PET Food Processing - December 2022 - 56

OPERATIONS
With the labor
market for
manufacturing
as tight as it is,
processors who
invest in plant
management tools
that streamline
processes will also
be investing in a
more empowered
workforce.
Plex Systems
tion and dignity in their work during a time when plant
owners are facing significant labor challenges, according
to Ken Fisher, senior vice president of product management
and solutions consulting at Redzone.
Measuring water activity to
increase production
METER Group, Pullman, Wash., offers a water activity
meter, which enables companies to produce fresh product
with an exact expiration date, allowing processors to
know precisely when a product is going to mold or have
a microbial growth event.
Without the knowledge of water activity, it is very
difficult for companies to manage the pet food production
process, and METER Group's SKALA solution gives
companies insight into what they cannot tell by measuring
moisture alone, according to Takuya Ohki, METER
Group's executive vice president of food.
" SKALA's closed-loop
machine learning can
become the brain that
controls processors'
equipment. "
Takuya Ohki, METER Group
Ohki said data from all parts of the production process
are aggregated and incorporated into the system, which
then tells employees what to do at each step along the way.
" It's helping new plants to have the eyes and ears to
see what they need to be doing, " Ohki said.
The system automatically adjusts ovens, and the com56
PET FOOD PROCESSING | December 2022 | www.petfoodprocessing.net
pany is working on creating an algorithm to adjust extruders
as well. Automating the cooler will be the next
likely step after that, Ohki said.
" Getting good results from manually adjusting the
temperature of a continuous oven is nearly impossible
- there's too much lag between QA readings and
set point adjustments, " Ohki said. " The SKALA system
knows what's happening inside the dryer and automatically
controls temperature and belt speed set points to
produce consistent products. "
Benefits from the water activity meter extend to saving
labor, cost control, improving profitability and promoting
sustainability. With more precise indicators of when
a product will be finished, less product is wasted, thereby
saving money while also reducing waste and energy use.
" SKALA's closed-loop machine learning can become
the brain that controls processors' equipment, " Ohki
said. " Processors don't need to invest in pricey, top-ofthe-line
new equipment, or find and train dozens of new
employees to run it all. SKALA learns to deliver perfect
products from any equipment, old or new. "
Additionally, as many processors are moving to using
organic material, Ohki said SKALA helps them adjust to
the different characteristics of these ingredients to ensure
shelf stability.
Using SKALA, Primal Pet Group, Fairfield, Calif.,
was able to produce more product by reducing a 9-hour
cook to an 8-hour cook, and the job of the production
staff became easier as they no longer had to manually
determine when to pull product.
Not only can plant management systems improve the
quality of products, but they can also help bring workers'
ideas to fruition and act as a connection between managers
and employees, all of which will be critical for pet
food processors moving forward as the industry seeks
solutions to labor challenges.
PFP
http://www.petfoodprocessing.net
PET Food Processing - December 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of PET Food Processing - December 2022
