Optimizing digital infrastructure in dairy processing plants

Tetra Pak has announced a collaboration with British cheesemaker Heler Foods to deploy an advanced automation and digitalization platform at its creamery in Nantwich, Cheshire. This technical integration introduces a modern digital infrastructure designed for continuous monitoring and autonomous process adjustments within large-scale dairy processing.

Industrial Challenges and Collaborative Roles
Modern food and beverage manufacturers face significant cost pressures, demanding higher resource efficiency and reduced waste. In large-scale cheddar production, maintaining product consistency and maximizing cheese yield requires precise control over variables like temperature, pH, and processing time.

To address these operational challenges, Heler Foods is leveraging its long-standing expertise in commercial cheesemaking alongside Tetra Pak’s specialized automation and digitalization capabilities. The scale and complexity of transition toward AI-driven manufacturing require combining deep food production know-how with specialized industrial software.

Technical Solution and System Architecture
The core of the deployment centers on the Tetra Pak Factory OS software ecosystem. Developed in collaboration with Accenture and supported by industrial automation partners including Siemens, Rockwell Automation, and Inductive Automation, the platform bridges the gap between field-level hardware and high-level data analytics.

The system operates by establishing continuous real-time monitoring across the entire processing line. By capturing telemetry and performance data directly from the processing equipment, the software uses algorithmic models to autonomously adjust machine parameters. This closed-loop control system optimizes chemical and physical reactions during the cheddar production process, ensuring consistent product quality and reducing variation between batches.

Deployment and Industrial Application
The system will be fully integrated into a new Cheddar production line at Heler Foods' Nantwich facility, which is scheduled to be commissioned by January 2028. This installation marks the first deployment of this specific digital infrastructure platform within a Northern European creamery.

The advanced processing equipment and software layer will scale the facility's annual output capacity to 38,000 tonnes. Architecturally, the platform is designed to integrate with existing plant infrastructure while preparing the facility for future AI-driven manufacturing protocols.

Expected Operational Impact
The automated adjustment mechanisms are engineered to directly lower consumption metrics for critical inputs, resulting in reduced energy, water, and material waste per tonne of cheese produced. By utilizing real-time process control, the system ensures precision in manufacturing, which is highly critical for specialized dairy lines such as functional and healthier high-protein cheese products. The resulting operational stability provides measurable efficiency gains and long-term maintainability for the manufacturing plant.

Edited by Sucithra Mani, Induportals editor – adapted by AI.

www.tetrapak.com