Batangas State University

College of Engineering, Architecture and Fine Arts

Mechanical Engineering Department

ME 522
Industrial Processes with Plant Inspection

Narrative Report No. 1

Process Control and Measurement in Food Manufacturing Industry

Submitted by:
Sara R. Talain
ME-5101

October 4, 2019
Date: September 27, 2019

Name of Speaker: Engr. Ferdinand Delos Reyes

Title/Topic: Process Control and Measurement in Food Manufacturing Industry

Narrative Report:

Before proceeding to the main discussion, the speaker told us about his
experience as a professional and provided us with something to expect once we
work in the field. For a certain period of time or say six months, one needs to
know the processes involved in the company he works for, the different
equipment, their function and their purpose in the plant. This is very important
since adequate understanding of such will lead to production of safe and quality
products of the company which reflects its sincerity and the company as a whole.
This can be achieved through thorough analyzation of the P&ID which shows
representation of the equipment and processes involved.

As a start of the discussion, process control was introduced which the

speaker described as adaptation of certain regulations to utilize raw materials
and turn them into the desired output or end products. Other concepts were also
discussed such as process capability, breakdown analysis and the two types of
process measurement as well as its purpose. It was mentioned that process
variables must be measured to ensure that the process is running within the
standards or it meets the expected value or output. And that breakdown analysis
must be conducted in order to prevent undesired happenings to occur. These
were all in accordance with what we have discussed during our ICE and Control
System Engineering classes.

After general concepts about process control and measurement were

defined, basic concepts specifically used in food manufacturing industry were
introduced. There were two types of processes: batch process and continuous
process. The first one involves limited time for its raw materials are prone to
spoilage like in food processing. The other one involves longer process time
before shutdown like in oil and gas companies. Both undergo end-cycle cleaning
to prevent contamination.

As mentioned earlier, different types of equipment operated in the food

manufacturing process were discussed. These included a variety of tanks with
specific purposes: storage tank, holding tank—storage inside the process area
where temperature is controlled, and mixing tank. One of the main processes that
ensures safety and quality of the product is pasteurization wherein disease-
causing microorganisms present in the raw materials are destroyed. This is
achieved through the use of pasteurizer. After removing the pathogens, the
material will be pumped to the next process which is drying.

Drying involves powderization of the liquid material, and of course with the
use of heat. The powder stick to the walls of the chamber and needs to be
tapped off it. The temperature must be controlled very well since it would be very
hard to scrape off burnt powder from the chamber walls during end-cycle
cleaning. Overall protective equipment must also be observed during end-cycle
cleaning due to the very high temperature. The powder must then be cooled or it
must reach certain temperature before it can be taken to and stored in silos. A
sifter is used as the powder is being transferred to containers.

To ensure safety, special equipment are used to detect metallic particles,

which are also maintained regularly to see if it still performs its function. These
include magnetic trap and metal detector. Once the product safety is verified, the
product may be brought to filling and packing area.

Learnings:

Recommendation:

Documentation:
 Batangas State University
College of Engineering, Architecture and Fine Arts
Mechanical Engineering Department

ME 522
Industrial Processes with Plant Inspection

Narrative Report No. 2

Flexible Packaging

Submitted by:
Sara R. Talain
ME-5101

October 4, 2019
Date: September 27, 2019

Name of Speaker: Mrs. Thelma P. Valdez

Title/Topic: Flexible Packaging

Narrative Report:

It was such a wonderful experience to be lectured by a technical training

officer of JG summit. The company was introduced to us. It has two plants:
Petrochemicals and Olefins. The main products of JG Summit is the pellets: high
density polyethylene, linear low density polyethylene, and homopolymer
polypropylene, random copolymer polypropylene. These pellets are the raw
materials for producing different plastic products.

As discussed, plastics are produced by the conversion of natural products

or by the synthesis from primary chemicals generally coming from oil, natural gas
or coal. For the natural products, rubber is produced while for the synthesis from
primary chemicals, synthetic plastics are produced. The process can produce a
variety of kinds of polymer plastics that has a capability of being shaped and
molded: polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene.

Generally, the process of making plastics consists of separating the

hydrocarbon chemicals from the natural gas, petroleum or coal. The main raw
materials for producing plastics are naphta. Naphta is separated from natural gas
through refinery process. From crude oil, it will undergo distillation process and
will be separated according to boiling points. After refinery process, raw materials
will be converted into monomers through thermal cracking. It is a process that
involves high temperature mostly 800 degrees Celsius wherein hydrocarbons are
decomposed into smaller carbon atoms with the use of heaters. From carbon
composition C5 to C10 of naphta, C2 and C3 will be decomposed. After thermal
cracking, the material will undergo cooling process called quenching with the use
of towers. Pressure must be controlled by compressors before the material will
be taken to the distillation columns.

