Greenfield food and beverage facility
Full automation and electrical delivery from concept through commissioning, covering process controls, CIP, packaging integration and facility SCADA. Ongoing support continuing after launch.
Industry · 01
Food & Beverage Automation in Melbourne and Australia
Metromotion Controls delivers food and beverage automation in Melbourne and Australia, covering PLC programming, SCADA, CIP, batch control, pasteurisation control, packaging integration and production data.
Metromotion Controls delivers food and beverage automation Australia work from Melbourne, including projects for Chobani, Lactalis, La Casa del Formaggio and Remedy Drinks. Typical scope includes PLC programming, SCADA, line improvements, process upgrades, greenfield facilities, CIP automation, batch control, pasteurisation control, packaging integration, traceability and production data systems.
Sector Challenges
Problems we solve
01
Line performance data that teams actually trust
OEE figures from manual shift reports or OEM software that only sees one machine are difficult to act on. When the numbers are disputed in the weekly review, they stop being useful. Connecting performance metrics directly to PLC signals gives operations a shared, accurate view of what each line is actually doing.
02
OEM equipment operating as isolated islands
Production lines typically include equipment from multiple suppliers. Fillers, checkweighers, wrappers and coders each arrive with their own interface and no native connection to site controls. This fragments visibility, complicates alarming and makes data extraction difficult to retrofit.
03
Audit critical process records that are slow to retrieve
Food safety data including pasteuriser temperatures, divert events, CIP cycle logs and conductivity readings needs to be accurate and quickly accessible. Where these are captured manually or spread across separate systems, audit preparation is slow and the quality of records is difficult to defend.
04
Slow fault response outside business hours
A line stopping at 2am means waiting for someone to travel to site before any diagnosis begins. In a food production environment, every hour of unplanned downtime carries a direct cost. Remote access to the systems running the line changes the response time significantly.
05
Recipe and changeover management that depends on who is on shift
When recipe parameters live in spreadsheets, printed cards or operator memory, changeovers create exposure. Allergen segregation, dosing setpoints and processing parameters need to be governed, version controlled and traceable rather than dependent on an individual remembering correctly.
06
Automation decisions that create constraints later
Network architecture, data models, PLC platform choices and integration points all carry forward into future projects. An upgrade or equipment installation done without considering the longer term direction can close off options that would otherwise have been straightforward to build on.
Our Approach
How we deliver
We understand the process behind the P&ID, which lets us program a line from the drawing and a short conversation rather than a long functional specification, which we then document as we build it. That comes from years working alongside process companies. We know how to control and protect pumps for the duty, including the different safety needs of centrifugal and twin screw pumps such as relief and discharge interlocks on a positive displacement pump that must not run against a closed valve; reduce water hammer through valve and pump-start sequencing; set prime and flush volumes so transfers run clean without wasted product; and stabilise the loops that govern product quality and safety, including glycol, steam, hot water, pressure and level control.
We connect production performance data directly to the PLCs and SCADA systems running your equipment. Dashboards can cover shift OEE, production summaries, CIP records, pasteuriser logs, conductivity charts, trade waste reporting, utility usage and quality context from laboratory systems.
Our integration work covers OEM equipment into site controls, ERP connectivity for schedule and recipe management, governed batch systems with full traceability, and pre-specification of OEM communications requirements before equipment is ordered.
We provide remote support for systems we work with and help clients build automation roadmaps so early project decisions support future capability. We also bring direct experience in OT network design, infrastructure planning and cybersecurity across manufacturing sites.
We help sites build one contextualised production data layer instead of separate reporting silos. A motor state, reject count, checkweigher reading or batch step carries more meaning when it is tied to the product, recipe, line, shift, equipment state and quality outcome. The same records can then serve operators who need clear screens and diagnostics, quality teams who need traceability and release evidence, maintenance who need fault history, operations who need downtime and throughput, and management who need reliable reporting without manual spreadsheet work.
Typical Work
Projects in this sector
Production performance and OEE platform
Direct PLC integration for accurate line performance data, with role specific dashboards for operations, quality and management. CIP records, pasteuriser logs and trade waste reporting built into the same data layer.
OEM equipment integration into site controls
Integration of new production line equipment with existing PLC and SCADA infrastructure, including networking, programming and commissioning support for controlled production entry.
Recipe management and ERP integration
Governed recipe system with version control, role based access and confirmation workflows, connected to ERP for schedule download, work order execution and production reporting.
Traceability and inventory management system
Integration with existing controls infrastructure to link ingredient lot records, batch execution and finished goods identifiers for rapid trace response and audit readiness.
Common Questions
Frequently asked
Do you work around live production schedules?
Yes. Staged delivery around production windows is standard for us. We plan FAT, site commissioning and cutovers to minimise production impact, with rollback options and clear commissioning gates at each stage.
Do you work outside Victoria?
Yes. We deliver nationally. Current and recent clients include sites in Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland and Tasmania. Site travel is planned as part of project delivery, and remote support covers any location.
What does ongoing support look like?
Ongoing support can include remote diagnostics, urgent fault response, backup checks, small changes and planned improvement work. Beyond emergency response, we work with clients on system extensions and new capability as their needs develop. Several food and beverage client relationships have run for over ten years.
Can you work with our existing control systems?
Yes. We work across the major PLC and SCADA platforms and are comfortable taking on existing, undocumented code. Replacing a working control system is rarely the right approach and we will only recommend it when there is a clear technical reason to do so. In food and beverage plants this usually means retaining proven CIP, pasteurisation and batch control logic and improving, extending and connecting around it rather than starting from scratch.
How do you handle allergen control in recipe and batch systems?
We implement role based recipe authorisation, controlled product family transitions and mandatory confirmation steps at critical changeover points. CIP status, line clearance checks and ingredient verification are linked to interlocks so allergen critical controls cannot be bypassed without an approved workflow.
Do you deliver CIP automation and batch control for food plants?
Yes. Metromotion Controls designs CIP automation, batch control, recipe handling, pasteurisation control and production records for food and beverage plants that need reliable operation and audit-ready data.
Do you need a detailed functional specification before programming our process?
Usually not. Show us the P&ID and walk us through how the plant should run, and in most cases we can scope and program it from there, documenting the control philosophy as we build it. Years working alongside process companies mean we understand the process itself, from pump control and water hammer through to the thermal, pressure and level loops that hold product quality.
What does a food and beverage automation integrator do?
A food and beverage automation integrator designs, programs, commissions and supports the control and data systems that run a production site. For Metromotion Controls that covers PLC programming, SCADA and HMI, CIP and batch control, pasteurisation control, packaging and OEM equipment integration, recipe and traceability systems, and the production data layer that turns plant signals into reporting for operations, quality, maintenance and management.
What is contextualised production data?
Contextualised production data is plant data connected to the production context that gives it meaning. A motor state, reject count, checkweigher reading or batch step is more useful when it is tied to the product, recipe, line, shift, equipment state and quality outcome that produced it. Metromotion Controls builds that context into the data layer so one set of production records can serve operations, quality, maintenance and finance.
Related Expertise
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PLC, SCADA and HMI programming
PLC logic, SCADA architecture, HMI standards, alarming and historian integration for manufacturing sites.
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OEE monitoring for manufacturing
OEE dashboards, downtime tracking, plant historian and manufacturing analytics from validated plant signals.
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Control panel engineering
Electrical design, control cabinet upgrades and panel-build support for industrial projects.
Project
Chobani greenfield yoghurt plant
Large capital project delivery across process automation, electrical engineering and commissioning.
Insight
CIP automation for hygienic processing
Where CIP automation investment pays back: cycle optimisation, digital audit records, queueing and coverage verification.
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Food and beverage automation guide
A practical guide to food and beverage automation opportunities, constraints and project scope.
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SCADA design for food and beverage plants
SCADA system design considerations for alarms, records, historian data and operator use.
Ready to discuss your food & beverage project?
Tell us the site change, upgrade or support requirement. We'll review the scope, timing and technical constraints and respond with a clear next step.