18.07.2023

Planning and quality reliability as well as cost control

Even after the corona pandemic, the international meat industry is still facing a variety of challenges. Dynamic markets, constantly rising quality and animal welfare standards, changing consumer behaviour and fragile supply chains are just a few examples that put the industry under enormous pressure. Efficient and sustainable concepts are required in order to continue to meet the needs of politicians, authorities and end consumers. Smart factories are becoming increasingly important and are setting new standards in terms of digitalisation, networking and process stability.

Meaningful data - for 35 years

At the same time, business requirements for quality, yield and performance are increasingly dependent on data acquisition and quality. Last but not least, the market and the law demand complete traceability of all process steps. Verden in Lower Saxony is providing intelligent solutions to this. Premium industrial machinery manufacturer VETEC ANLAGENBAU has been developing quality assurance systems with a reliable data basis for 35 years. In 1988, Thomas Steindorf, concept developer and designer of the in-house MICROMAT ^ANALYZER, was already working on a tool that transforms product stability into measurable results: „We have been relying on our own data recording and program management to monitor and document key performance indicators in the production flow for many years,“ explains Steindorf. The MICROMAT ^ANALYZER from the family-run company in Verden monitors all connected control units simultaneously. „This is especially advantageous when several installations are centralised in one expansive production hall,“ says Steindorf. Thus, the control and documentation system measures parameters such as chamber temperature, relative humidity, flow rates, core and surface temperature at 30-second intervals. It also documents whether fresh air has been sucked in and the cooling function is running properly.

Recorded data is stored in a database and can be retrieved later batch by batch. The MICROMAT ^ANALYZER also offers the possibility of remote service. If the worst comes to the worst, alarm logging with date and time ensures precise fault monitoring - which, by the way, is forgery-proof. „Data manipulation is de facto impossible,“ explains Steindorf. „The system complies with EU Regulation No 178/2002 Articles 18 and 19 on tracking production processes in the food industry. In this way, during the process we are already ensuring that only properly thermally treated food enters the market.”

Considering energy prices per batch

Sustainability is also noticeably preoccupying decision-makers in industry and trade. Increased crude oil prices and uncertainty on the global energy markets make it difficult for producers to charge competitive prices. The economic energy management of MICROMAT ^ANALYZER provides a remedy.
„In the end, the system generates an energy price per batch. We create reliability, planning security and cost control in times of change,“ explains Steindorf.

Data management is and remains a megatrend in the meat industry. Sustainability, digitalisation, quality assurance and cost control are no longer phenomena in themselves: the right hardware and software combine all of this and minimise friction losses. This is important for producers. It allows them to concentrate on what they do best: producing and refining the finest food. Ultimately, it is not only end consumers who enjoy it - but also politicians and authorities.