Aquafeed manufacturers have to deal with complex product development processes in which challenges like moisture control (due to extrusion) play an important role. Controlling the evaporation has an effect on the recipe design. Therefore, a precise formulation platform that takes into account production settings is crucial.

It is important to deliver what you promise to your customer. Manufacturers have to align the quality of the final product with the product declaration. A smooth integration between the quality control system and the formulation will guarantee that the raw material specs are always up-to-date for the recipe formulation. 

Integrating different sources of quality data makes the quality control platform even more efficient in supporting the daily operations. In most cases, the capture of quality data is organized in data silos and ends up being separated from other data. A silo is a system, process, department, etc. that operates in isolation from others. As a consequence, it is also isolated from broader decision-making. Therefore, merging data silos in one central solution encourages information sharing for better business decisions.

How can smart integrations and flexible recipe design lead to increased efficiency? In this 2 part series, we will show you 4 scenarios that perfectly highlight how flexible recipe design and an integrated quality control platform can lead to a huge increase in efficiency. 

Scenario 1: Intake of raw materials

This scenario starts from the creation of a sample from intake of raw materials to the approval for unloading the truck. Figure 1 gives an overview of the processes that take place during the intake of raw materials and a few possible integrations that can be set up. 

Figures 2 & 3 show the corresponding result in a sample in Adifo’s BESTMIX Quality Control Software.

This scenario is based on the intake being registered in the ERP or MES software of the company. This software sends the relevant information for the intake to the BESTMIX Quality Control software. As a result, a sample is automatically created in the QC software, without any user interaction. Smart QC software, like BESTMIX will then assign analyses to the sample based on the quality control plan.

All companies have their plans and targets on how often to test products in different stages of the logistic flow. As testing costs time and money, it is imperative to optimize the sampling and testing. Therefore, analysis schedules, stating the conditions and frequency of appliance, are used to automate the execution of the quality control plan.

Sample Labels
The next step in the process flow supports the daily job of the plant operators. At the creation of the sample, sample labels are generated (one label per sample to take). So based on this number, the operator knows how many samples to take, which type of bag to use and where to send it.

Once the labels are printed, the operator starts the QC process by taking samples from the intake and by checking the delivery note and truck cleaning documents. The operator fills out the document conformity status in the QC software. He also executes a visual control of the raw material (texture, color,…) and fills out the results in the sample. During the visual check, the operator can look at reference pictures and guidance texts in the QC software (as show in figure 2).

NIR scan
In this scenario, the sample also has to be NIR scanned. At the creation of the sample in the QC software and the assignment of the NIR package test in the sample itself, the sample data (for example: sample code, product code and upper and lower limits) is automatically sent to the NIR instrument on the plant. Thanks to these limits in the NIR device, the operator has an immediate evaluation when doing the NIR scan and can decide to rescan if necessary.

Now, when performing the actual scan, the operator will first prepare the sample and present it to the NIR device. The operator selects the sample from the sample queue in the instrument software, ideally via barcode reading found on the sample label that was generated by the QC software. As a result, the product code and calibration is found. The scanning starts and the instrument generates the prediction and the NIR software compares the results with the limits as delivered by the BESTMIX QC software. Meanwhile the predictions are also automatically captured in the QC software without user interaction.

DON testing
Furthermore, the intake is also tested for DON, a mycotoxin. AccuScan reader software generates the result for the DON-test and saves it in an Excel file. This file is saved in a predefined folder and is automatically processed into the QC software. This is the third integration that focusses on limiting user interaction and thus increasing efficiency.

Release from quarantine
At this point, all sample test results are not yet available. But as soon as all released critical tests are performed, the QC software can generate an approval or rejection notification for truck unloading. The approval is based on the result of those tests being in line with the tolerances or not. A message is returned to the ERP or MES software with the release status and some relevant results. In this way, the truck unloading process time can be reduced significantly.

External Service Laboratories 
As mentioned before, the sample is not fully completed yet, because more tests may be assigned to the sample which may take some more time. In this scenario, a sample is sent to a service lab, requesting to perform a wet chemistry analysis. The QC software will send a file with the request to the lab and print a request submission form with all tests to perform. Once the results are available, the service lab prepares the certificates of analysis and uploads the results.

The import of the results does not require any human interaction but is automatically processed and filled in the sample. Even the certificate of analysis can be attached to the sample automatically.

Conclusion
All sample results are now available and the sample is completed. This scenario clearly shows that using smart integrations, to bring all quality data from multiple data sources in one central platform and so avoiding multiple data silos, leads to increased efficiency.

The centralization of the quality control data is also enhanced, allowing better, business decisions and facilitating the traceability in the production process chain, upstream as well as downstream.
In the next installment of this series, we will cover a few more scenarios pertaining to extruded products.