Sugar Shack 4.0: Implementation of a Cyber-Physical System for Logistic and Sanitary Automation in a Maple Syrup Boiling Center

TL;DR

This paper details the design and deployment of a cyber-physical system that automates logistics, traceability, and sanitation in a maple syrup boiling plant, improving efficiency, hygiene, and documentation.

Contribution

It introduces a modular, event-driven automation system for plant-level operations, integrating sensors and deterministic routines, pioneering Industry 4.0 application in maple syrup production.

Findings

Queued 431 operations without incident

Increased permeate reserves from 22,712 to 41,640 L

Reduced administrative effort from 30 hours to 1 hour

Abstract

This paper presents the design and deployment of a process-aware cyber-physical system that automates plant-level logistics, traceability, and sanitation in a centralized maple-syrup boiling center. The system replaces ad-hoc, manual operations with event-driven orchestration on a local server, employing reusable device abstractions and a centralized interlock with priority-based arbitration for shared piping. It implements deterministic routines for delivery, reverse osmosis integration, evaporator feed, and permeate management. The system is sensor rich: inline measurements of flow, temperature, and sugar concentration (degrees Brix) drive routing decisions and trigger systematic post-transfer rinses (cleaning-in-place), ensuring consistent hygiene and complete, immediate traceability up to the evaporator inlet. During the 2025 production season, the system queued 431 operations without incident; executed 908 \enquote{topstock} and \enquote{downstock} balancing cycles; increased usable permeate reserves from 22,712 to approximately 41,640 L through dynamic storage assignment; eliminated mid-season contamination incidents previously observed under manual practice; and reduced administrative effort for billing and reporting from more than 30 hours to roughly 1 hour through automatic documentation. These results demonstrate a practical path to modular, plant-scale automation beyond traditional architectures, and lay the groundwork for packaging reusable elements for similar plants or adjacent industries. This work is part of a larger project involving the first scientifically-documented integration of Industry 4.0 technologies in a maple syrup boiling center.