offers convenience and advantages. From ease of implementation, maintenance, to increased productivity and integration with technology.

The pasteurization and sterilization process can run quickly without reducing product quality. Both in terms of taste, hygiene and nutrition.

In fact, every process that is passed and the quality produced can meet applicable industry standards.

For your information, the pasteurization process capacity for European machines (e.g. Tetra Pak) ranges from 3,000 to 30,000 liters/hour.

With a processing volume of this size, it certainly requires a reliable control and automation system to make the process run smoothly, quickly and sterile, until the milk is packed tightly.

Operation Without Operator Presence

A pneumatic automation system integrated with modern technology allows the machine to operate independently without the need for an operator. That way, labor costs can become more efficient in the long run.

Automation processes assisted by pneumatic systems are also capable of completing repetitive work consistently. This is especially important for the FMCG sector which requires high speed in production processes to achieve economies of scale and business profits.

By applying pneumatic systems in the milk processing industry, the production process can be carried out on a large scale, so that the selling price of dairy products becomes more competitive.

However, this can be achieved while maintaining the quality of the products produced in accordance with industry standards.

Scalability to Increase Production Capacity

Scalability to increase production capacity is one of the important advantages of pneumatic systemsas we have talked about in previous articles.

Technology is now available that can accurately assist in estimating energy consumption and production costs based on operational data.

In fact, you can know the usage cycle of the most downstream components of the pneumatic system and when to perform maintenance before downtime occurs.

With these benefits, companies can grow according to market demand without major changes to infrastructure.

Green Manufacturing with Efficient Energy Use

In Europe, pneumatic energy consumption can reach 10% of the total national industrial electricity consumption. As energy challenges become more pressing, issues related to energy efficiency for pneumatic systems have emerged.

The good news is that manufacturers of pneumatic system components continue to innovate, creating technologies that can be a solution to this challenge.

Among them are Metal Work Pneumatic with its products Flux Flowmeter and EB80 Smart Valve Island.

In terms of energy monitoring, the Flux Flowmeter can provide complete energy parameter data and help to detect leaks and energy consumption.

Meanwhile, EB80 Smart Valve Island plays an important role in improving energy consumption efficiency at the level of pneumatic machines (pneumatic valves and cylinders) and predictive maintenance.

EB80 Valve Island also contributes to overcoming Dead Zone in solenoid valves, so that potential savings in power consumption can be achieved up to 30% more.

With the two important technologies from Metal Work Pneumatic as we mentioned above, it opens up a wide opportunity for Green Manufacturing to implement modern pneumatic systems on every possible line.

So that the use of electricity and energy consumption within your company becomes more efficient, more stable and more environmentally friendly, while maintaining sustainable production stability.

Implementing pneumatic technology in your company means you are investing in a bright future with a minimal carbon footprint.

Vital Components for Pneumatic Systems in the Dairy Processing Industry

Pneumatic systems have become an integral part of pasteurization and sterilization machines in the dairy processing industry.

As we mentioned earlier, milk processing plants, especially in Indonesia, use European processing machines such as Tetra Pak, Pietribiasi and Galdi.

In order for the pasteurization process to run quickly and automatically, a reliable system is needed that is able to work quickly and accurately without human intervention.

As a solution, you can use a pneumatic automation system involving Smart Valve Island, Flow Sensor, Process Valves and Proportional Precision Pressure Regulator.

The function of these components is to help the system work accurately, effectively and in accordance with the needs of the process.

The following is a detailed discussion of each component:

EB80 Smart Valve Island

The EB80 Smart Valve Island used in milk processing machines functions as a control for actuators that activate process valves.

This Smart Valve Island technology also acts as a Distributed I/O that is capable of receiving and sending digital signals from/to other devices in the automation system.

The following are two important features of EB80 Smart Valve Island in pneumatic automation systems:

• Data Integration: EB80 is able to manage diagnostic data, valve status, actuator response time, to duty cycle and predictive maintenance for each actuator and valve in real-time.
• Network Communication: The EB80 can connect directly to various industrial fieldbus protocols (such as Profinet, EtherNet/IP, CANopen, IO-Link), so that data from and to the I/O modules can be distributed from/to the PLC or central control system without the need for complicated wiring.

Based on the two points above, the EB80 Electro Pneumatic application can make the machine panel more compact, easy to assemble and easier to maintain.

Most importantly, the Smart Valve Island will make it easier for engineers to handle errors through clear and informative diagnostic displays.

The following are some of the important information that EB80 Valve Island can record at the pneumatic machine level:

Relating to valves

• Open/short circuit
• Disconnected or missing valves
• Peak or insufficient voltage
• Disrupted signal transmission
• Total valve duration when active
• Solenoid valve cycle (number of times on and off)
• Discharging alarm if the valve has exceeded the specified cycle limit

Relating to pneumatic actuators

• Response time
• Average velocity of the cylinder
• Number of steps taken

This information is very useful for:

• Reduced machine downtime
• Schedule timely replacement of parts
• Assist management in calculating production costs per unit of product, for example by looking at the relationship between the amount of milk produced and the frequency of valve replacement in a given period.

