Application of Information Technology for an Automated Green Tea Roasting Process

Roasted green tea is a major tea product on the market in China. The design and implementation of the first automated production line for processing the roasted green tea in the nation are described. The process was first dissected into modules based on the technological functions, then, the automated operational segments were designed and integrated into a continuous line with real-time controls. An SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system was developed to consist of three basic operations, i.e., the in-line control, centralized process monitoring, and management and services, for the line. This automated production line provided a precise control on all processing parameters, a simple and convenient user-interface, and a remote IT access.