Applications of process and digital twin models for production simulation and scheduling in the manufacturing of food ingredients and products

Food Processing Industries are bound to increasingly adopt digital technologies in order to ensure product safety and quality, minimize costs in the face of low profit margins, shorten lead times and guarantee timely delivery of an increasing number of products despite production dead times and uncertainties. The concept of a digital twin put forward in the context of Industry 4.0 encompasses a digital model of the production model that mimics the physical system, interacts with it and can be used to design, monitor and optimize its performance. In this paper, the application of integrated process and digital twin models in food processing is discussed in the context of process simulation and production scheduling. The modeling challenges, opportunities and special characteristics that distinguish food from other process industries are also discussed. The potential benefits from implementing a digital modeling approach on a food process are presented with the help of a large-scale brewery case study. (c) 2021 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Food processing industries are increasingly adopting digital technologies to ensure product safety and quality, minimize costs, and guarantee timely delivery. The concept of a digital twin provides a digital model of the production system for design, monitoring, and optimization. While facing unique challenges, the implementation of digital modeling approaches has great potential for improving production efficiency in the food processing industry.