SCADA System Integration for the Food Industry

SCADA System Integration for the Food Industry

At MG Electricidad, we have executed the electrical engineering and scada system integration for the complete automation of an industrial nut peeling line. Our intervention unified the power of the electrical panels with an advanced digital control interface, allowing centralized supervision of a complex sequential process that covers everything from raw material reception to the finished product.

The Technical Challenge: Synchronization and Continuous Flow

The peeling line presented the challenge of precisely coordinating multiple coupled mechanical stages. Any lag in the feed speed or a failure in the aspiration systems would cause product jams and economic losses. The client needed a solution that would allow operators to control the sequential start-up of the machinery, manage recipes according to the nut type, and immediately diagnose any anomaly in the critical motors.

Control Architecture and MG Electricidad Integration

To meet this need, we designed and installed a robust infrastructure that connects the physical environment of the plant with the digital logic:

• Power and Control Electrical Panels: Manufacturing and installation of the centralized panels, integrating variable frequency drives to optimize the performance of the motors and circuit breakers for each stage of the line.
• PLC Automation: Programming of the industrial interlocking logic to ensure that the line only operates if the evacuation and transport systems are active, avoiding load accumulations.
• Industrial Data Network: Interconnection of field devices through industrial protocols, guaranteeing a refresh rate in milliseconds on the control screen.

Structure and Navigation of the Developed HMI

The interface designed by MG Electricidad stands out for a high-fidelity graphical environment (3D synoptics of the machinery) and a menu layout designed for operator agility. Proper scada system integration was fundamental to achieve this level of usability:

General Machinery View and Information

The system has detailed synoptic screens that faithfully reproduce the physical layout of the plant.

• “INFO” Section: In this screen, the operator has a three-dimensional rendering of the peeling module, the bucket elevator, the receiving hopper, and the final inspection belt.
• Quick Access: From the left side menu, there is quick access to Help, Performance graphs, Advanced settings, Digital user manuals, and Shift management.

Line Operation and Control Panel

The start-up and monitoring of active variables are carried out centrally from the dynamic control area.

• “CONTROLS” Section: This view breaks down the entire expanded production flow, monitoring the start/stop status (with color indicators on the motors), the pneumatic gates, the peeling drum, the cyclone system, and the transport augers.
• Status Bar: In the lower bar, the system shows in real time the date, time, operating mode (Automatic / Manual), and a priority stop button next to the cycle control.

Results Achieved in the Plant

With the delivery of this engineering and scada system integration project, MG Electricidad has transformed the client’s operations:

• Control of the Peeling Process: Real-time visualization of the exact status of each motor and transport element, reducing line setup times.
• Intuitive Maintenance: Thanks to direct access to manuals and advanced graphs on the screen itself, the technical team locates electrical panel faults in a fraction of the usual time.
• Operational Flexibility: Rapid transition between manual and automatic modes to perform cleaning tasks, hygienic maintenance, or individual component testing without altering the global programming.