28 Feb Automatic Coffee Roaster: PLC vs. Tablet

The success of a roasted bean business does not end with simply choosing good green coffee.

What matters most is the ‘control technology’ that can bring out 100% of the potential that green coffee holds.

In particular, a commercial roasting environment involves harsh conditions: high temperatures, dust, and long hours of operation.

While many brands focus on flashy exteriors, SIEBENSTER has invested in the most fundamental things: ‘control reliability’ and ‘forward-looking technology.’

Today we share an in-depth analysis of the 4 types of coffee roaster control systems, along with the innovative steps SIEBENSTER is taking as it leads the market at the forefront of technological change.

The 4 Types of Roaster Control Systems: Which Is Best for Your Business?

There are four main control types to check when choosing a roaster.

Understanding the characteristics of each type is the key criterion in any coffee roaster recommendation.

1. PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) Type

The PLC, known as the industrial standard, is a dedicated controller used in factory automation.

• Advantages: High reliability as industry-standard equipment proven in industrial settings. It runs stably 24 hours a day without system downtime, even in environments with high temperatures and heavy electrical noise, has a very long service life, and suffers few physical failures. It is also easy to maintain.
• Disadvantages: The interface is somewhat crude, and it is difficult to implement data analysis and external cloud integration.

2. Tablet (OS-Based App) Type

A smartphone or tablet is used as the main controller in charge of the control unit.

• Advantages: An eye-catching UI and excellent scalability. Wireless data sharing and recipe management are very easy.
• Disadvantages: Hardware reliability is low, with problems such as OS update errors, app crashes, and battery swelling, which makes it risky for high-volume commercial roasting.

3. Industrial Panel PC Type

An all-in-one PC based on Windows, Linux, or Android is built into the equipment.

• Advantages: More robust than a tablet, and capable of high-resolution graphic analysis.
• Disadvantages: Because it is ultimately computer (OS) based, it is limited by viruses, boot delays, and a real-time control response that is slower than that of an industrial PLC. It is also the most expensive type to implement relative to its functionality.

4. Hybrid (PLC + Smart Interface) Type

This type combines control reliability with smart scalability.

• Advantages: It captures both ‘safety’ and ‘smart’ at once. The PLC handles machine control and the smart OS handles data analysis, providing the highest level of reliability.
• Disadvantages: It is technically difficult to implement, and because both sets of hardware are required, manufacturing cost increases.

Key Performance Comparison by Control Type

Item	PLC (SIEBENSTER current)	Tablet type	Panel PC type	Hybrid (next generation)
Control reliability	Excellent	Low	Average	Excellent
Data scalability	Average	Good	Good	Excellent
Maintenance	Very easy	Difficult	Average	Easy

SIEBENSTER Automatic Roasters’ Current Approach, PLC + HMI: Why Did We Choose PLC?

The commercial roasted bean business is a battle of ‘continuity.’

Also, because we position ourselves in mid-range and higher machinery that uses large factory-type machines, we place greater weight on reliability.

The reason SIEBENSTER currently equips all of its automated equipment with an industrial PLC and HMI comes down to a single guiding principle: to provide reliability that does not stop at any moment.

If your equipment stops while you are supplying roasted beans, that is not just a machine breakdown; it means a halt to your business.

SIEBENSTER’s PLC control system performs precise control regardless of environmental variables, from freezing weather to a roasting room on a hot summer day.

At the Forefront of Technological Change: The ‘Hybrid’ Future SIEBENSTER Is Heading Toward

In On the Origin of Species, Darwin said the following.

“The species that survives is not the strongest, nor the most intelligent, but the one most adaptable to change.”

We take pride in being a company that has undergone more change than any other.

We do not regard the systems we have already built as the best, and we continually strive for better ones.

The same is true of automation. We are not satisfied with the current level of technology; we think about, research, and try out how better solutions can be applied to coffee roasters.

We currently have a clear understanding of the needs of users who want both the robustness of a PLC and the convenience of smart devices.

Building on our current PLC system, SIEBENSTER is considering a future transition to a ‘hybrid control type.’

This is an innovative architecture in which the essence of hardware control is handled by the most reliable dedicated boards and the PLC, while

the screen the roaster operator works with is equipped with the polished, sophisticated analysis features of a tablet or PC.

Once the hybrid system is introduced, users will be able to manage recipes through the cloud anytime, anywhere, while

the operating reliability of the machine itself will remain at an industrial level. This is smart roasting in the true sense.

In addition, in line with advances in AI, we are considering building an AI PC into the equipment so that AI can be used in roasting, either natively or through an API.

Claim the Future of the Roasted Bean Business with SIEBENSTER

Starting a roastery cafe or running a roasted bean supply business is about selling trust.

That trust comes from the consistency of the beans you roast every morning.

Do not let an unstable system waste your valuable output.

SIEBENSTER currently offers the most complete industrial standard while also looking ahead to hybrid control, tomorrow’s technology, standing at the forefront of technological change.

For those who want to take the safest path while still enjoying the most advanced technology, SIEBENSTER will be the best coffee roaster recommendation.

If you are considering an automatic roaster, please keep an eye on SIEBENSTER’s progress.