Simulation-Based Multidimensional Analysis of Cyber-Physical Production Systems for Sustainable Tea Manufacturing: a Case Study in a Ugandan Tea Factory

The tea manufacturing industry in Uganda continues to face major operational challenges associated with high energy consumption, excessive labor dependency, long processing durations, material losses, and limited process automation. This study evaluated the potential of Cyber-Physical Production Systems (CPPS) to improve the efficiency and sustainability of tea manufacturing operations using Igara Tea Factory, Uganda, as a case study. A simulation-based multidimensional analysis was developed using MATLAB and Simulink to compare the conventional production system with a CPPS-enhanced production model integrated with Industry 4.0 technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT)-based monitoring, automated process control, predictive maintenance, and intelligent decision-making systems. The analysis examined key performance indicators including energy consumption, labor requirements, processing time, moisture reduction, and production output. The baseline model revealed high energy consumption of 12,101 kWh per production cycle, labor demand of 66 workers, prolonged processing duration of 45 hours, and significant production losses. Following CPPS integration, energy consumption decreased by 25%, labor requirements reduced by 48.5%, and total processing time declined by 42%, while final black tea output increased by 6.6% from 18,000 kg to 19,189 kg. The results demonstrate that CPPS technologies significantly improve operational efficiency, resource utilization, productivity, and environmental sustainability in tea manufacturing. The study provides strong technical and economic justification for adopting Industry 4.0 technologies within Uganda’s agro-processing sector.