Challenge
Olive oil is a multibillion-dollar market. With a projected compound annual growth rate of 6.10% by 2028, producers must find ways to keep up or get left behind.[1] Challenges in the packaging process can impact the ability to scale operations and can affect many aspects of a company’s product line such as quality, safety, product professionalism, and maintenance costs. Deploying automation solutions can help with these challenges and better streamline operations. When one of the top 4 olive oil companies in California recognized the costly operational challenges of their manual packaging process, automation was key to help them remain competitive.
Solution
The olive oil company needed to modernize and expand their packaging process, with preservation of product quality and integrity as a top priority. The customer wanted a state-of-the-art, aseptic system that would integrate well with their other existing processing lines. Certified in Ignition, an industrial application platform from Inductive Automation, and having an extensive work history at the location, E Tech Group’s Technology Solutions Manager (TSM) came up with an innovative plan for the project’s success.
E Tech Group provided design schematics, built the control panels, developed the PLC, HMI, and SCADA programs, and commissioned a new Bag-in-Box line. The controls system included several communication layers managed by a single line control AB ControlLogix gateway. The Process Level (Level 0) was composed of AB PowerFlex 525 VFDs and IFM IO-Link master blocks on an EtherNet/IP DLR network. On the Basic Control Level (Level 1), the line control ControlLogix gateway communicated with all the PLCs from the OEM equipment. Leveraging the existing Ignition SCADA system, E Tech Group developed a special project for the packaging line and installed two industrial computer clients for local monitoring and control.
Results
Using Control System Integrators Association (CSIA) methodology and best practices, our TSM coordinated with the client and the various OEM’s, keeping everything on schedule. E Tech Group has been a certified member of CSIA since 2012, which is a mark of excellence that demonstrates technical proficiency across ten key business management areas and commitment to executing the best methodology. Finally, with the ability to test and run the new system alongside the old, the olive oil company experienced no downtime or loss of production during the transition which resulted in a successful modernization of their packaging process.
[1] Geographic Scope and Forecast. (2021, August). Olive Oil Market Size and Forecast. Verified Market Research. https://www.verifiedmarketresearch.com/product/olive-oil-market/
Challenge
After producing some of the world’s most famous and flavorful confections for many years, a Northern California candy manufacturer’s aging conveyor system was becoming old, noisy, and obsolete. The existing conveyor system, which had sorted and moved large volumes of product for over a decade, was a line shaft design and was beginning to degrade. The factory was in desperate need of a conveyor system modernization which would increase efficiency, decrease noise and minimize maintenance costs.
Solution
For this project, E Tech Group (AG) used Ignition industrial application software from Inductive Automation and an Allen Bradley controller. The technology for the new conveyor was DC roller controlled. DC rollers are quieter, more energy efficient, and can be controlled more precisely with the set-up of multiple zones per conveyor. This technology allows for a variety of new features to enhance overall operations and reduce wear and tear. As an example, multiple rollers can be started and stopped in sections, and can also start and stop on demand. This enables a more efficient workflow based on capacity and need.
The addition of Ignition Software provided increased visibility to the plant floor, as well as the ability to pull more data via the new Itoh Denki controller. It also enabled AG to create templates for the DC roller controllers which included running data, alarming data and controls.
The upgrade and modernization of the candy manufacturer’s old, outdated conveyor system helped improve overall operational efficiency and enhance the automation processes. AG was able to eliminate the manufacturer’s noisy, worn-out system and modernize their entire conveyor operation with added features that created a quieter operation, extended life, and reduced wear and tear
Quieter Conveyor
Upon installation of the new system, the candy manufacturer noticed an immediate reduction in noise during the operation of the conveyor system.
More Efficiency
With a 24V DC motor nestled inside each roller’s tube, the conveyor system achieved better accumulation (a higher run rate). They also had tighter control of product placement which increased overall efficiencies.
Reduced Maintenance
The old conveyors were always running and had a lot of moving parts that would get worn out and require servicing or replacement. Since the modernization project has been completed, the manufacturer has seen a significant decrease in all service and maintenance costs.
Helping a Food Manufacturer Grow Production Volume With Automation
Our engineers used Rockwell Automation technology to program process automation controllers, perform troubleshooting and upgrade support for a manufacturing expansion.
The Project: Accommodate and Integrate Processes for a Warehouse Expansion
E Tech Group completed a fast-track project for a 110,000-square-foot addition to an existing food processing facility for the company, a hummus and dip producer. The expansion included warehouse space, additional and renovated employee amenities and offices, as well as the installation of new processing, packaging and utility generation equipment.
E Tech Group was brought under contract to provide the programming of the Process Automation Controllers (PACs), HMI, Historian, and Recipe Management systems. The engineering team provided a solution consistent with the existing facility automation, which our engineers previously implemented, while improving I/O communications with the use of Ethernet/IP and valves with an AS-Interface.
The Solution: A Recipe for Scalable, Automated Success
Phase 2 of the project included automation and monitoring of the utilities, clean-in-place (CIP), cooking, ingredient preparation, garnish, mixing, and filling systems. This was a fast-track project, with the order being placed in December for on-site commissioning of the first systems to start in April the following year. All of the systems were designed, developed, and commissioned on time.
How we expanded production abilities with a scalable automation solution:
- The system was implemented using a redundant Rockwell Automation FactoryTalk View SE distributed HMI with six servers and fifteen clients.
- ACP ThinManager was used to provide the thin client solution.
- Seven Rockwell Automation ControlLogix PACs were used for providing monitoring and control of the equipment.