The material will then undergo addition polymerization, a chemical

reaction in which two or more molecules are combined to form larger molecules
that contain repeating structural units. Polymerization process involves
equipment such as: polymer plant which removes impurities, and reactor where
catalysts and comonomers were added to speed up the reaction and to meet the
desired characteristics of the product. Resin degassing equipment is then used
where unreacted gases are removed from the product. The unreacted gases are
not flared out, instead they are taken back to the reactor to be reused. The
product is in powder-like form called reactor resin which will then undergo
extrusion process. The extruder melts the granules and includes additive
additions having antioxidants to make the product stable. After this, the product is
cut, pelletized and cooled down. The products are stored in silos before
packaging.

As mentioned earlier, the main products of JG Summit are the pellets. For
the application, the pellets will undergo extrusion process where it is heated and
has a die at the end. The die dictates the shape of the product depending on
what is required.

Applications of the products include: for high density polyethylene, large

and medium sized drums and containers, shopping and trash bags, and bottle
caps; for linear low density polyethylene, container lids, flexible packaging and
stretch films; for polypropylene, food packaging trays, reusable food containers,
woven bags, sacks and food/snack packaging.

Learnings:

Recommendation:

Documentation:
 Batangas State University
College of Engineering, Architecture and Fine Arts
Mechanical Engineering Department

ME 522
Industrial Processes with Plant Inspection

Narrative Report No. 3

Plastic Industrial Processes

Submitted by:
Sara R. Talain
ME-5101

October 4, 2019
Date: September 27, 2019

Name of Speaker: Mrs. Thelma P. Valdez

Title/Topic: Plastic Industrial Processes

Narrative Report:

The speaker also discussed the plastic industrial processes in which the
end products of the JG Summit may undergo. These includes injection molding
process, extrusion molding process, blow molding process, blown film process,
cast-film process and stretch blow molding process.

Injection molding process is a manufacturing process for producing parts

by injecting molten material into a mold. Material for the part is fed into a heated
barrel, mixed using a helical shaped screw, and injected into a mold cavity, where
it cools and hardens to the configuration of the cavity. Example given during the
seminar is a chair.

Extrusion is a manufacturing process wherein granules melt into a liquid

which is forced through a die, forming a long tube like shape. The shape of the
die determines the shape of the tube. The extrusion is then cooled and forms a
solid shape. Extrusion molding process is used for producing pipes and tubing.

Blow molding is the process of forming a molten tube of the pelleted resin
and placing it within a mold cavity and inflating the tube with compressed air, to
take the shape of the cavity and cool the part before removing from the mold.
Extrusion blow molding is its simplest type and is used in the production of
bottles.

Blown film extrusion is a process that involves extruding a tube of

molten polymer through a die and inflating to several times its initial diameter to
form a thin film bubble. This bubble is then collapsed and used as a lay-flat film.
This technology is the most common method to make bags.

Cast film extrusion is a process wherein the molten polymer travels

through a flat die system to adopt its final flat film shape.

Lastly, stretch blow molding is the blow molding process used to produce
container with very thin walls, for example bottles of the strength required for
carbonated drinks.
Learnings:

Recommendation:

Documentation:
 Batangas State University
College of Engineering, Architecture and Fine Arts
Mechanical Engineering Department

ME 522
Industrial Processes with Plant Inspection

Narrative Report No. 4

Operation Management Solutions and Industrial Processes

Submitted by:
Sara R. Talain
ME-5101

October 4, 2019
Date: September 27, 2019

Name of Speaker: Engr. Raymark T. Manongsong

Title/Topic: Operation Management Solutions and Industrial Processes

Narrative Report:

In the seminar, it was discussed that operations management is an area of

management concerned with designing and controlling the process of production and
redesigning business operations in the production of goods or services.

Operations management aims to achieve client satisfaction, operation efficiency

and resources optimization. The major goal of operations management is to address the
necessity of the clients and this is achieved through adherence to standards. This is
where we, engineers, come into action since we are the ones who design processes on
how the plant will operate efficiently optimizing the nonhuman resources. On the other
hand, human resources may be optimized through the proper distribution of tasks.

Today, there exists a gap in our industries since those people who are in the
operations management do not know how the system operates. For the managerial
position, there is a need for someone who is equipped with adequate knowledge as to
how the processes involved are accomplished. If the manager is technically equipped,
he knows how to adjust to certain unexpected and undesired occurrences or failures in
the system, thus the management of the operation will run smoothly. This was all in
accordance with what we have discussed in our Engineering Management class.

Achievement of objectives of operations management was cited with Flour as the

example. According to the speaker, in Flour, the first objective of operations
management is achieved through provision of fit-for-purpose services and cost-
competitive solutions to optimize each client’s capital budget. The second and third
objectives mentioned are met through self-perform fabrication. This helps the company
reduce the cost for overseas purchase of equipment and other necessities.

Learnings:

Recommendation:

Documentation: