IT in Manufacturing


World-class chocolate manufacturing

October 2010 IT in Manufacturing

Orley Foods is fully HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point – an FDA programme) compliant and the company’s quality management system conforms to ISO9001. Compliance is audited regularly not only by Orley but also by the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) and it is within this context of mandatory regulatory compliance that a material tracking solution was sought.

The Orley Foods plant is made up of four main areas (Figure 1). From Raw Material Receiving to Finished Goods, tracking and traceability is key to regulatory compliance. This is especially true of the chocolate manufacturing facility which manufactures chocolate in bulk according to the specifications of downstream chocolate confectionery manufacturers whose products are found in the retail market.

Figure 1
Figure 1

Project objectives

“Before this project, we were working with a failing system while our multinational customers demanded more traceability information,” says Henk de Villiers, operations manager, Orley Foods. “These large companies want certificates of analysis and conformity and can demand a full traceability report within two hours. They can also do flash audits on site without warning and ask any questions they wish about any batch. So we looked for a solution that would provide seamless and transparent integration of manufacturing and business systems throughout the company.”

The manufacturing system would have to be capable of as yet undefined expandability, ease of integration and the ability to provide data in context for the benefit of more informed decision-making. All the important, relevant and contextual information was to be published to a portal for easy access by personnel who could make best use of it and it was imperative that the system have the ability to trend and trace process issues in order to speed up trouble shooting while conforming to regulatory requirements.

Project requirements

In order to achieve its objectives, Orley Foods would have to implement some far-reaching initiatives that included the re-engineering of its process control and information delivery infrastructure. Some of the considerations included:

* Traceability of fat usage and additions against work orders – in the chocolate manufacturing process, the different fats used are incompatible with one another so it is vital to ensure traceability of the fat used at all times.

* Monitoring/logging of process parameters – the chosen system would be used to monitor and track process parameters in the plant and for each recipe batch.

* ERP integration with Syspro – Orley Foods needed one version of the truth for the bill of materials in order to minimise formulation failures and so needed this information to be fed directly from Syspro to the manufacturing system.

* Overall system upgraded to latest technologies – as the company’s system could no longer cope, it needed to upgrade to the latest technologies that would address its Network and Windows/SQL Server environment as well as its scada and PLC system needs.

* Ingredient management of recipes – As Orley Foods has over a hundred different recipes for liquid chocolate including different colours and fat combinations, the company needed a system that would be able to handle this variation seamlessly.

* Introduction of expandable reporting infrastructure – with the new business environment and the need for key information, Orley Foods developed KPIs to which the manufacturing system had to respond so as to deliver reports from a central source.

Solution selection

While realising that there were a number of potential technologies to address their needs, Orley Foods decided to look for prospective solution providers who could use the technologies they thought most appropriate to the task at hand.

“We started the project by defining our needs and then drew up a tender allowing various vendors and systems to be evaluated,” says de Villiers. “It was vital that we had a well-known system but it was equally important that we had a Cape Town based system integrator with experience in the development of PLC, scada and databases, especially SQL. It was also a prerequisite that the SI should have prior experience in a food and beverage environment and be well acquainted with the complexities of working in a HACCP environment. We chose AMR Automations because it met all these criteria.”

Several prominent technology suppliers were considered but eventually Orley Foods selected Wonderware. “We found that the Wonderware solution was best suited as it had a proven track record in food and beverage (we spoke to their customers) and was used in many local and international plants involved with food production,” says de Villiers. “We were also shown examples of integration between Wonderware production and control systems and our chosen ERP system, Syspro. Lastly, there are numerous system integrators and solution providers with an extensive knowledge of the Wonderware suite of solutions which meant that we would not be stuck in an emergency.”

Solution architecture

Wonderware’s System Platform, based on ArchestrA technology, was used to develop a model of the plant. “Although the project only addressed certain aspects of the chocolate production facility, we designed the model to cater for the entire plant,” says Stefan la Grange of AMR Automations.

An important part of the project was the PLC upgrade where the previous PLC was replaced with an Allen-Bradley CompactLogix unit and Beckhoff Ethernet TCP/IP remote I/O units which AMR found to be a good and rapid solution for upgrading installations where PLCs could be kept out of harm's way.

“We design PLC programmes to run autonomously with no interference from the scada system,” says la Grange. “In this case, the PLC runs the recipe and handles the fat transfer route allocation. Obviously, processes for which the necessary raw materials (eg, fat) are not available are not started.”

Orley Food’s ERP system, Syspro, places the work orders into a ‘holding’ or intermediary Wonderware Historian production (MES) database from where they are picked up by the scada system. The works orders specify the raw materials to be used as well as the tank and equipment allocation and scheduling. Operators then use the dual-screen scada system (InTouch) to view the state of all the conches in the system and the works orders they are executing.

