How is Automation Used?
Automation has been used in the dairy industry for 30 years to provide automatic cleaning of equipment. Block noted that processing milk and cheese usually involve continuous processes with few people involved, and often in a remote control room. Automation is widespread in biotech because of the need for consistency and cleanliness. “The business is highly regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, and there’s little room for mistakes,” he noted. Yet 20 years ago, Block says the industry was hardly automated, having only temperature and pH control using analog meters and valves. By the 1990s, all new facilities included automatic cleaning and many automatic sequences. The applications that are attracting the most attention in wineries tend to be thing what might be needed in five years. Block recommends designing for current requirements but with equipment suitable for foreseeable needs for five to 10 years. “Then wait for the comfort level to rise and you can increase automation
