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Robotics and automation in the food industry: Current and future technologies

Edited by D Caldwell, Italian Institute of Technology, Italy

Woodhead Publishing Series in Food Science, Technology and Nutrition No. 236

 - provides a comprehensive overview of current and emerging robotics and automation technologies and their applications in different industry sectors
 - chapters in part one cover key technologies and significant areas of development, including automatic process control and robotics in the food industry and sensors for automated quality and safety control
 - part two investigates robotics and automation in particular unit operations and industry sectors, including the automation of bulk sorting and the use of robotics and automation in the processing and packaging of meat, seafood, fresh produce and confectionery

The implementation of robotics and automation in the food sector offers great potential for improved safety, quality and profitability by optimising process monitoring and control. Robotics and automation in the food industry provides a comprehensive overview of current and emerging technologies and their applications in different industry sectors.

Part one introduces key technologies and significant areas of development, including automatic process control and robotics in the food industry, sensors for automated quality and safety control, and the development of machine vision systems. Optical sensors and online spectroscopy, gripper technologies, wireless sensor networks (WSN) and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems are discussed, with consideration of intelligent quality control systems based on fuzzy logic. Part two goes on to investigate robotics and automation in particular unit operations and industry sectors. The automation of bulk sorting and control of food chilling and freezing is considered, followed by chapters on the use of robotics and automation in the processing and packaging of meat, seafood, fresh produce and confectionery. Automatic control of batch thermal processing of canned foods is explored, before a final discussion on automation for a sustainable food industry.

With its distinguished editor and international team of expert contributors, Robotics and automation in the food industry is an indispensable guide for engineering professionals in the food industry, and a key introduction for professionals and academics interested in food production, robotics and automation.

ISBN 1 84569 801 0
ISBN-13: 978 1 84569 801 0
December 2012
528 pages  234 x 156mm  hardback  
£160.00 / US$270.00 / €190.00

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About the editor

Professor Darwin Caldwell is the award-winning Research Director at the Italian Institute of Technology in Genoa, Italy and a visiting professor in the Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering at the University of Sheffield, UK. Currently Chair of the IEEE Robotics and Automation Chapter (UKRI), Professor Caldwell has both edited and published extensively in the field.

Titles which may also be of interest:
Rapid and on-line instrumentation for food quality assurance
Food process modelling
Instrumentation and sensors for the food industry

Contents

PART 1 INTRODUCTION, KEY TECHNOLOGIES AND SIGNIFICANT AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT
PART 2 ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION IN PARTICULAR UNIT OPERATIONS AND INDUSTRY SECTORS

PART 1 INTRODUCTION, KEY TECHNOLOGIES AND SIGNIFICANT AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT

Automatic process control for the food industry: an introduction
Y Huang, United States Department of Agriculture, USA
 - Introduction
 - Process control systems and structure in the food industry
 - Process control methods in the food industry
 - Future trends
 - References

Robotics in the food industry: an introduction
J O Gray, The University of Manchester and S T Davis, University of Salford, UK
 - Introduction
 - Current manufacturing procedures
 - Automation in the food sector
 - Specifications for a food sector robot
 - Future trends
 - Conclusion
 - References

Sensors for automated food process control: an introduction
P G Berrie, Endress+Hauser Process Solutions AG, Switzerland
 - Introduction
 - Special considerations for food instrumentation
 - Measurement methods
 - Device integration
 - Applications of sensors in automated food process control
 - Future trends
 - Conclusion
 - References

Machine vision in the food industry
E R Davies, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK
 - Introduction
 - Machine vision: principles and methods
 - Applications and case studies
 - Recent advances in the application of vision in the food industry
 - Appraisal of the need for special hardware for food inspection applications
 - Conclusion and future trends
 - Sources of further information and advice
 - References

Optical sensors and online spectroscopy for automated quality and safety inspection of food products
C B Singh and D S Jayas, University of Manitoba, Canada
 - Introduction
 - Optical sensing and spectroscopic techniques
 - Applications in the food industry
 - Future trends
 - Conclusion
 - References

Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and related systems for automated process control in the food industry: an introduction
J F Holmes and G Russell, Georgia Tech Research Institute, USA and J K Allen The University of Oklahoma, USA
 - Introduction to supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) History of SCADA
 - SCADA standards and applications
 - SCADA in food processing
 - Laboratory study: implementation of SCADA
 - Future trends in SCADA
 - References

Gripper technologies for food industry robots
T K Lien, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway
 - Introduction
 - Gripper challenges in food process automation
 - Gripping physics
 - Pinching and enclosing grippers
 - Penetrating (needle) grippers
 - Suction grippers
 - Surface effect (freeze) grippers
 - Selection of the appropriate gripping technology
 - Future trends: from laboratory to industry
 - References

