Research Article
Production Planning and Control of a Master Churn Mixer for the Manufacture of Margarine using Fuzzy Logic at an Oil Company in Zimbabwe
@INPROCEEDINGS{10.4108/eai.20-6-2017.2270632, author={Wilson R. Nyemba and Tawanda Mushiri and Kumbi Mugwindiri and Roy Mushonga and Charles Mbohwa}, title={Production Planning and Control of a Master Churn Mixer for the Manufacture of Margarine using Fuzzy Logic at an Oil Company in Zimbabwe}, proceedings={EAI International Conference for Research, Innovation and Development for Africa}, publisher={EAI}, proceedings_a={ACRID}, year={2018}, month={4}, keywords={fuzzy logic master churn mixer production planning and control}, doi={10.4108/eai.20-6-2017.2270632} }- Wilson R. Nyemba
Tawanda Mushiri
Kumbi Mugwindiri
Roy Mushonga
Charles Mbohwa
Year: 2018
Production Planning and Control of a Master Churn Mixer for the Manufacture of Margarine using Fuzzy Logic at an Oil Company in Zimbabwe
ACRID
EAI
DOI: 10.4108/eai.20-6-2017.2270632
Abstract
Process and chemical companies have to continually monitor and control their mixing equipment to ensure that production matches requirements and meets recommended standards especially in food processing. The oil company in this research faced challenges in meeting required specifications in some of their batches, prompting the need to look at more efficient ways to control and monitor the master churn mixer. This paper looks at how intelligent fuzzy logic was used to automate the production planning and control of the master churn mixer of the margarine plant. MATLAB 7.12 was used in developing the control algorithm that enabled all the inputs to be monitored closely before they entered the master churn, while maintaining vegetable oil at 80%, water at 20 % and operating temperature at 38oC. This was enabled by sensors and programmable logic controllers which monitored all parameters using fuzzy logic to produce margarine of acceptable quality and standards.