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Single Touch Changeover

Process and Data Automation (PDA) has earned a strong reputation as a problem solver in the private label food manufacturing community. With more than 20 years of experience providing automation and information automation support for a wide range of processing and packaging applications, the CSIA-certified integrator has helped its clients stay at the forefront of their fields, often tackling time or technology-intensive applications.

It was for this reason that a large PDA client recently approached them with a unique application that was designed to wring a few additional minutes per day out of an already streamlined operation.  The client, a world leader in high-quality packaged beverages, is internationally recognized for its state-of-the-art filtration, purification, and related technologies.  From their 30+ manufacturing facilities, they provide products in categories such as premium water, hot fill, sparkling, aseptic, and more.  Several of their packaging lines are dedicated to niche products but many cater towards their main flexible product offering in the world of private label water.

The flexible high-speed lines used by the manufacturer have been optimized by the original manufacturers so the additional incremental changes that they desire would have to come from streamlining operations and human/equipment interactions.  There aren’t many opportunities to do this on long-run lines that run as smoothly as these, but the client’s time studies pointed to a chance to eliminate a few minutes for each product label changeover.  The difference between mere success and world-class is measured in moments just like this in the world of high-speed food & beverage packaging. They suspected this could be a huge win for them, so they took their idea to PDA.

The manufacturer worked alongside the PDA team to refine the plan.  The existing operation was already lean in the number of people and steps required for changeover, but PDA took this a step further and devised a control scheme that enhanced the use of the client’s existing Krones Line Management (LM) software.  An algorithm was designed that incorporated controller (PLC) signals and human gates into a comprehensive, automatic checklist that determines when line machines have finished an existing order and are ready to begin processing of the next SKU.  The PDA team addressed the required vendor interactions and eventual code changes with all the lines’ equipment as well as the changes needed within the LM software.  As a result, once the machines have indicated readiness and the final units from a prior order have passed, the system switches to the next product to be run via a single touch from a single operator.

This level of autonomy doesn’t happen by accident on lines that run at these production rates.  The client already invested in technology like multi-cartridge reels that splice and allow continuous operation without downtime in that machine.  This solution frees operators to perform the critical tasks and visual verifications that are required to facilitate the changeovers without the distraction of also moving from machine to machine to make selections and notes about the end and beginning of new orders.  This allows the lean operating team to focus on the handful of tasks that remain and helps them to eliminate errors that may have resulted from the prior flurry of changeover activities.

The direct result was a nearly 70% decrease in the time required to perform a changeover.  That decrease equates to a few minutes per changeover which, across the enterprise, equates to an enormous gain for the client and a financial ROI per line has been estimated at six months.  This also serves as a foundation for the future state of “lights out” operation that is desired by so many in manufacturing.

Per the PDA team, this type of solution is technology agnostic and could be applied to any packaging line with equipment from nearly any vendor.  This solution required an MES application with Line Management control capabilities but, with that investment, many things can be achieved.  As was done here, Process and Data Automation brings the capability to address this solution at the machine control and MES levels.  The result was another example in PDA’s history of helping their clients turn critical introspection into action and, ultimately, success.

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