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) in the agricultural and food industries
N Wang, Oklahoma State University, USA
 - Introduction
 - Current state of development of wireless sensor networks (WSN)
 - WSN applications in agriculture and food production
 - Future trends in WSN technology in agriculture and food production
 - References

Intelligent quality control systems in food processing based on fuzzy logic
N Perrot and C Baudrit, INRA, France
 - Introduction
 - Principles of intelligent control systems using fuzzy logic
 - Current applications in the food industry
 - Advances in research and future trends
 - References

Advanced methods for the control of food processes: the case of bioconversion in a fed-batch reactor
D Dochain, Universite catholique de Louvain, Belgium
 - Introduction
 - The basic dynamical model
 - Modelling issues: population balance modelling in food processes
 - Monitoring issues
 - Design of PID controllers for fed-batch processes
 - Real-time optimization
 - Acknowledgements
 - Conclusion
 - References

PART 2 ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION IN PARTICULAR UNIT OPERATIONS AND INDUSTRY SECTORS

Automation and robotics for bulk sorting in the food industry
G Hamid, B Deefholts, N Reynolds, D McCambridge, K Mason-Palmer and C Briggs, Buhler Sortex Limited, UK
 - Introduction
 - Principles of operation
 - Requirements
 - Recent advances in technology
 - Current applications
 - Conclusion
 - Future trends
 - Sources of further information and advice
 - References

Automatic control of food chilling and freezing
C James and S J James, Grimsby Institute of Further & Higher Education (GIFHE), UK
 - Introduction: key drivers and challenges for automatic control of food chilling and freezing
 - Automation in refrigerated food retail display
 - Automation of refrigeration and freezing operations in food catering
 - Automation in refrigerated food transport systems
 - Automation in food chilling and freezing systems
 - Automation in food cold storage systems
 - Advances in research and future trends
 - Sources of further information and advice
 - References

Robotics and automation in meat processing
G Purnell, Grimsby Institute of Further & Higher Education (GIFHE), UK
 - Introduction
 - Automation of carcass production processes before primary chilling
 - Automation of carcass separation processes after primary chilling
 - Future trends
 - Conclusion
 - Sources of further information and advice
 - References

Robotics and automation in the poultry industry: current technology and future trends
G McMurray, Georgia Tech Research Institute, USA
 - Introduction
 - Robotics and automation in live hanging and first processing of poultry
 - Robotics and automation in second processing of poultry
 - Robotics and automation in bulk packing and shipping of poultry meat
 - Future trends
 - References

Robotics and automation in seafood processing
J O Buljo and T B Gjerstad, SINTEF Raufoss Manufacturing AS, Norway
 - Introduction
 - Technologies for robotics and automation in the seafood industry
 - Application of robotics and automation in fish slaughtering, filleting, portioning and associated unit operations
 - Automation in other unit operations in fish processing
 - Future trends
 - Sources of further information and advice
 - References

Robotics and automation in the fresh produce industry
N Kondo, Kyoto University, Japan
 - Introduction
 - Machine vision system as a key technology
 - Vegetable preprocessing and grading systems
 - Information flow for food traceability and farming guidance
 - Conclusion
 - References

Robotics and automation for packaging in the confectionery industry
J S Dai, University of London, UK
 - Introduction
 - The confectionery market and its business requirements
 - Reconfigurable mechanism technology
 - Case study of a reconfigurable system for carton folding
 - Future trends
 - Conclusion
 - Acknowledgements
 - References

Automatic control of batch thermal processing of canned foods
R J Simpson, S F Almonacid, Universidad Técnica Federico, Chile and Centro Regional de Estudios en Alimentos Saludables (CREAS), Chile, and A A Teixeira, University of Florida, USA
 - Introduction
 - On-line control strategies
 - Validation of computer-based control systems
 - Industrial automation of batch retorts
 - Advances in research and future trends
 - References

Automation for a sustainable food industry: computer aided analysis and control engineering methods
A I Papadopoulos, Centre for Research and Technology – Hellas, Greece, and P Seferlis, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece and Centre for Research and Technology – Hellas, Greece
 - Introduction
 - Definition of sustainability and links with the food industry
 - Automation and sustainability in food manufacturing
 - Tools for automated sustainable design and operation in food engineering
 - Advanced tools and methods for sustainable food engineering with potential applications
 - Software technologies for automated sustainable design
 - Conclusion and future trends
 - Sources of further information and advice
 - References