Sustainability and innovation: steam production with data science

In the global economy, the manufacturing food industry sector is indispensable. It encompasses the production, processing, distribution and marketing of food and beverages. According to the Brazilian Association of the Food Industry (2023), it represents 10.8% of the country’s GDP, highlighting the economic importance of this sector.

The Boiler machine plays an indispensable role in a food production line, especially in cold-cuts. Its main functions are:

• Cooking: the steam generated by the boilers is used in cooking the food, ensuring that it reaches the appropriate internal temperature for food safety and product quality;
• Sterilization: Steam is essential for sterilization, helping in maintaining a hygienic and contaminant-free environment;
• Heating: Steam produced in boilers heats ingredients and mixtures, making them easier to mix and process;

Due to its multiple functions, monitoring the quality of the steam is really important. The industry monitors its quality through the level of humidity. This characteristic is key to promoting high energy efficiency, as less energy is consumed to achieve the same results. This reduces operating costs and contributes to ESG manners, with fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

The food sector is always looking for innovation, and data science is a great ally in the optimization process of this equipment. For example, performance analysis can identify areas for improvement and implement new production strategies.

This case describes how a large multinational company in the food sector used the ST-One™ Solution to optimize steam production. The factory in question was also able to monitor the boiler’s gas emissions during the production process. Learn more about us.