Arla Foods Arinco is a dairy located in Videbæk, Denmark, founded in 1953 as a condensing plant for cooperative dairies. In 2023, it employs 320 people and produces various dairy products, including child nutrition and milk powder. The dairy’s processes are divided into wet and dry processes, with milk and cream processing, spray drying, powder storage, and packaging involved.

The project focused on upgrading Spray Dryer Tower 6 to improve product quality and cleaning standards. This tower is the largest at Arla Foods Arinco and was built in the late 1990s. To meet new standards, a “No Intervention CIP” system was implemented for cleaning, and a critical control point (CCP) system was added to ensure proper product heat treatment.

Key points for the upgrade project included a modern and flexible solution, adherence to GMP and CCP standards, scalability, and high uptime. The new control system was based on Siemens TIA PLCs and Aveva Intouch/IAS for visualization and data processing, replacing existing Siemens 400 PLCs.

The project scope included functional specifications, software development, operator training, electrical installation, I/O testing, and commissioning. The pre-project began in December 2021, and the main project commenced in January 2022, with FAT in September 2022. I/O testing and commissioning occurred from November to mid-December 2022. Au2mate provided extended commissioning support for six weeks with an engineer on call 24/7.

As a result, Arla Foods Arinco now has an upgraded Spray Dryer control system for Tower 6 that meets new quality and cleaning standards, ensuring the dairy’s continued production of high-quality dairy products.