ZW Automation at the XXXVII STC Conference – digital twin in the spotlight

During the 37th edition of the STC conference, organized by the Sugar Technicians Association, under the title “Digital Transformation as the Key to a Sustainable Future,” we had the pleasure of exhibiting for two days of industry meetings. This year, the organizers focused on the digitization of production processes, precision sugar beet cultivation, and advanced analysis and quality management methods – all in the context of supporting sustainable development. The conference included not only technical/raw material and analytical/quality sessions, but also workshops that opened the door to learning about the results of proven technological processes (beet cleaning lines, extraction stations, and purification stations). There was also time to visit the exhibitor stands, including our own, where we presented  the results of process automation implementations at the Kluczewo Sugar Plant , focusing on solutions that truly support production continuity, cybersecurity, and the development of digital competencies in industrial plants.

The focal point of our booth was a digital twin of the evaporator station  – an interactive mathematical model that replicated the juice concentration process in a system of eight steam-powered evaporators. Thanks to real-world data collected from the Kluczewo implementation, visitors to the booth could test the tool’s capabilities live, allowing them to:

• simulate mass and energy balance,
• predict process parameters such as steam consumption, density or juice level,
• control the model in real time using a PLC + SCADA system.

This demonstrates  the potential of the virtual environment created in Simit , which can support both operational and engineering teams—not just in the sugar industry, but in any plant utilizing process automation. This twin provides a safe space for testing optimizations without the risk of production downtime.

During discussions with stakeholders, we had the opportunity to present  the effects of the comprehensive modernization of the PCS 7 control system , which we carried out in 2023. The scope of the project included:

• updating the PCS 7 environment to the latest version,
• virtualization of 27 machines based on the VMware environment,
• implementation of cybersecurity measures (including WSUS, OPC, Terminal Server),
• modernization of the communication infrastructure at the plant.

Thanks to the use of a Dell server cluster and migration to a virtual environment, it was possible to significantly improve  the system’s reliability, simplify its management and prepare the infrastructure for further development and integration with future digital components .

For us, the STC conference is not only a platform for technology presentations, but above all, an opportunity to engage with industry experts, users of our solutions, and decision-makers from industrial plants.  The common denominator of these meetings was the desire to find solutions that support sugar plants in achieving greater flexibility, predictability, and operational security. 

We’d like to thank everyone who visited our booth and joined us in conversation about digital twins, modern automation, and the future of industrial transformation. See you at our next events!