“We use the SQL data grid from Wonderware to show the production plan which displays the work orders that are queued or being processed and a click on the column headers sorts the display according to the chosen criteria,” explains la Grange. “Operators can modify the execution time of work orders or switch machines for a specific work order if authorised by production supervisors. This is useful for bypassing breakdowns or maintenance problems.”

The Wonderware Information Server reports tabulate all aspects of work order status and production information such as temperature vs. pressure charts, process variations, timings and operator interactions for traceability purposes.

Realised benefits

* Batch size consistency – previously, this could be a hit-and-miss affair with corrections having to be made for marginal or failed recipes. Today, that is all in the past.

* Raw material allocations tracked – previously this was done manually and prone to operator error.

* Better process control tracking – alarming (eg, motor trips) are now available at the scada level as is trouble-shooting information (temperatures, pressures, grinding times, etc,) as well as operator involvement.

* Significant savings in fat usage – in the chocolate industry, cocoa butter is called liquid gold because of its high cost.

* Standardisation of batch processing times – allows for critical evaluation of plant performance reduced consumption or resources, especially electrical power.

* Minimised batch/formulation corrections – savings in addition of raw materials to batches which could result in batches that were larger than the customer ordered and were therefore wasted.

Figure 2. Orley Foods system topology for phases 1 and 2 of the project
Figure 2. Orley Foods system topology for phases 1 and 2 of the project

Conclusion

Phase 2 of this project will capitalise on the gains already made and extend functionality across the entire plant while closing the loop with feedback directly into the Syspro ERP system. Orley Foods has shown itself to be a prime example of adaptability in a more demanding world with a globally-competitive marketplace. The integration of information technology at the business and production levels is helping the company deal with the mechanics of sustained profitability. It allows Orley Foods to focus on its mission to provide products that delight all of the market.

For more information contact Andrew Rennie, AMR Automations, +27 (0)21 534 0838, [email protected] or Deon van Aardt, Wonderware Southern Africa, 0861 WONDER, [email protected], www.wonderware.co.za





Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page

Further reading:

Schneider Electric’s Five-Pillar Strategy takes the guesswork out of equip
Schneider Electric South Africa IT in Manufacturing
Schneider Electric’s Field Service Cycle, otherwise known as the Five-Pillar Strategy, is a structured approach to managing the lifecycle of equipment to prolong asset lifespan while reducing the total cost of ownership for customers.

Read more...
Enhancing operational safety and efficiency through advanced risk-based modelling
IT in Manufacturing
Now, more than ever, capital and operational cost can be reduced while enhancing operational safety and increasing production uptime by applying transformative methods such as Computational Fluid Dynamics modelling.

Read more...
Laying the groundwork in IT/OT
IT in Manufacturing
In the realm of manufacturing, the core mandate is to deliver value to stakeholders. For many in the industry, this is best achieved through a risk-averse approach. Only upon establishing a robust foundation should a business consider venturing into advanced optimisation or cutting-edge technological innovations such as industrial AI.

Read more...
Looking into the future of machine vision
Omron Electronics IT in Manufacturing
Artificial intelligence (AI) is driving a significant transformation in all areas of industrial automation, and machine vision is no exception. Omron’s AI-powered machine vision systems seamlessly integrate state-of-the-art algorithms, enabling machines to analyse and interpret visual data meticulously.

Read more...
Driving digital transformation in the truck industry
Siemens South Africa IT in Manufacturing
Tatra Trucks, a leading truck manufacturer in Czechia, has adopted the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio of industry software including Teamcenter software for product lifecycle management and the Mendix low code platform to help increase production volume and strengthen its ability to manufacture vehicles that meet specific customer requirements.

Read more...
Opinion piece: Digital twins in manufacturing – design, optimise and expand
Schneider Electric South Africa IT in Manufacturing
Digital twin technology can help create better products, fast. It can also transform the work of product development. This strong statement from McKinsey reinforces how far digital twins have come in manufacturing.

Read more...
Asset tracking is key to driving operational excellence and sustainable growth
Schneider Electric South Africa IT in Manufacturing
Asset tracking plays a critical role in the success of industrial businesses. By effectively managing and monitoring assets, companies can optimise their operations, ensuring that resources are used efficiently. This leads to improved productivity and reduced costs.

Read more...
Siemens democratises AI-driven PCB design for small and medium electronics teams
Siemens South Africa IT in Manufacturing
Siemens Digital Industries Software is making its AI-enhanced electronic systems design technology more accessible to small and mid-sized businesses with PADS Pro Essentials software and Xpedition Standard software.

Read more...
Predicting and preventing cyber-attacks with AI and generative AI
IT in Manufacturing
The speed at which cyber threats are evolving is unprecedented. As a result, companies need to implement state-of-the-art technology to protect their data and systems.

Read more...
Real-world lessons in digital transformation
IT in Manufacturing
Synthesis has helped businesses across multiple industries with their digital transformation by solving their unique integration challenges.

Read more...









While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.




© Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd | All Rights Reserved