Pork Value Chain
BBTWINS’ pork value chain case study aims to demonstrate the potential of digitalisation in the agri-food industry through cutting-edge practical and innovative technologies.
Portesa
Portesa, together with Cartesa and Aire Sano, are part of an integrated production process with over 300 steps in their pork value chain. From raising the pigs, to creating the feed, all the way to the curing and packaging of the pork produce.
Located in Teruel, Spain, it produces pork products which are sold across Europe and overseas, including in Japan, South Korea and Mexico.
Already possessing a traceability process through their value chain, and striving to be innovative and sustainable, they were selected to demonstrate the potential of BBTWINS technologies such as blockchain, logistics optimisation, and artificial intelligence solutions integrated into a single digital twin platform.
Digitalising the entire value chain
Feed Factory
Farming
Slaughterhouse
Curing Facility
A digital replica is made at each step along the value chain.
Afterwards an overarching digital twin is developed that incorporates each of the individual digital replica of processes.
This allows for simulations to consider the processes and resources of the entire value chain, improving insights into potential optimisations to increase efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.
Innovative Technologies
Various practical and innovative technologies are developed by the BBTWINS project to improve efficiency in key points of the value chain.
LogisticsOptimisation
Livestock weight prediction with artificial intelligence
Pork quality measurements with artificial intelligence
Blockchain
traceability
Digital Twin
Logistics Optimisation
In the rapidly evolving field of logistics, the use of advanced technology and mathematical models is transforming how operations are conducted.
The BBTWINS project aims to significantly improve logistics operations by leveraging expertise in mathematical modelling to enhance efficiency and productivity.
By meticulously analysing every step in the logistics chain, VTT demonstrates how certain processes can be refined, providing additional value to agri-food businesses such reducing storage capacity and improved delivery times. Travel distance, transport costs, vehicle usage, fuel consumption, personnel allocation, and time management are all analysed before simulating various logistics scenarios in the value chain using mathematical models and identifying the most efficient and cost-effective logistics strategies.
Logistics optimisation under this project also extends to the prediction of demand.
By accurately forecasting demand, for example of feed from the feed farms for the farrowing and fattening farms, BBTWINS facilitates a seamless flow of operations. More accurate forecasting can also facilitate decision-making in outsourcing warehousing or stock management.
The integration of logistics optimisation into a Digital Twin framework offers a powerful tool for improving business operations. By applying advanced mathematical modelling and strategic planning, this project not only optimises the logistics chain but also enhances overall profitability and sustainability.
Livestock weight prediction with artificial intelligence
PANOimagen leverages artificial intelligence and advanced sensor technology to revolutionise livestock management.
By employing sophisticated AI algorithms, the BBTWINS partner provides a more precise understanding and control over the growth of pigs.
Traditionally, pigs need to be individually weighed using a scale. However, with PANOimagen’s artificial vision solution, this labour-intensive process can be replaced by a remote sensor that estimates the weight of all pigs, streamlining the entire weighing process.
The core of this innovation is an artificial intelligence model utilising deep learning. Trained with 3D imaging, the AI estimates the volume of each pig, which is then used to calculate their weight accurately. This method significantly improves efficiency and reduces the stress on animals.
Looking ahead, this technology holds potential beyond pig farming. It can be adapted to estimate the weight of various livestock animals, enhancing management practices across the agricultural sector. Furthermore, the same technology can be applied to crop monitoring, offering insights into growth patterns and the impact of environmental factors such as rainfall and droughts. This broader application can lead to more informed decision-making and better resource management in agriculture.
Our simulation of the curing process
Another breakthrough technology utilising artificial intelligence and artificial vision is the assesses whether hams meet the “Ham of Teruel” quality standards.
Portesa produces ham that earns the “Ham of Teruel” designation of origin. Achieving this designation requires meeting several quality markers, such as the precise amount of fat content, that take time and effort to analyse.
BBTWINS is developing a solution that scans hams to determine if they meet the stringent criteria for the “Ham of Teruel” label. This technology optimises the assessment process, enhancing accuracy and efficiency in quality control.
