Integration of Dairy Plant Process Equipment into a Single SCADA System
Integration of Dairy Plant Process Equipment into a Single SCADA System
Centralized control of seven process areas without replacing local control systems.
Belarus
Branch:
Food industry
Year:
2026
About the project:
At the dairy plant, it was necessary to combine process equipment from various manufacturers into a single system of centralized control and monitoring.
The equipment had its own programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and local operator panels. The task for Aprotec Engineering was to integrate these systems with each other at the level of data exchange and provide the staff with a single interface for process control.
The project combined the following process areas:
— milk reception post;
— milk storage area — two tanks;
— rinse water collection area — two tanks;
— UHT processing unit;
— aseptic tank;
— automated two-circuit CIP station;
— product filling area — two filling machines.
The solution is based on a centralized SCADA system, → uniting equipment from various manufacturers in a single operator space.
Aprotec Engineering organized data exchange with PLCs from third-party suppliers and integrated the process areas into a common system. At the same time, the local controllers and operator panels retained their equipment control functions, while SCADA provides a centralized interface for process control and monitoring.
The unified system includes the milk reception and storage areas, rinse water collection, UHT processing, aseptic storage, CIP cleaning, and product filling. This allows the operator to work with interconnected process areas from a single point, without the need to constantly switch between local panels from different manufacturers.
These functions allow staff to monitor changes in process parameters, analyze deviations, and reconstruct the sequence of events when investigating process situations. The architecture provides for the integration of existing control systems without the need for their complete replacement.
As a result of the project, the dairy plant received a centralized SCADA system uniting seven process areas of the production facility.
Within the project:
— a SCADA system for centralized process control was developed;
— data exchange was organized with PLCs of third-party equipment manufacturers;
— the milk reception post, two milk storage tanks, and two rinse water collection tanks were integrated;
— the UHT unit and aseptic tank were included in the unified system;
— the automated two-circuit CIP station was integrated;
— two product filling machines were combined;
— registration and archiving of alarm messages were implemented;
— recording and display of process trends were organized;
— the existing local PLCs and control panels were preserved.
For the customer, this means centralized access to process control, a single point of monitoring the state of integrated equipment, and tools for analyzing alarm situations and changing process parameters.
The project demonstrates Aprotec Engineering's approach to industrial equipment integration: uniting process systems from different manufacturers at the level of data exchange and centralized operator control. At the same time, the existing PLCs and local panels are preserved, while SCADA provides a unified interface for control, monitoring, and registration of process events.
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