To increase production capacity, our client — a leading manufacturer in the food and agribusiness sector — set out to more than double the size of their 180,000 square-foot production facility.
The expansion included the addition of two new production lines for french fries and preformed products like tater tots. The new lines included fully automated production systems and advanced packaging applications that operated on a different automation platform than the plant’s legacy lines.
Our team helped design the controls system and implement new software packages for the two new lines and for plantwide control across the entire facility. This dual-system setup required careful coordination to ensure seamless integration across the plant.
Simulating reality
To ensure system reliability, we conducted in-office simulations that replicated real-world plant conditions. This allowed us to troubleshoot potential issues with the system and address them before they manifested in a production environment. Further, extensive communication allowed our team to match programming standards and collaborate with staff on-site in the plant.
Automating the process
The new production lines offered a fully automated solution for packaging, beginning at the scale distribution deck and flowing through baggers, case packers and palletizers. After picking up cases, full pallets were transferred to unmanned, automated fork trucks — all coordinated with the plant’s Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system.
Managing inventory
We also programmed an inventory management system that acted as a data bridge between the plant’s Manufacturing Execution System and the production line. This system tracked grower data on potatoes from raw receiving through final packaging, enhancing traceability and operational insight.
Seeing it through
In addition to delivering control system design, we provided more than nine months of on-site support for start-up and commissioning in order to optimize the work and provide real-time solutions. As a final step, we updated Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams to reflect the installation, programming and on-site solutions that were developed.