Flux flowmeter

Flux Flowmeter is a sensor that functions to read flow rates and record complete energy parameters in pneumatic plants, including:

• Volume flow (Nl/min)
• Mass flow (Kg/min)
• Pressure (BAR)
• Power (kW)
• Energy (kWh)
• Temperature (°C)
• Total air consumption (Nl)
• Overall mass consumption (Kg)

The presence of a Flowmeter is very important in a milk processing machine, as it allows the engineer team to detect any leaks in the conduit.

Flux flowmeter can record operational data and monitoring of energy parameters completely, and has the advantages of IoT-Based Real-Time Pneumatic Pressure Monitoring and Notification System.

Using flow sensor technology also helps in calculating the flow rate requirement during a production cycle. The data can later be converted into units of electrical energy and costs, making it useful in analyzing production costs.

Flow sensors, especially the Flux Flowmeter from Metal Work Pneumatic, can be used stand-alone-accessed via localhost or WiFi network connected to an MQTT broker-or integrated directly into control systems such as PLCs or distributed I/O. These features provide various benefits, among others:

• Reduces the risk of undetected air leaks
• Optimizing compressed air usage for energy and cost efficiency
• Assist management in calculating production costs per unit of product
• It also provides flexibility because it can be used without having to add additional control devices such as PLCs or distributed I/O.

Proportional Precision Pressure Regulator

Proportional Precision Pressure Regulator (PPPR) is a device used to regulate air pressure precisely and dynamically in pneumatic systems.

Unlike conventional pressure regulators that only regulate a fixed pressure, PPPR is able to adjust the pressure proportionally according to changes in system requirements, based on the control signals it receives.

This allows the system to control pressure more accurately and be responsive to changes in load or operational conditions.

By integrating the PPPR module in the pneumatic system, the opening of the process valve can adjust the viscosity of cow’s milk, so that the volume per unit time (flow rate) can be achieved according to the target.

Automatically adjusting process valve opening based on cow’s milk viscosity

Did you know that cow’s milk can have significant differences in viscosity depending on the breed of cow that produced the milk?

For example, milk from Jersey cows is higher in fat and protein than milk from Friesian Holstein (FH) cows, so it has a higher viscosity.

The difference in milk viscosity will affect the fluid flow characteristics in the milk processing machine. Thicker milk requires a larger process valve opening in order to flow at the same volume per unit time (flow rate).

Since the valve opening is controlled by air pressure (pneumatic actuation), a higher actuation pressure is required to open a larger valve. If the air pressure is not adjusted, the flow will be slower so that it can interfere with the holding time which causes the effectiveness of pasteurization to decrease.

One commonly used solution to overcome this is to use two different pasteurization machines. Each machine is customized for milk types based on cow breeds. However, while this ensures process stability, it is not investment-efficient in terms of cost, maintenance, or production space.

As the best alternative, you can use a Proportional Precision Pressure Regulator (PPPR) to precisely regulate the actuation pressure of the process valve. So that the process valve opening can adjust to the viscosity of milk from different cow breeds.

The operator simply selects the pressure setting according to the raw material, without the need to change the machine. Therefore, using such a solution can keep the pasteurization quality at an optimal level, including the overall investment, maintenance and operational costs of the system.

EB80 Island Valve with Regtronic PPPR Module for Cow Milk Processing Industry

Compact and compact technologies are now available to overcome the challenges of the dairy processing industry. In order for the system to adjust for the different viscosity of cow’s milk in each batch of production, you can use two Metal Work Pneumatic technologies as follows:

• EB80 Smart Valve Island
• Regtronic PPPR Module that can be integrated with EB80 Island Valve

Regtronic from Metal Work Pneumatic is a technology that has been designed to provide automatic air pressure regulation to actuators with very high accuracy. Because of this, the module is named the Proportional Precision Pressure Regulator (PPPR).

This technology is often used in applications that require high precision and speed of response. This feature is particularly useful in systems that require rapid pressure changes without manual intervention.

Regtronic is the best choice for applications that rely heavily on precise control. Such as in food and beverage processing machines or other industrial applications that demand high quality and efficiency.

Meanwhile, the EB80 equipped with the PPPR Module is a compact and flexible solution, enabling precision pressure regulation with modular pressure distribution capabilities, as well as easy and advanced digital integration into pneumatic systems.

Through proper integration using Metal Work’s technology, it will provide your team of engineers with ease of installation, scalability and flexibility of technology. Especially for pneumatic system applications in the dairy processing industry. So that the milk processing process becomes more qualified, productive and effective.

PT. Bawalaksana Central Industrial is the authorized distributor of Metal Work Pneumatic which can supply a wide selection of high quality pneumatic technology. This includes the EB80 Smart Valve Island, Regtronic and Process Valve.

We can provide comprehensive solutions for the implementation and maintenance of dairy processing companies and other critical industry sectors such as pharmaceutical, petrochemical, mining to F&B.

We have also become an authorized system integrator and solution partner for Phoenix Contactso that we can provide the best solution for control systems and automation systems in your company.

If your company is engaged in the dairy processing industry and wants to improve productivity, production quality and efficiency, we can provide the best solution. With us, you can realize a Net Zero Emission (NZE) industry through the implementation of a Digital Factory implementation.

Please speak to our engineers for more information. Click the consultation button below to start connecting with our professional team now.

Piko Prasetyo

Application Engineer

This article was written in collaboration with Piko Prasetyo, an expert in Automation, Embedded Systems and Artificial Intelligence, to ensure accuracy and high quality insights.