6 - Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and related systems for automated process control in the food industry: an introduction

Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) is becoming the standard for industrial control systems. Despite the basics of SCADA dating back to the 1960s, this control technique has only become more evident in food processing environments over the last decade. The recent adoption of SCADA is due to increases in the cost of labor, reductions in the cost of control systems, and the general advances in food processing systems requiring more advanced control systems. This chapter provides an overview of SCADA, some high-level examples, and what should be expected of those with plans to implement a SCADA system into a food processing environment.