A 3D camera with a LIDAR sensor was used to take the first image, on which the geometry of the ham was built using a CAD software. This geometry was then measured and heat and mass transfer equations are solved using Comsol®️ Multiphysics software.
The study of the curation step describes a finite element model that simulates water and salt transfers in a real ham. The “numerical ham” model presented here can predict the time course of salt content, water content, water activity and total weight loss during the different stages of dry-cured ham production.
Blockchain traceability
To increase transparency and traceability of the pork value chain, a blockchain solution is being developed.
This technology will track every resource consumed and product produced at each step of the value chain, ensuring an immutable record of the entire process.
The implementation of blockchain ensures comprehensive traceability, resulting in greater transparency and improved auditability. Every stage, from the type of feed the pigs consumed, the sites where they were raised to the was how they were processed, will be recorded and made accessible.
This capability has the potential to significantly enhance consumer trust and brand loyalty. By scanning a product, consumers will gain access to detailed information about the product’s journey from farm to fork.
With this immutable traceability, Portesa can offer a transparent view of their processes to consumers. They will be able to demonstrate, rather than just claim, for example, how they are working on reducing their products’ carbon footprint.
In conjunction with other technologies developed by BBTWINS, the blockchain can also track metrics like waste and energy consumption for each batch of products.
Digital Twin
Today it’s commonplace to have value chain steps operate independently from each other, effectively creating islands of information. The aim of BBTWINS’ Digital Twin is to unify everything into a single platform.
SOLTEC integrates the technologies developed by the other partners into this dedicated cloud-hosted platform that spans the entire value chain of Portesa.
Data obtained from the artificial vision solutions are integrated, as is the blockchain to allow for track-and-trace of resources. The logistics optimisation strategies are also incorporated to improve logistics strategy at every step.
The use of data analytics and business intelligence facilitates data connection between other business software such as the company’s CRM or ERP.
This digital platform allows for “what if” simulations to be carried out across the value chain, from the feed factory all the way to the curing facilities.
Every step in the value chain has a digital replica, which is integrated into a single platform called the “BBTWINS Toolbox”. This toolbox takes advantage of the synergies between the individual Digital Twins enabling simulations while keeping every step of the chain into account.
The results from such a holistic simulation give insight into how operations should be adjusted in real life to improve efficiency and volume of output whilst reducing costs and emissions.
The Digital Twin platform user interface contains three panels: the data input panel, the visualization panel, and the output panel.
The input panel is fed at the hand of API connections with the other technologies and software, or fed directly with Excel sheets or other types of data sources.
In the central visualization panel, 3D renders of the various facilities of the value chain are shown and animated to show the simulated operations and their results in action. For example, for the feed factory, the loading and unloading times of trucks, energy consumption, storage capacity, emissions, processing times, and more are shown in real time as the simulation runs.
All these results of the simulation and more can also be seen in the third panel: the output panel. The data can be consulted on this panel, or sent to other software such as visualization systems, dashboards, Excel sheets, or PDFs. SOLTEC takes care of incorporating the Digital Twin into Portesa’s IT infrastructure, being flexible and developing solutions that link the Digital Twin’s inputs and outputs with the company’s systems already in place.
The objective of the Digital Twin is to improve the efficiency of the company, in so reducing its costs and emissions, and resulting in a more sustainable company that can more effectively adapt to changes in the value chain, be them expected or unexpected.
Beyond Pork
Portesa, together with Cartesa and Aire Sano, are part of an integrated production process with over 300 steps in their pork value chain. From raising the pigs, to creating the feed, all the way to the curing and packaging of the pork produce.
Located in Teruel, Spain, it produces pork products which is sells throughout Spain and exports throughout Europe.
Already possessing a traceability process through their value chain, and striving to be innovative and sustainable, they were selected to demonstrate the potential of BBTWINS technologies such as blockchain, logistics optimisation, and artificial intelligence solutions integrated into a single digital twin platform.
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