Food & Beverage

Engineering Support for Food & Beverage Operations

Cortex plans and executes expansions, process improvements, and infrastructure upgrades inside operating facilities. Our process-centered approach ensures new systems integrate cleanly with existing operations and support long-term goals. We focus on greenfield and brownfield projects related to processing expansions, equipment and utility upgrades and integrations within active food and beverage plants.

How Cortex Helps Food & Beverage Teams

Projects inside active plants require coordination across process, utilities, electrical, and controls. We begin by evaluating existing systems to confirm constraints and integration requirements before design begins with the capability to support projects ranging from early site planning and validation, through equipment integration and expansion.

Laser scanning and integrated 3D modeling are often used early to capture field conditions and confirm how new systems will fit. This reduces conflicts during installation and improves contractor bid accuracy.

Capacity Expansions and Equipment Integration

We evaluate current production constraints and define what must change to support higher throughput. This may include process modifications, additional storage, piping reroutes, structural support or utility expansion.

We integrate new equipment including raw material offload and storage, batching systems, packaging lines and supporting utilities and controls such as steam, water filtration and treatment, CIP systems, compressed air, and electrical and controls systems.

Phased engineering allows teams to confirm feasibility and cost before committing capital. 3D modeling supports layout validation and shutdown planning so expansions can be executed with minimal disruption.

Sanitary Design

Sanitary design is a key element of our engineering approach for food and beverage facilities. We design with cleanability, durability, and contamination prevention. This includes specifying smooth, non‑porous, corrosion‑resistant materials, ensuring unobstructed access for cleaning and maintenance, and eliminating crevices and dead legs where debris or moisture can accumulate.

Our engineered solutions integrate proper drainage, hygienic utilities, and thoughtfully designed infrastructure to support consistent sanitation and regulatory compliance. The result is a facility that enhances food safety, improves operational efficiency, and supports long‑term, reliable production.

Utilities & Infrastructure

Steam, compressed air, CO₂, nitrogen, water filtration and pre-treatment, refrigeration and wastewater systems must consistently support process demand.

We assess existing capacity early and model projected loads based on production goals. Utility upgrades are designed to support both current capacity increases along with future growth.

Automation & Controls

We evaluate existing control architecture and determine what can be retained, upgraded or expanded. Control narratives are developed early so process intent is clearly defined before detailed programming begins.

Systems are designed to be maintainable by in-house teams.

Client Spotlight

Turning a Tank Purchase into a Full Production Upgrade

Brownfield alcohol production integration inside a live beverage co-packing facility

35K

Gallon storage tank

1

Site visit to capture as-built

10

End-to-end deliverables
TBS had a vision and a lot of open questions: how do you integrate new alcohol production equipment into a live operation without stopping production?

Before a single drawing was produced, Cortex’s in-house 3D laser scanning team captured precise as-built conditions of the exterior tank area and interior production floor — all in a single site visit. That scan data became the backbone of everything: engineering drawings, equipment layouts, piping design, and bills of materials.

What Cortex delivered
  • 3D scanning and model-based design
  • Automated process: tanks, DAWS, and CIP system
  • New foundations and structural systems
  • HMI and PLC automation across full process
  • C1D1-compliant electrical systems
  • Permitting, GC selection, and construction management
  • Full procurement management end to end
  • Startup and operator training
They have a strong understanding of our internal engineering standards. They consistently uphold internal specifications, industry best practices, and quality expectations in every aspect of design, programming, documentation, and implementation."
Anthony Pessolano
President, TBS
They have a strong understanding of our internal engineering standards. They consistently uphold internal specifications, industry best practices, and quality expectations in every aspect of design, programming, documentation, and implementation."
Erik Brito
Plant Manager, TBS