Mitsubishi Electric’s FA products, including servos, displays, and programmable controllers, were chosen by Siddhi Vinayak Agri Processing to construct machinery and conveying systems for snack food production using a range of components, including pulses, maize, millet, and potato derivatives. The Pune, India-based company is growing globally, extending its operations to the Philippines, Germany, and the United Arab Emirates.
More than a supplier, a collaboration partner
Based in India, Siddhi Vinayak Agri Processing is a multidisciplinary business that offers engineering services, Snack Food Production, and agri support.
Although the company was established in 2008, its engineering division didn’t begin operations until 2012, when it began providing food production companies with consulting and knowledge exchange. With time, the engineering division broadened its scope to include systems and engineering services targeted at Snack Food Production.
The company’s engineering division head, Mr. Ram Manohar Singh, stated that SV Agri first contacted Mitsubishi Electric factory automation during the COVID-19 pandemic while looking for a different automation supplier.
Mr. Singh explained “We finally settled on Mitsubishi Electric due to its high-quality products, friendly technical support, and accurate PID control (feedback control).”
When SV Agri first began using the FA products from Mitsubishi Electric FA, there was a high learning curve. Nonetheless, the engineers at Mitsubishi Electric India helped them at every turn, which led to a solid relationship of mutual respect and cooperation between the two companies.
Feedback Control Improved Roast Quality
According to Singh, “the roasting line was one of the first areas on which SV Agri’s engineers applied Mitsubishi Electric’s controllers and interfaces.”
The roasting line’s heating temperature was fixed at a constant 100 degrees Celsius prior to installation. The actual operational requirements, which had to deal with fluctuating production volumes ranging from 200 kg per hour to 1000 kg per hour, were not, however, reflected in this. “The changing volumes can affect the roasting time and thoroughness of the applied roast,” stated Singh, contextualizing this difficulty.
Moreover, it was necessary to accommodate a diverse range of ingredients as the roasting characteristics and parameters for nuts differ from those of beans and pulses.
These problems have now been resolved with the use of servo systems and programmable logic controllers. With a combination of research and development and automated feedback control using PID, the roasting line can now now flexibly adjust timings and temperatures to deliver the perfect produce with the required color, texture, and crispiness regardless of the volume, raw material, or environmental conditions.
“We were able to provide our clients the outcomes they desired by adjusting the heating cycles to the necessary levels thanks to our partnership with Mitsubishi Electric,” Singh said.
Furthermore, by stabilizing product quality and reducing energy consumption—a significant component of operational costs for a roasting line—the new control system has also improved overall performance. These extra advantages are crucial for business owners in the food sector, where low margins per unit produced are the norm.
The Following Obstacle
Going ahead, Singh clarified, “I’m looking to create a unique robot application dedicated to the needs of the snack food industry.” His team was now looking at using robots in conjunction with the company’s equipment, he said. I just want to make Snack Food Production; I have no interest in anything else.
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