Feature

Innovative sensor solutions help food manufacturers achieve process optimisation

Achieving process optimisation while controlling (cutting) costs is a constant challenge for all manufacturers, especially in the food manufacturing sector. For example, frequently varying recipes, a huge diversity of ingredients, different textures and specific filling levels places high demands on process systems, in some cases pushing conventional instruments and components to their limits.

01/07/2019 11:02:11

A good example of this is at Homann, part of the Müller Group, manufacturers of a wide range of products including mayonnaise and salad dressings. Baumer have helped Homann in achieving their goal of maximising process optimisation in their production processes, thanks to the features and benefits of its CleverLevel, CombiPress and CombiLyz sensors.

Level detection in storage, mixing and buffer tanks

Maintaining precise and reproducible switching of operations is vital to Homann, even in apparently simple tasks such as level detection. In storage tanks, conventional capacitive level switches, commonly known as ‘micro wave switches’, provide only limited reliability. Whilst they only require medium/specific configuration, outside these thresholds the low dielectric constant of some media like edible oil (DK ?>10) can cause measuring errors if a film of lye has remained on the sensing tip after cleaning. For Homann, this was one of the considerations for choosing Baumer’s CleverLevel, the configurable universal level controller. Operating on frequency sweep technology, CleverLevel sensors are designed as a single sensor solution, reliably detecting the level of any media including liquids, solids and powders.

Read the full article in the July issue of DPA

Written By Sophia Bell

Sophia Bell is the Group Editor of DPA, Connectivity, and PBSI. She joined the team in 2020 as Assistant Editor after achieving a First-Class Honours BA in English Literature and Film Studies from the University of East Anglia. In her current role, she leads the editorial strategy, driving digital growth and ensuring each title continues to deliver trusted, relevant insight for engineering and manufacturing professionals.