Sensors Make Food Equipment Smarter
Smart sensing technology has made a big impact on manufacturers of all types, and those in the food and beverage sector are no exception. As the food and beverage industry increases its use of automation to help ameliorate labor shortages and improve consistency, companies are benefitting from recent improvements in sensor technology.
Employing automation for bacon operations, using solutions such as the Automated Spiral Cooking, Smoking, Freezing System, greatly reduces the number of employees required to transform bacon from raw pork bellies into a perfectly seasoned, cooked, and smoked product. Automation helps producers find adequate staffing for current operations, improve culture and employee retention rates, create product consistency, and improve safety.
Thomas Bako, BAK Food Equipment’s director of business development, recently discussed the benefits of automation and sensing technologies in food manufacturing with Control Design magazine. In this Q&A article, Thomas explains how BAK Food Equipment solutions use sensors to monitor temperature, pressure (for injectors, brine mixing, and vacuum for tumblers), tank levels, position, and proximity. Read the full article to learn about the cost, quality, and productivity benefits smart sensing can deliver to manufacturers, as well as some of the new advancements these sensors are bringing to the table, such as digital twins and remote monitoring and connectivity.