automated craftiness

Automated Craft iness H o w a u t o m a t i o n i s h e l p i n g u s b r e w g r e a t b e e r.

John Blystone, PE Electrical & Controls Supervisor Great Lakes Brewing Company

Cleveland, OH

About Great Lakes Brewing Company

• First modern Craft Brewery in Ohio when opened in 1988 • Still privately owned by founders Pat & Dan Conway


• First modern Craft Brewery in Ohio when opened in 1988 • Still privately owned by founders Pat & Dan Conway • 21st largest craft brewery in the US in 2016 • Produced approximately 162,000 BBL, or just over 5 Million Gallons, last year


• First modern Craft Brewery in Ohio when opened in 1988 • Still privately owned by founders Pat & Dan Conway • 21st largest craft brewery in the US in 2016 • Produced approximately 162,000 BBL, or just over 5 Million Gallons, last year • Available in 13 States, from NC to WI, and Washington, DC • Employ 240 people from restaurant staff, sales, operators, and two lucky engineers • Just added our 6th year-round, Turntable Pilsner • Total of 21 different styles mass-produced throughout the year

About Me

• 2005 BSEE, specializing in Computer Engineering, from The University of Akron • Dec. 2017 planned MBA, specializing in Executive Management, from Ohio University • Professional Engineer, ISA-certified Controls Systems Engineer, Ohio #78408 • Professional experience includes rubber processing, calendering, precision fluid blending,

material handling • Have worked as consulting engineer, machine builder, and facilities engineer • Became first full-time engineer at GLBC in July of 2013

Outline

Three questions I want to answer today…

• What is “craft beer” exactly?

• How does automation fit this industry?

• What technologies is GLBC leveraging and how?

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What is “Craft Beer”?

The Brewer’s Association defines the category using three rules: • Small – 6 million BBL (186 million Gal.) or less per year

(approx. 3% of annual beer consumed in this country)

• Independent – Less than 25% owned or controlled by an alcohol industry member that is not itself a craft brewer.

• Traditional – Majority of their beverage alcohol volume in beer (not cider or flavored malt beverages)

How does automation fit?

Technology allows for better tools.

Local “manual” micro-brewery (<15k BBL/yr) still uses: • Stainless steel made with modern smelting techniques • Tanks and pipes made with modern automated welding equipment • Valves made with modern CNC equipment • Modern cleaning chemicals and techniques • Modern drives for pumps and temperature controllers for tanks


Technology allows for better tools.

Problems we faced as a large regional: • Lack of data for decision-making • High operator cognitive load leading to errors and process slow-downs • Lack of space to “easily” boost production volume


Critical Questions that helped Determine Automation’s Role

Do we really want our highly-trained & experienced brewers… • Doing repetitive non-value-added tasks • Documenting batch process details by hand • Performing repetitive batch calculations by hand

Likewise, do we want a brewer busy with value-added tasks responsible for… • Time-sensitive process changes that impact quality • Temperature regulation of numerous simultaneous processes that impact quality • Interlocking of various procedures

To the managers, do you want… • Better process visibility • More accurate records • Better equipment utilization • More data to help troubleshoot


Let’s follow my first major automation initiative…

Brewhouse Through-put Optimization (AKA “BTO”)


My 1st Step – Core Upgrades

• SLC 5/05 Step-Forward to 1756-L71 • Still using SLC I/O, zero wiring changes • Allows easy integration of modern drives and I/O



• SLC 5/05 Step-Forward to 1756-L71 • Still using SLC I/O, zero wiring changes • Allows easy integration of modern drives and I/O • Toughest part – software migration. Upgrade tool (RA) or by hand (co-op)



• HMI Upgrade from RSView32 to FactoryTalk View SE • From single computer in wash-down brewhouse to distributed VMWare servers • Thin clients allow for easy restoration of control following hardware failure • Redundant servers provide excellent uptime and data loss prevention


My 2nd Step – VFD Upgrades

• Upgraded to PowerFlex 525 drives • Built-in Ethernet/IP communications to new L71 for greater abilities • Built-in Safe-Torque-Off improved safety function • Freed up existing digital and analog I/O for other uses


My 3rd Step – I/O and Sensor additions

• L71 allowed Ethernet/IP I/O additions • New pre-run heat exchanger panel • Basement utility monitoring panel (co-op designed, built, commissioned) • ArmorBlock I/O for valve position feedback • New hot liquor / hot water control skid


My 4th Step – Software!

