NEWS SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC AND AVEVA COMPLETE SMART TRANSFORMATION PROJECT S


chneider Electric and AVEVA have digitally upgraded their factory in Flint, Wales. The project, which commenced in late 2018 and cost £300,000, will see the site become the UK’s first


Schneider Electric smart factory. The SMART transformation project primarily involved retrofitting the


existing factory to maximise efficiency and minimise downtime. The hardware solutions deployed were complemented by the full EcoStruxure software suite including Facility Expert, Resource Advisor, Machine Advisor, Augmented Operator Advisor, and AVEVA insight. The combination of digital tools, unified by EcoStruxure, provide the


facility managers with the ability to control and optimise every aspect of the factory. Facility Expert enabled managers to keep a digital logbook of equipment and rapidly identify and respond to any problems within the production site, Machine Advisor provided machine analytics to empower operators with the ability to optimise machine operations and improve reliability, while the AVEVA platform acted as a visualisation platform for continuous operational


COMMENT


With energy costs and the prices of raw ingredients in the food processing industry on the rise, manufacturers really need to make their production lines as efficient as possible, both to control their own costs, and to keep the price of their goods competitive. This month’s issue will hopefully help food manufacturers do just that, with a focus on the food industry that includes a range of useful features.


For example, on page 22 we look at how the improved cleaning of checkweighers and metal detectors helps increase noodle production, while Tyrells Crisps has swapped to liquified natural gas and reduced carbon emissions by 14% (p.25). Finally, Schneider Electric explains how traceability leads to sustainability on page 28-29. Michelle Lea - Editor


FEEDING THE HYDROGEN BOOM T


he hydrogen economy is at the start of a period of growth, with the size of the


global market predicted to be US$12 trillion by 2050, according to the latest research. As part of global


decarbonisation efforts, hydrogen is expected to emerge as an alternative fuel. Given water is the main feedstock for hydrogen production, this boom presents a range of opportunities for water and wastewater businesses, a report from BlueTech Research has found. Particular growth is expected


in terms of the number of green hydrogen projects, where hydrogen is produced by water electrolysis powered by renewable energy. However, the report notes there are concerns about the amount of water and renewable energy needed. Author Kim Wu, research


analyst at BlueTech Research, said: “Interestingly, water utilities have a unique role to play in the hydrogen economy. There are different pathways that water utilities can [take to] produce hydrogen at their wastewater facilities and benefit from implementing those processes.” www.bluetechresearch.com


improvement and real-time decision-making support. Schneider Electric’s investment was paid back within just one year,


thanks to productivity and efficiency-based savings. Maintenance costs saw a 15% reduction (£91,000) due to a Lean Digitisation System (LDS) with Andon alerts and an additional £14,000 in savings thanks to the installation of Intelligent Lighting Systems. In turn, efficiency at the factory was enhanced. Despite a 20%


decrease in demand in 2020 due to COVID-19, Flint’s operational efficiency improved by 5% compared to 2019 levels and productivity increased by 4% – which represents £240,000 in savings alone. In 2021, operational efficiency is set to increase a further 7%. The transformation also had a range of sustainability benefits.


Water consumption was halved – down from 4228m³ in 2019, to 2138m³ in 2020, with projections of just 960m³ in 2021. Likewise, improvements to efficiency associated with the installation of variable speed drives, smart panels, etc led to a 15% decrease in electricity (KW/h) usage compared to 2019 levels. www.se.com/uk


LABELLING SYSTEM FINDS IT VOCATION C


learmark Solutions has partnered with Vocation Brewery to install its first ICE Vulcan print and apply labelling system at the Halifax factory, guaranteeing to meet GS1 criteria, saving on cost, waste and increasing turnover.


With sales of craft beer soaring, Vocation Brewery had to look at new, faster ways of applying labels to their boxes whilst being compliant with GS1 regulations. Previously, labels were printed using a desktop printer and applied by hand, meaning the process was slow and the labels were not always clearly printed or positioned in a neat, uniform way. Now, using the ICE Vulcan print and apply labeller, the cost to label each box of craft beer has dropped by 90%, to just half a penny per label. Print speeds can reach over 120ppm with a label capacity of 17,000 labels, more than twice the capacity of other labelling systems. The ICE Vulcan print and apply labelling system has a non- pneumatic ‘air-less’ design using a direct apply method which allows for accurate label placement without the need for an applicator. The system boasts Intelligent Motion technology which enables precise automatic control of components and an 80% reduction of wear parts that caused unexpected downtime. Dan Sutcliffe-Tasker, head of packaging, Vocation Brewery, said: “Everything sent to the retailer has to be boxed and labelled. We produce about 30 pallets a day, with 100 or 200 cases on each pallet. Anything other than our core brand has to have a custom label on it. Since automating our labelling process we’ve had zero defects - the ICE Vulcan print and apply system is 100% fool-proof and in hindsight we should have automated sooner.” Before investing in the ICE Vulcan system, Vocation had 26 pallets returned as a result of incorrect barcodes and human error, causing the brewer to re-call and re-label the goods. With the ICE Vulcan system, using CLARiSOFT label design software, labels are designed and programmed for the operator to select using the CLARiTY operator touchscreen. CLARiTY allows operators to select the job from a list or pre-programmed jobs, eliminating operator intervention and human error. www.clearmark.uk


4 OCTOBER 2021 | PROCESS & CONTROL


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