How digitalization is transforming modern beverage processes

GEA and Siemens showcase a digital production journey with Cloud, AI, and MTP standard

At this year's Hannover Messe (April 20–24), GEA and technology company Siemens will present a fully digital production journey for modern beverage processes at the Siemens booth (Hall 27, Booth A48). At the core is a digitally animated, end-to-end process line that demonstrates how intelligent system architecture, machine connectivity, and AI-driven data analytics and process optimization work together. Based on real industrial applications, the line maps the key process steps, from raw material handling to filling integration, as used in producing sophisticated beverages, such as cold brew coffee and functional and protein-enriched drinks.

As a process specialist with a broad technology portfolio, GEA will demonstrate how diverse beverage applications can be integrated into a seamless digital value chain. These technologies are developed as “digital natives” to enhance availability, productivity, and resource efficiency across the entire production chain.

Experiencing digital production intelligence at the separator

As part of the overall solution, GEA will showcase the GSX 260 beverage separator as a skid-mounted solution at the booth. The machine is fully integrated into the GEA Cloud and brings GEA’s digital ecosystem to life. The GEA Cloud serves as the central digital backbone, connecting machines and modules via secure edge gateways. It processes operational data intelligently and makes it available for digital applications. Through the GEA Portal and related web apps, users can access clearly organized information at any time from any device. Operational and process data is analyzed in real time and visualized in applications such as performance analytics, energy monitoring, condition monitoring, and predictive maintenance.

Additionally, GEA will demonstrate how AI-based assistance systems, such as GEA InsightPartner, support operators by providing optimization recommendations, identifying patterns, generating forecasts, and enhancing process reliability. GEA InsightPartner KPI dashboards provide transparency into plant conditions, availability, and energy consumption, enabling benchmarking and continuous performance improvement across all production stages.

Open standards for flexible, modular processes

GEA and Siemens both rely on open standards, such as OPC UA and the Module Type Package (MTP). These standards have recently become a well-established, forward-looking approach to modular automation across industries and are being used more and more as a common foundation for modern plant engineering. MTP allows for the vendor-independent, standardized, and semantically consistent description of process module functionalities. This significantly simplifies system integration and reduces engineering effort.

Widespread adoption of these standards increases planning reliability and future-proofing for operators. Production modules can be combined more quickly, capacities can be expanded easily, and plants can adapt flexibly to changing requirements. Thus, MTP is becoming a key enabler for agile, scalable process architectures relevant not only in protein and beverage processing, but also across a wide range of process industries.

Simulation and virtual engineering reduce time to market

Using digital tools such as Siemens’ SIMIT simulation platform and the TIA Portal engineering framework, GEA and Siemens demonstrate how plants and process strategies can be tested virtually before physical implementation, reducing time to market. This combination of digital twin technology, simulation, and real machine intelligence helps companies shorten development cycles, reduce early errors, and execute production projects more reliably.

Further insights into the implementation of standardized machine integration and modular automation will be available both at the booth and on the Siemens Stage during the presentation “From standardized CPG to standardized everything – powered by GEA & Siemens” (April 22, 2026, 12:25–12:40 p.m. CEST, in English).