Retort Control System

The retort control system was designed to monitor and control 18 retorts used to cook tinned vegetables.

In order to prove that the cooking cycle was performed correctly, the relevant temperatures, pressures etc. needed to be logged in detail throughout the process. This information was stored on a central computer under the unique batch name entered by the operator, along with the product code, customer name and manual check measurements.

During the cooking cycles, the measured signals are checked against a set of predefined alarm limits. In the event of a signal straying into an alarm region, the operator will be informed through the alarm banner and using an audible annunciator. All alarm conditions are also logged by the system alongside the cook details in the batch file.

This information will then be reviewed by the Quality Control Manager using a single page report detailing the batch name, product code, manual checks, any alarms and events, and a trend graph showing the cook cycle.

The retort control system was also designed with built in redundancy so that in the event of a failure, the cook information is not lost and the product can still be sold.

The system is PC based running Microsoft Windows operating system and Prodigy industrial automation software.

If you have an application and would like more information please contact us.