Powering the food chain
The challenges of poor power quality in the food industry
From powering microwaves to keeping unique demands of the application. This
fridge-freezers running, electricity plays can be challenging, as every operating
an integral role in the food chain. Yet situation is different and off-the-shelf
even before products reach the hands of power supplies may not be suitable for a
consumers, a constant supply of reliable particular set up.
power is required to ensure that food is
produced safely and properly. Here, Steve The best course of action is for electrical
Hughes, managing director of power engineers to consult a power quality
quality specialist REO UK, explains how specialist that can provide an effective
electrical engineers can protect food solution. REO UK, for example, designed
manufacturing plants from power quality to packaging equipment that uses laser the REOTRON SMP due to customers
problems. microperforation to control packaging requesting a product that could make
airflow and therefore improve product laser perforation equipment reliable.
The food industry has changed shelf life. This equipment uses lasers to significantly in the last two decades. create very small and evenly spaced holes This SMPS uses specialized control
Due to fluctuating consumer demand in packaging in a consistent and efficient algorithms on capacitive loads so
and tightening legal requirements, food fashion. engineers can maintain voltage and
current accurately, leading to a lower
manufacturers have been required
to invest in new means of operating Each of these developments is good project reject rate. It also features liquid
effectively. This has typically involved news for consumers, who have more cooling that can be easily connected to
plant managers investing in new assurances of product quality and the existing liquid cooling systems used
technologies, from more efficient freshness. However, they pose a by most lasers.
equipment to digital data-collection challenge for electrical engineers tasked software. with ensuring high plant power quality The REOTRON SMP can also be
as few plant managers immediately connected to remote monitoring modules
For example, the alarming number of consider upgrading power supplies when such as the REODATA-GSM. This provides
food recalls in recent years has led to a specifying new technology. performance data that plant managers
can use to determine if and when
legislative push for better traceability
of ingredients. This particularly came to For example, laser microperforation maintenance is needed. As with the other
the fore after the infamous horsemeat equipment uses high frequencies that data that plant managers must collect
scandal of 2013, which significantly significantly hinder the performance of during the production process, electrical
damaged the public’s perception of the conventional power supplies. This means engineers should install effective power
food industry. As such, manufacturers that usage of the equipment causes line communication (PLC) filters to
must now keep comprehensive data on power quality problems, including voltage remove harmonics that occur due to data
every part of an ingredient’s journey, fluctuations that result in decreased transmission and high frequencies on
which is only possibly with data collection laser power output and an unpredictable power networks.
software. performance. If the equipment is not performing properly, it is unlikely that the With these power quality problems
However, this is not the only way that food packaging will be as breathable as addressed, food can be monitored
food production facilities are changing. In it should be and this leads to inaccurate effectively as it moves safely along the
addition to the rising prevalence of data- best-before dates and a possible risk to production line and arrives in stores with
collecting sensors and software, there consumers. a good shelf life. From there, it’s only a
matter of powering fridges and electric
are many new pieces of equipment being
installed to improve process efficiency To address this problem, electrical ovens to see the food through the final
and product quality. engineers must ensure that the part of the food chain.
In particular, plant managers are turning power supply (SMPS) that can handle the
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equipment has an effective switch mode
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