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GEA Group has launched its latest digital service product, the GEA InsightPartner EvoHDry.

This condition monitoring tool is aimed at enhancing production reliability and operational efficiency in dairy and beverage plants, where maintaining uninterrupted operations is critical for producing high-quality products such as infant formula, cream and cheese.

The GEA InsightPartner EvoHDry employs a sophisticated condition-based monitoring approach, utilising real-time data collection and analysis to identify early signs of equipment degradation.

Key operational parameters – including temperature, pressure, vibration and flow – are continuously monitored, providing operators with immediate insights into machine health.

This proactive monitoring is particularly vital in the dairy sector, where unplanned downtime often stems from issues like reduced suction pressure in vacuum pumps, which can lead to large production losses.

By leveraging predictive analytics, the system can detect patterns indicative of potential failures, allowing for timely interventions that prevent costly shutdowns. Operators receive pre-alarm notifications, enabling them to address issues before they escalate into critical failures.

The dairy and beverage industries face numerous operational challenges, particularly related to maintenance. Traditional monitoring systems often generate overwhelming volumes of alarms, complicating the task for operators who must prioritise and address numerous issues.

Additionally, a shortage of skilled technicians exacerbates these challenges, leaving teams ill-equipped to interpret alarms or perform diagnostics effectively.

The GEA InsightPartner EvoHDry addresses these pain points by integrating expert maintenance guidance with data-driven decision-making. This combination allows operators to focus on the most pressing issues, optimise maintenance schedules and maintain production continuity.

The technical foundation of the GEA InsightPartner EvoHDry is built on advanced sensors for monitoring vibration, flow, and pressure, coupled with a local edge gateway that processes data before sending it to the cloud.

The set-up not only ensures rapid response times but also minimises cybersecurity risks by operating independently of the customer’s IT infrastructure.

Data is securely transferred to the GEA Cloud and analysed using proprietary algorithms, with certified vibration specialists validating the diagnostics to enhance the accuracy of automated analyses.

Angela Yeung, digital portfolio and strategy lead for liquid and powder technologies at GEA, said: “Unplanned downtime remains the biggest challenge for dairy processors. By harnessing predictive insights, our customers can take proactive measures to reduce costs and improve efficiency."

She continued: "With GEA InsightPartner EvoHDry, operators gain a clear understanding of machine health, enabling them to plan maintenance effectively and keep production stable.”