High-capacity automated freezing tunnels with MQTT integration for meat processing facilities.
Industry: Food & Beverage (Meat Processing)
Quick Facts
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Capacity | Up to 20,000 kg/h |
| Temperature | Down to -40°C rapid freezing |
| I/O Points | 7,000-13,000 per tunnel |
| Tags | 10,000-16,000 internal tags |
| HMI Screens | 20 operator interfaces |
| Cameras | ~10 Hikvision CCTV per installation |
| Deployments | 50+ tunnels (Brazil and international) |
| PLC | Allen-Bradley with Ethernet/IP |
The Challenge
Challenge: Food processing facilities required advanced freezing tunnel systems capable of handling high-volume production (up to 20,000 kg/h) while maintaining strict quality standards for texture, color, flavor, and nutrients.
Specific pain points:
- Traditional freezing systems lacked automation, flexibility, and monitoring capabilities
- Need to adapt to different products (poultry, pork, beef) and packaging types (cardboard, plastic)
- Compliance with food safety regulations required
- Complete operational visibility needed across large I/O counts
- Rapid freezing to -40°C required to preserve product quality
Impact: Without advanced automation, facilities could not achieve required throughput while maintaining quality standards and regulatory compliance.
The Solution
Architecture
| Tier | Component | Capabilities |
|---|---|---|
| Field | Freezing tunnel equipment | 7,000-13,000 I/O points |
| Control | Allen-Bradley PLC | Ethernet/IP protocol, central control |
| SCADA | FrameworX Platform | 10,000-16,000 internal tags |
| Supervisory | MQTT Server | Enterprise integration |
| HMI | 20 operator screens | Complete operational visibility |
| Vision | Hikvision CCTV (~10 cameras) | Real-time product monitoring |
| Electrical | Rittal panels | Infrastructure integration |
Simple Architecture Diagram:
Scale
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| I/O Points per Tunnel | 7,000-13,000 |
| Internal Tags | 10,000-16,000 |
| Operator Screens | 20 |
| CCTV Cameras | ~10 per installation |
| Processing Capacity | Up to 20,000 kg/h |
| Temperature Range | Down to -40°C |
| Deployed Systems | 50+ tunnels |
Connectivity
| Protocol | Application |
|---|---|
| Ethernet/IP | Tunnel-level real-time control |
| MQTT | Supervisory-level integration |
Products Handled
- Poultry
- Pork
- Beef
- Cardboard containers
- Plastic containers
Key Enablers
FrameworX capabilities that made this solution possible:
| Capability | Application |
|---|---|
| High-Density I/O Management | Efficient handling of 7,000-13,000 points per tunnel |
| Multi-Protocol Architecture | Ethernet/IP for control, MQTT for supervisory |
| Scalable Tag Structure | 10,000-16,000 tags supporting complex process logic |
| Integrated Vision System | CCTV cameras for real-time product monitoring |
| Flexible Product Handling | Adaptable to various products and packaging |
| Comprehensive HMI Design | 20 screens providing complete visibility |
The Results
- 50+ Deployments — Successfully deployed automated freezing tunnels in Brazil and international markets
- 20,000 kg/h Capacity — Achieved high-volume processing with consistent quality standards
- Quality Preservation — Maintained texture, color, flavor, and nutrients through rapid -40°C freezing
- Flexible Operations — Adaptable to different products and packaging requirements
- Regulatory Compliance — Met stringent food safety and quality regulations through automated control
- Complete Visibility — Integrated SCADA and CCTV systems provide full operational monitoring
This case demonstrates high-capacity freezing tunnel automation with multi-protocol architecture and integrated vision systems for meat processing.
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