This question is at the heart of the collaboration between Bodec and Exergy. Together, they are exploring how historical process data and artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to make the spray-drying process more efficient, predictable and easier to control. During the international SIXFOLD Conference in Brabant this September, visitors will get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at this innovative pilot. On the second day of the conference, Bodec and Exergy will welcome participants to the Living Lab at Food Tech Brainport in Helmond, where they will demonstrate how data and AI can be translated into tangible improvements on the production floor.
From historical data to smart production
Within the Food Tech Brainport Living Lab, Bodec supports companies in scaling up innovative ingredients and biomaterials into robust, commercially viable production processes. It works with start-ups, SMEs and international companies alike.
“We support organisations with process development, optimisation and initial batch production in our pilot facilities,” explains Anke van den Heuvel of Bodec. “Over the past thirty years, we have built up an enormous amount of process data. This information has always been carefully recorded, but its true value has remained partly untapped.”
According to Van den Heuvel, that value only emerges when data is combined and placed in the right context.
“Data on its own tells you very little. It is only when you identify connections and translate insights into actionable information that operators can really use it. That is exactly what we are developing together with Exergy.”
AI as a digital process expert
The software is being developed by Exergy, an Eindhoven-based deep-tech company founded by José Luis Trigueros Soto. During his Engineering Doctorate at Eindhoven University of Technology, he developed AI systems for industrial decision support. By combining this expertise with his background in chemical engineering, he laid the foundation for Exergy: a company that applies artificial intelligence to help industrial manufacturers continuously optimise and improve their processes.
“A spray dryer is one of the most complex pieces of equipment used in the food industry,” explains Trigueros Soto. “There are dozens of process parameters that continuously influence one another. Even small deviations can have major consequences for the quality of the final product.”
That is precisely why the spray dryer was selected as the first pilot installation.
From data to real-time process recommendations
The strength of the solution lies in bringing different data sources together in a single intelligent system. AI continuously analyses process information and translates it into real-time recommendations for operators.
“The system doesn’t just show what is happening,” says Trigueros Soto. “It also provides specific recommendations on which settings an operator can adjust to further optimise the process.”
For customers, the immediate added value lies in the ability to make adjustments while a production process or pilot test is still running. Based on real-time data, settings can be changed immediately rather than waiting until a run has been completed.
This can help reduce unnecessary energy consumption, improve process efficiency and increase product yield. At the same time, operators gain greater control over the production process, while the quality of the final product can be improved further.
“The model also continues to learn,” Van den Heuvel adds. “Every production run generates new insights. As a result, the system becomes increasingly intelligent and accurate.”
The Living Lab as an accelerator for innovation
According to Van den Heuvel, the strength of the project lies precisely in the combination of real-world production, technology and collaboration.
“We have the machines, operators and production environment needed to test innovations directly in practice. This means Exergy can not only develop the software, but also demonstrate the tangible benefits of real-time process optimisation for customers: lower energy consumption, higher yields, less downtime and more consistent product quality.”
The pilot is supported by funding from the Eindhoven Metropolitan Region. Bodec and Exergy are currently finalising the software architecture and validating the first results on the spray dryer.
Ultimately, the solution will be designed as a modular system, allowing it to be applied to other machines and production processes as well.
See it live during the SIXFOLD Conference
On the second day of the SIXFOLD Conference, international participants will visit the Living Lab at Food Tech Brainport in Helmond, where Bodec is based. Bodec and Exergy will demonstrate how AI can support operators with real-time process recommendations and how decades of process knowledge can be transformed into tangible improvements on the production floor.
“I’m looking forward to showing our pilot,” concludes Trigueros Soto. “AI does not replace the operator; it supports people in making better decisions. That is where the future of smart manufacturing lies.”
The collaboration between Bodec and Exergy demonstrates how data, AI and practical experience can come together in tangible applications for the food processing industry. It is exactly the type of innovation that Next Tech Food Factories, part of AgriFood Capital, aims to showcase internationally during the SIXFOLD Conference: solutions that go beyond the drawing board and create real value on the production floor.
Curious about the rest of the SIXFOLD Conference programme? View the full programme and register. Together with international partners, companies from Brabant will demonstrate how collaboration between industry, knowledge institutions and technology developers can lead to tangible innovations for the food processing industry.