• 1st goal – lighten operator cognitive load • Automated grain-out sequence (17 step “manual” procedure to 1 button)

• Relies on torque feedback of 525 rake motor drive to determine when “empty” • Used same feedback to minimize equipment wear by limiting torque



• 1st goal – lighten operator cognitive load • Automated send-down temperature and flow control from brewhouse to fermenters

• Improved response and more consistent average temperature • Far less threat to yeast in fermenter, far fewer “re-pitches”



• 1st goal – lighten operator cognitive load • Automated lautering process

• Very complex process, many input and output variables • Greatly decreased lautering time variability, increased wort consistency



• 1st goal – lighten operator cognitive load • Automated brewer calculations for ERP records (sadly not automated data transfer)

• Improved data accuracy leads to better decision making • Discovered it acts as leading indicator of various failures and process problems



• 2nd goal – add analytics for troubleshooting & decision making • Co-op designed, built, and commissioned utility panel

• Monitored plant air pressure, used for troubleshooting




• Monitored plant water, hot water, hot liquor, compressed air, incoming power, etc…




• Monitored safety indicators



• 2nd goal – add analytics for troubleshooting & decision making • FactoryTalk View Alarms & Events Server • HMI server access locked down, PLC-side alarms allows co-ops to write and maintain



• 2nd goal – add analytics for troubleshooting & decision making • “Bread Crumbing” to lead operators to location of faults

Before…

Valve YV-26901 is Faulted! Without “bread crumbing”…

Wouldn’t know it unless you happened to see it blinking on the “Gas Block” screen.



• 2nd goal – add analytics for troubleshooting & decision making • “Bread Crumbing” to lead operators to location of faults

After…

Valve YV-26901 is Faulted! “Bread Crumbing” leads you to the problem.



• 2nd goal – add analytics for troubleshooting & decision making • FactoryTalk Analytics for Devices (AKA “Shelby”) BETA tester • Gave us hardware analytics on the 29 out of 31 Rockwell-based systems without them



• 2nd goal – add analytics for troubleshooting & decision making • FactoryTalk Analytics for Devices (AKA “Shelby”) BETA tester • Gave us hardware analytics on the 29 out of 31 Rockwell-based systems without them • Ease of implementation incredible, immediately pointed us to two failed PLC batteries and one

bad Ethernet cable (duplex hunting)



• 3rd goal – add dashboards for management and non-operators • FactoryTalk ViewPoint installed, special screens developed



• 3rd goal – add dashboards for management and non-operators • FactoryTalk ViewPoint installed, special screens developed – on tablets!


All combined…

• Short introduction to John Boyd

• Colonel, US Air Force

• Fighter pilot, Pentagon consultant

• Inspired the “Lightweight Fighter Program” which spawned the F-16 and F-18

• Bachelor’s degrees in economics and industrial engineering

• His theories were key to the ‘91 invasion of Iraq

• Perhaps best known for his OODA loop theory


All combined…

• Boyd’s OODA Loop

• Observe • Orient • Decide • Act


All combined…

• Key to success is ability to make repeated good decisions quickly

Rockwell Automation’s

Integrated Architecture is helping us achieve that success

Sustained sales growth over past 3 years despite being “at capacity” in

2014 thanks to decreased downtime and increased

automation and throughput.


Any Questions?

automated craftiness

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