Extending fieldbus standards to food processing and packaging industry: A review

Several fieldbus systems based on different standards are in use since a decade. Bearing in mind that a dedicated fieldbus for food plant operation and management (FOAM) does not exist, this paper highlights their applications in this sector. In recent years, such pressures as operational flexibility, state-of-the-art technology, regulations, quality control, productivity, and last but not the least the environmental issues have motivated the food processing and packaging industry to search for strategic ways to fulfill factory-wide automation, control, and management requirements. However, the acceptance of fieldbus technology especially for the food processing and packaging applications has been minimal. Because, new processing plants small to large including renovation and modernization sites are emerging almost everyday, there is a pressing need to extensively disseminate the characteristic features, so that the fieldbus revolution can spread to serve the food industries in a bigger way. This paper critically reviews the characteristic features of some popular fieldbus systems while advocating modern networked automation tools and systems scenarios that can meet the FPOM (food plant operation and management) requirements. In particular, the characteristic features of some contemporary fieldbus standards have been comprehensively described. Some applications are highlighted. A suggestion is made to develop a dedicated fieldbus for the food industry. Conceptual specification of requirements framework is outlined.