According to Mitsubishi Electric UK, secure automation platforms with integrated data logging capability, will reduce the risk of another horse meat scandal, when in 2012 products labelled as beef were found to contain up to 100% horse meat.  Although now out of the headlines, the problem will return at some point.

The impact on public trust in the supermarkets has undoubtedly been a prime focus of attention but perhaps more important is the seeming lack of traceability that we all take for granted in what should be a highly regulated industry.

With longer food chains, the potential for contaminants getting into food products increases, and the question for food producers now is how they can reinforce their traceability measures and rebuild public trust.  A greater emphasis on automation would not only make the supply chain more transparent.  Effective track and trace programmes are not optional: regulatory compliance demand them.

Mitsubishi Electric is a leading supplier of automation solutions to the food industry, and a key focus of Mitsubishi’s automation architecture is managing a seamless flow of data.  When it comes to ensuring traceability throughout the food supply chain, data is critical.

Data logging is the cornerstone of this automation platform where the PLCs and HMIs enable data to be logged from a range of connected devices – including sensors, actuators, servos, inverters and temperature controllers – ensuring complete traceability of production for safe and secure operation.

The PLC range makes the implementation of effective data logging simple by integrating a full featured data logger, eliminating the cost of an external module. The built-in data logging function provides a simple means for ensuring production traceability, with the facility to store this data to SD memory card using the integral memory card slot.

The built-in data logger supports asynchronous scan-independent sampling as fast as 1ms. Separating its operation from the cyclic scan of the PLC provides far greater flexibility and sample frequency. Configuration of the data logger is made with parameterisation rather than programming, saving setup time.  Data may be analysed locally on the PLC or remotely over the network.

The data logger supports timed logging as well as trigger logging with a pre-and-post trigger buffer, meaning that at a triggered event (an alarm for example), a number of samples can be taken before and after the trigger. This is very important for diagnosing the events that led to the trigger event which speeds up the diagnostic process and minimizes downtime.

As well as logging data, the PLCs and GOT series HMIs can also transmit data from connected devices to a higher level SQL database server located on a PC via the optional MES interface. The MES interface function provides direct communication between the PLC or HMI and the SQL database, removing the need for an intermediate layer of PC hardware.

There is full tracking of logged data and system changes with features such as user login, automatic log-out after a set period of user inactivity and procedures to ensure that all users are authorised. The automation platform ensures any changes are authorised and records will only be accepted if accompanied by the proper user password.

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