Drives & Controls March 2022

30 n FOOD AND BEVERAGE March 2022 www.drivesncontrols.com Retrofit licks controls issues at ice cream plant M achines used to produce food and beverages need to be reliable, safe, fast andmust not lose quality over many years of operation. High- performance technologies and continuous maintenance are required, but the machines must also comply with the latest standards and specifications. Retrofits that modernise or expand existing plants and equipment are essential for companies to maintain competitiveness. One problem often faced by manufacturers as their equipment gets older is that spare parts or system updates are no longer available. As a result, repair requests can build up, equipment is not always available, and production can sometimes even grind to a halt. There is constant pressure – and good reasons – to keep systems up-to-date. Modern control systems can help to diagnose faults much faster and more easily than before. Modernisation can also boost productivity by, for example, acquiring data and communicating faster, allowing for greater flexibility during product changes. The Swiss firm Staveb Automation specialises in retrofits and is particularly strong on upgrading semi- and fully- automated production plants that have been operating with outdated control systems. When these lines are rejuvenated, they need to be adapted to the current requirements of the commissioning company. For around three decades, Staveb has been helping companies in a wide range of industries to modernise their plants and processes. Its projects have included modernising lines for filling sauerkraut, pasteurising pasta, and for packaging hamburger patties, vegetables and ready-to-eat salads. One of Staveb’s customers is the Swiss food manufacturer Delica – previously known as Midor – which makes ice cream cornets. It decided it needed to modernise some of its production facilities because the control system had been discontinued and was no longer being supported by its supplier. In addition, the system’s programming software, which had been written in the 1990s, would not run under the latest versions of Windows. “The systemwas running well, but in addition to the control problem, the wear-and-tear was too high and the spare parts were becoming more and more expensive,”recalls Delica’s automation and electrical team leader, UrsWeber. “There were also an increasing number of failures in the drive technology and mechanical spare parts sometimes had delivery times of several months, as well as astronomically high prices, which was of course not wanted,”adds Staveb Automation’s COO, Michael Engler.“In addition, the machine safety was no longer state-of-the- art.” Delica commissioned Staveb to retrofit a modern control system, as well as gears, drives, servo technology, sensors, safety technologies and measuring systems. One of the challenges of the project was that the production facilities needed to be able to handle many options. As well as several different flavours, Delica offers up to 30 different toppings and a choice of up to 20 different cornet shapes that have to be taken into account with each production changeover. Previously, production of up to 30,000 ice creams could be lost during changeovers. With the upgraded plant, production changes can be carried out without losing any production, and packaging processes are now 10–20% faster. For the Delica upgrade, Staveb opted for Omron’s Sysmac automation platform as well as its 1S servodrives, integrated using an NX/NJ machine controller. The Sysmac platform integrates PLC functions, motion and robotics control, HMIs, safety and camera systems. Delica had used Omron controllers before, but had previously relied on drive technologies from other suppliers. For the modernisation project, everything came from a single source, simplifying implementation and allowing similar user interfaces to be implemented throughout the project. We hear a lot about IoT, AI (artificial intelligence) and machine learning in the context of Industry 4.0 projects. But often end-users do not need to adopt such innovations to rationalise their production and give it new momentum.“Replacing a control system and the drive technology can often make a big difference when it comes to logging times, energy efficiency, or predictive maintenance,”suggests Reto Stenico, Omron’s sales manager for Switzerland. n A Swiss manufacturer of ice cream cornets has upgraded its facilities by replacing outdated controls and drive technologies with an integrated platform that has boosted productivity, cut waste and resulted in faster packaging speeds. Delica’s upgraded ice cream cornet production line can handle changeovers between its wide variety of products without losing any time