- The combined systems included approximately 1,500 I/O points with 136 drives.
Food and beverage automation, much like pharmaceutical automation, requires control systems that improve production speed and reduce failures and downtime. E Tech Group has continued to work closely with the client on many additional projects to give the company flexibility in its control system for batching of products.
Identified Challenges: Flexibility, Fine-Tuning and Further Integration
After Phase 2 was complete, E Tech Group automation engineers continued to work heavily with the client on general support requests or running certain equipment. If the client wanted to fine tune the process system with tasks such as changing the sequence, relocating equipment, or adding some functionality, they would typically call in, and we would quickly complete those tasks.
In the most recently-completed project, E Tech Group incorporated a new modified mixing system (MMS). A new pasteurization line was also added, which the client previously didn’t have on site. This MMS is connected to a pasteurization line which allows for some modifications and improvements to their production that couldn’t be done before.
The product coming out of the mixer is then heated to high temperatures for a certain amount of hold time and then it is rapidly cooled back down right before it goes into the fillers that package the hummus into a cup. This is done to eliminate pathogens and increase the shelf life of the product. This specifically helps with their organic products due to the restrictions around preservatives and additives for organic products by still allowing for a healthy shelf life.
The client is working to add flexibility into their production equipment, with the goal of eventually having this line dedicated to organic products. A current project we are working with the client on is to replace a manually-involved process for adding organic tahini to the mixing system. Currently it involves a manually-wheeled-around tote with non-permanent connections. It is being replaced with a dedicated tank, removing the need for manual actions with automation technology that also provides the ingredient at a larger scale.
The Results: Ongoing Growth Requires further Automation and Integration
In terms of technology on the more recent projects, they’re building off of most of the same hardware and software stacks that they were using in the previous effort.
The team at E Tech Group has worked with vendor prepackaged systems to ensure that they communicate with the existing control system and operate properly after installation. The vendor prepackaged systems will be expecting input from our systems, whether it is ingredients, water, chickpea paste, etc., then it will likely be sent to one of our pieces of equipment.
To have better data to maintain the highest quality control, the client has implemented FactoryTalk Historian and VantagePoint, allowing the company to monitor and report on process conditions such as pressure, temperature, status of hardware such as valves, and also process specific step and phase data. Having this information available allows the client to more easily troubleshoot situations when they arise as well as having a deeper insight as to what areas may be best to next upgrade or make modifications to further improve efficiency.
E Tech Group is proud to have been a part of helping the client grow production volume and product diversity while allowing the manufacturing line to retain flexibility. The food and beverage industry requires automated processes that ensure precision, consistency and scalability. E Tech Group’s breadth of experience in this industry keeps us poised to help industrial food producers stay competitive by increasing production capacity and quality with integrated control systems that provide end-to-end coverage for your processes.
Challenge
In late 2019, Boochcraft Brewery, a California-based specialty brewing company located in Chula Vista, was excited to see their consumer base enjoying the brewery’s hand-crafted kombucha, so much in fact that sales were growing exponentially throughout California. This growth expedited the need to expand the company’s operations beyond its existing single location to keep up with the welcome demand. It was then that they purchased a second warehouse and contracted with E Tech Group to develop the best design, controls, and solution necessary to automate the new facility’s kombucha brewing temperature control process and increase production.
Solution
Phase 1 – Testing
E Tech Group initially ran program simulations and Factory Acceptance Tests (FATs) on the existing 20 tanks. The tests were conducted to identify and correct potential problems or other technical issues that could impede the new operations. In this initial two-month phase, the team also researched the industry’s technology, inspected the newly purchased warehouse to determine its operational suitability and focused on automating the heating and cooling temperature controls with built-in redundancy to ensure they did not lose entire batches of kombucha should any part of the system go offline during the brewing process.
Phase 2 – Automation
Upon testing completion, the project team began automating and implementing the juicing system. This six-week effort involved adding a juicing system for citrus and other produce. Once the automation was completed, the juice was transported into juice tanks for storage and later infused with the kombucha.
Phase 3 – Capacity Building
In the final phase of the project, the team increased the number of 100-barrel tanks—each accommodating roughly 3,100 gallons —from 20 to 40 over a six-week period, thereby doubling the amount of brewing capacity.
E Tech Group conducted FATs at each phase of the project prior to commissioning to the next phase to ensure all systems and processes were installed, tested and operationally functional.
E Tech Group was Chosen for its Project Management Methodology
As a Control System Integrators Association (CSIA)-certified business, E Tech Group’s focus on best practices ensures the company sets and meets the highest standards for its employees and business operations. This industry-standard project management approach enabled the team to expand and fully automate the kombucha brewing process, all while ensuring system redundancies and quality controls were built into the solution.
Result
Expanding the brewery’s operations at the second site resulted in increased kombucha production and a reduction in the brewery’s labor costs, as they were able to re-allocate employees to other parts of the business. This allowed the company to ensure product availability and ultimately grow operations outside California.
Boochcraft Brewery Chief Operating Officer, Bryan Rivera, recognizes the importance of E Tech Group’s focus on those high standards and engaging the right employees for the right project.
Relying on E Tech Group for help with our expansion was easily one of the best decisions we have made as a company. They were not only knowledgeable but also instrumental in getting our capacity up and running both within budget and on time. The best part of E Tech Group was not only the experience working with them during the project but also the support they offered afterward when small hiccups arose. Andrew and the rest of the team are incredible, and we’re definitely looking forward to working with them in the future on new projects!”
Bryan River, Chief Operating Officer
Boochcraft Brewery