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New technologies enable process of classification of 30 tons of coffee per hour
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Monday, 08 July, 2024, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Brazil
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Brazilian coffee growing, especially in the Cerrado Mineiro region, has become known for its sustainable techniques and innovative coffee production systems. Technology is used throughout the coffee chain, from production to consumption, and helps to improve the quality of the coffee beans, increase exports and diversify the market. The Cerrado Coffee Growers' Cooperative - Expocacer is launching an industrial production line exclusively for the classification of specialty coffee, focusing on the meticulous quality of the beans, in small volumes of up to 3,600 kg per hour.
Célio Barreto, Expocacer's innovation and technology manager, said, "The machinery is 100% automated, with 108 options for grain classification routes. This automation system makes it possible to control KPIs (production and maintenance control indexes), as well as having an Artificial Intelligence sensor to control predictive maintenance. It was designed to work with high quality coffee, in a more selective way, aiming for higher yields, better selection and classification of the beans.”
The Expocacer's machinery park at Storage Units I and II, has 4 coffee classification production lines capable of producing up to 500 bags of 60kg per hour, equivalent to 30,000 kg/h.
The vanguard cooperative has also been working with AI sensors for predictive prevention. The sensors monitor the machinery's vibrations and temperature in real time, informing the producers where and when predictive maintenance should be carried out without affecting the pace of production. This technology has led to a 20% reduction in maintenance costs and a 10% increase in machinery availability.
Today, Expocacer's warehouses are moving towards excellence in Industry 4.0, which stands for industrial automation and the integration of different technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), automation and robotics, IoT (internet of things) and cloud computing, with the aim of promoting the decentralization of human action in production processes, using automation and technology to connect the entire operation, speeding up processes and increasing productivity. These systems incorporate intelligence into machines, thereby optimizing and automating production, allowing information to be generated and the various stages of our value chain to be connected.
Flávia Madureira, Expocacer's operations and logistics director, said, "Due to the transformational impact of AI and "digital twin" technologies, our industry is becoming increasingly autonomous, with a new workflow that uses virtual simulation of the operation as a reference and allows us to test new layouts and identify new processes using IoT in every machine on the production line. The application of these technologies allows us to reduce the cycle time of the operation, optimizing spaces, processes and operational efficiency without costly physical changes."
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