Why Cup Availability Matters in Milk Production
For milk pasteurization businesses, packaging materials are an essential part of maintaining continuous production. At Luru Barokah MSME in Dusun 2, Bumi Ayu Village, Sukadana District, East Lampung Regency, cup availability was previously monitored manually.
Manual monitoring can become a problem when operators are simultaneously handling other production activities. An empty cup container may go unnoticed, potentially interrupting the production line, causing machinery to stop unexpectedly, or increasing the risk of milk being wasted during the sealing process.
The challenge is particularly relevant for MSMEs seeking affordable automation technologies. Instead of requiring operators to repeatedly inspect cup supplies, an automated monitoring system can continuously check availability and provide an immediate warning when supplies run out.
How the Arduino Monitoring System Works
Maqi developed a system centered on an Arduino Uno R3, which functions as the control unit. Two HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensors monitor cup availability from the left and right sides of the storage area. The system also uses red and green LEDs and a buzzer to communicate the detected condition to production operators.
The operating principle is straightforward. The ultrasonic sensors measure the distance between the sensor and the surface of the cups. The Arduino then compares the measured distance with a calibrated threshold of 16 centimeters.
When the measured distance is 16 centimeters or less, the system interprets the condition as cups being available. The green LED turns on while the buzzer remains silent.
When the distance exceeds 16 centimeters, the system interprets the condition as cups being unavailable. The red LED turns on and the buzzer sounds, alerting the operator that the cup supply needs attention. The system continuously repeats the measurement process, allowing real-time monitoring.
Development Followed Five Main Stages
The system was developed using a Research and Development approach consisting of five stages: needs analysis, system design, development, evaluation, and implementation.
Maqi collected information through direct observation of the milk pasteurization process, interviews with the MSME owner and production operators, literature studies, and documentation. Before being installed on the actual production equipment, the system was tested through a Tinkercad simulation to verify its detection logic.
The testing then moved to physical equipment at Luru Barokah. This two-stage approach allowed the system to be checked both in a simulated environment and under actual production conditions.
Testing Shows 100% Detection Accuracy
The simulation demonstrated that the system could distinguish between cup-present and cup-absent conditions based on distance.
For example, when an object was positioned 11.2 cm from the sensor, the system classified it as a cup and activated the green indicator. When the object was positioned at 28.8 cm and 37.4 cm, both measurements exceeded the 16 cm threshold, causing the system to classify the cup as unavailable and activate the red LED and buzzer.
Direct testing on the production equipment produced consistent results. The system successfully detected cup conditions on both the left and right sides and activated the appropriate indicators.
The Black Box Testing results showed that all tested functions operated as expected. The key results were:
- 100% detection accuracy
- Response time of less than one second
- Green LED activation when cups were detected
- Red LED and buzzer activation when cups were unavailable
- Successful independent detection of left- and right-side cup conditions
- Sensor calibration accuracy of approximately ±0.03 cm within the tested 0–50 cm distance range
These results indicate that the prototype can provide rapid warnings without requiring operators to manually inspect the cup supply continuously.
Low-Cost Automation Could Support MSMEs
The findings highlight the potential of simple microcontroller technology as an appropriate automation solution for MSMEs. The system does not attempt to automate the entire milk production process. Instead, it focuses on one operational problem—monitoring the availability of packaging cups—and provides an automated response.
According to Fauzi Nur Maqi of Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Lampung, the implemented system replaces a manual monitoring process that is vulnerable to human error with continuous, real-time monitoring. The author reports that the system can improve operational efficiency and reduce production bottlenecks at Luru Barokah MSME.
In practical terms, the technology allows operators to respond more quickly when cup supplies become unavailable. Earlier detection can help reduce unnecessary production interruptions and support a smoother pasteurization and packaging process.
The approach may also be relevant to other MSMEs that need targeted automation but have limited resources for complex industrial systems. Arduino-based monitoring can provide a relatively focused technological solution for specific production challenges.
Further Development Is Still Needed
Despite the positive testing results, the system remains open to further development. Maqi recommends adding an automatic cup-counting function using a load cell or infrared sensor. An LCD display could also provide operators with real-time information about cup availability.
The author also recommends routine maintenance of the ultrasonic sensors, cables, and protective housing. Additional testing under different environmental conditions, including high humidity and extreme temperatures, as well as larger-scale production environments, is needed to assess long-term durability and adaptability.
These recommendations are important because successful prototype testing does not automatically establish how the system will perform over extended periods or under substantially different production conditions.
Author Profile
Fauzi Nur Maqi is affiliated with the Informatics Engineering Study Program, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Lampung. His article focuses on microcontroller-based monitoring and the application of Arduino and ultrasonic sensor technology to support automation in MSME production processes.
The journal article does not provide an academic degree for Fauzi Nur Maqi, so no degree is assigned here to avoid adding unsupported information.
Research Source
Article Title: Implementation of a Cup Availability Monitoring System in the Microcontroller-Based Automatic Milk Pasteurization Production Process at Luru Barokah MSMEs
Author: Fauzi Nur Maqi
University: Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Lampung
Journal: Formosa Journal of Science and Technology (FJST)
Publication: Volume 5, No. 8, 2026, pp. 2199–2212
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/fjst.v5i8.141
Official Journal URL: https://journalfjst.my.id/index.php/fjst
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