Project aims to deliver savings

Project partners behind new technology developed in Scotland say it could save the country’s £5.5 billion whisky industry millions of pounds a year in inventory costs.

At the heart of it is a virtual whisky cask, allowing operators to account for every last drop of Scotland’s national drink.

It is the result of a collaboration between researchers at Strathclyde University’s Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC) – a specialist unit of National Manufacturing Institute Scotland – and industry.

Tech giant Siemens, drink company Diageo, and process control systems specialist Kigtek have all been involved.

The Innovate UK-funded project is expected to save distillers significant capital expenditure and

“Using data to digitise a traditional process”

warehouse space by tackling the problem of inconsistent cask filling levels resulting from overspill, underfill and foaming.

Cask production accounts for an estimated 10% to 20% of the overall cost of whisky production, and with a minimum of three years required for Scotch whisky maturation, consistent and precise fill levels are crucial for distillers.

Danny McMahon, digital manufacturing team lead at the AFRC, said: “The digital twin system achieved as the output of this project will allow Scotland’s whisky industry to truly embrace industry 4.0 using data to digitise a traditional process.”

Industry 4.0, or the “fourth industrial revolution”, is where smart technology is used to transform traditional manufacturing.