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Food & Beverage Processing

CD Automation supplies SCR/thyristor power control for food and drink processes including baking and tunnel ovens, proofers, fryers and kettles, pasteurisers/UHT systems, CIP/SIP heaters, chocolate tempering and packaging shrink tunnels. REVO controllers help improve product consistency, support hygiene-focused designs and provide useful diagnostic and energy data to plant automation systems.

With REVO C for single zones, REVO-PN for compact multi-zone equipment, and REVO-PC, or REVO-DPU zone control for larger lines and utilities, we integrate with PLC and SCADA platforms using common fieldbuses to support OEMs and end-users across bakery, dairy, beverages, ready meals and confectionery.

  • Baking & Tunnel Ovens
  • Proofers & Dryers
  • Fryers & Kettles
  • Pasteurisers & UHT
  • CIP/SIP Heaters
  • Shrink & Hot-Fill

Industry Overview – Electric Heating in Food & Drink

Food and drink manufacturers use electric heating in ovens, proofers, fryers, kettles, pasteurisers/UHT systems, CIP/SIP heaters, chocolate lines and packaging equipment. Stable, repeatable temperature control helps maintain product quality, microbiological safety and throughput, while efficient power delivery supports energy and sustainability objectives. Intelligent SCR power control can improve stability, help manage electrical load and provide data to plant automation and monitoring systems.

  • Baking & tunnel ovens
  • Proofers, retarders & low-temperature dryers
  • Fryers, kettles & cooking vessels
  • Pasteurisers, UHT/HTST & process loops
  • CIP/SIP heaters & electric boilers
  • Chocolate tempering systems & conches
  • Shrink tunnels & heat sealers
  • Hot-fill & aseptic transfer heating

Process Machinery & Applications

Electrically heated food and drink equipment commonly controlled with REVO SCR power controllers.

Baking & Tunnel Ovens

Electrically heated batch, rack and tunnel ovens for baking, roasting, toasting and drying of bakery and prepared foods.
Common pain points:
  • temperature uniformity
  • recipe repeatability
  • start-up energy peaks
Recommended controllers:
Baking and tunnel ovens

Proofers & Dryers

Air heaters and conditioning systems for dough proofers, retarders, low-temperature dryers and dehumidifiers.
Common pain points:
  • air temp/humidity
  • interlocks
  • start-up load
Recommended controllers:
Proofer and dryer

Fryers & Kettles

Electric fryers, jacketed kettles and cooking vessels for snacks, meats, sauces, soups and ready meals.
Common pain points:
  • oil/contents temperature stability
  • recovery time
  • energy demand
Recommended controllers:
Fryer and Kettle

Pasteurisers & UHT/HTST

Electric heating of hot-water circuits, regeneration sections or direct electric pasteurisers and HTST/UHT skids.
Common pain points:
  • tight temperature bands
  • hold-time compliance
  • load changes
Recommended controllers:
Pasteurisation

CIP/SIP Heaters & Electric Boilers

Electric heaters and small boilers providing hot water or clean steam for CIP, SIP and hygiene-related services.
Common pain points:
  • sanitary design
  • temperature stability
  • demand management
Recommended controllers:
Fryer and Kettle

Chocolate Tempering & Conches

Precision electric heating for chocolate tempering units, holding tanks and conches.
Common pain points:
  • tight temperature windows
  • product quality
  • start-up and changeovers
Recommended controllers:
Chocolate Tempering & Conches

Shrink Tunnels & Heat Sealers

Electric shrink tunnels, L-sealers, flow-wrap sealers and tray heat-sealing heads for packaging operations.
Common pain points:
  • seal quality
  • film appearance
  • line speed variation
Recommended controllers:
Shrink Tunnel

Hot-fill & Aseptic Transfer

Tank heaters, jacketing and heat-trace for hot-fill, aseptic product transfer and sterile utilities.
Common pain points:
  • viscosity control
  • hold temperature
  • mixed loads
Recommended controllers:
Hot-Fill and Aseptic Transfer

Typical Pain Points & How We Solve Them

  • Temperature Uniformity & Product Quality
Baking, frying, cooking, tempering and pasteurisation processes are sensitive to temperature variation, which can affect texture, appearance, microbiological stability and shelf life.
Solution: REVO C, REVO-PN and REVO-PC-based architectures provide smoother power control to heaters and zones, helping to maintain consistent temperature profiles across ovens, kettles, pasteurisers and lines.
  • Hygiene, Washdown & Food Safety
Food and drink plants must maintain hygienic conditions and often use washdown regimes around production equipment.
Solution: By locating REVO power controllers in suitable panels and technical areas, the control system can be kept away from direct washdown while still providing accurate electric heating to hygienic process equipment.
  • Energy Costs in Heat-Intensive Processes
Ovens, fryers, kettles, CIP heaters and UHT/HTST systems can represent a significant portion of a site’s energy use.
Solution: Using appropriate firing modes, demand limiting and staged starts via REVO-PN and REVO-PC can help reduce electrical peaks and improve overall energy performance compared with basic on/off control.
  • Frequent Changeovers & SKU Complexity
Multiple recipes, formats and packaging configurations require predictable heating performance during changeovers and start-up.
Solution: Digitally controlled SCR power via REVO C or REVO-PC allows heating profiles to adjust quickly to new setpoints, helping to reduce start-up scrap and changeover time.
  • Downtime & Heater Reliability
Heater and wiring failures can cause downtime on critical assets such as tunnel ovens, pasteurisers or packaging lines.
Solution: Diagnostics like open or partial-load detection and current monitoring from REVO C and REVO-PC assist maintenance teams in identifying developing issues earlier.
  • Compliance, Traceability & Audit Support
Food manufacturers are asked to provide evidence of process conditions and equipment performance for audits and customer approvals.
Solution: When REVO controllers are connected to PLC or SCADA systems, power and alarm information can be logged alongside temperature data to support traceability and reporting.

Snapshot: Baking Tunnel & Pasteuriser Electric Control Upgrade

Problem: a bakery and ready-meal site using contactor-based tunnel oven control and a basic hot-water pasteuriser loop was experiencing temperature swings, long start-up times and limited information on heater performance and energy use.
Solution: the tunnel oven zones were re-controlled using a REVO-PC master with REVO-S zone controllers, while the pasteuriser hot-water heater skid was upgraded to REVO C (with optional expansion via REVO-PC + REVO-C for future loops). The line PLC now receives power, current and alarm data over a fieldbus connection and coordinates oven and pasteuriser setpoints with production recipes.
Result: more stable baking and pasteurisation temperatures, smoother start-up, improved batch consistency and better visibility of energy use and heater status for engineering and production teams (typical benefits achievable on similar upgrade projects).

Why CD Automation?

  • REVO solutions for ovens, fryers, kettles, pasteurisers and utilities
  • REVO-PC with Modbus, Profinet, EtherCAT into PLC/SCADA
  • Firing modes for resistive and, where required, transformer-fed loads
  • Support for OEMs, system integrators and plant engineering teams
  • Suitable for both retrofit upgrades and new equipment projects

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