K
ägi’s well-known wafer bars – Kägi Frets – are chocolate coated crispy wafers with a creamy mouse filling. The company has been producing these in the Toggenburg region of
Switzerland since 1934. To maintain its appeal over the years Kägi understands that there is a need for continuous investment in product development and production line innovation and today its products are created using modern production equipment. “We are very proud of our recipe. It takes
a lot of know-how to achieve the perfect balance. Achieving the desired perfection is not always easy,” says Pascal Grin, Chief Operating Officer at Kägi Söhne AG. “Our chocolate wafers are delicate products and any small production changes can lead to product variation.” For example, temperature fluctuation can lead to a reduction in production performance as it makes difficult to maintain optimal process stability. “Our vision is to produce the perfect Kägi every
day, whether it’s 30°C in the summer months or -10°C in the winter,” continues Pascal. For this reason, the company made the decision to investigate possible solutions to product variations on its production line, looking specifically at digital technology for the answer. “Our goal was to make our production data measurable and thereby optimise our process so that we can produce the perfect Kägi at any time of the day or night,” says Pascal.
Search for a solution The search for a solution started back in 2019, when Kägi asked Bühler to send a service team to conduct a Performance Assessment Workshop at the factory to discover where improvements could be made in the production process. All factors relevant to production were analysed and, based on the assessment, potential areas for improvement were identified and individual action plans were drawn up. These formed the basis for the organisations production optimisation goals. “The assessment showed us where we could optimise resources and where there was potential to reduce any variation in quality and efficiency,” continues Pascal. The assessment also revealed that the
occasional fluctuations in quality on the production line often stemmed from the fact that decisions in production were
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made based on experience and intuition of operators working on the line. “With this knowledge we set ourselves the goal of being able to make important decisions regarding the production process on the basis of figures, data, and facts and not on intuition,” says Pascal. “That’s why we decided on a new strategy – the journey to Smart Factory 2024, in which we aim to have the entire machine park is digitally networked and all process data visualised.”
We are using the data in
real time and it is allowing operators to quickly react to any fluctuations in quality”
To implement this vision, Kägi is using the Bühler Insights digital platform which provides it with greater process and machine data transparency. From raw materials, to baking and filling of wafer sheets, and to chocolate coating, data can now be recorded, analysed and interpreted at any time. In each machine an average of 25 to 30 data points are connected to Bühler Insights. The fact that Kägi has non- Bühler machines on the line did not pose a problem whenit comes to visualising the entire process data using Bühler Insights and so Kägi is able to obtain a holistic picture of current production and product quality at any time and from any location. All process-relevant data and key
performance indicators (KPI) for each production step are visualised via dashboards
on the line. This allows operators to see how well each individual element of the line is performing. “This helps us significantly in increasing machine performance and optimising processes,” explains Pascal. “We are using the data in real time and it is allowing operators to quickly react to any fluctuations in quality.” With this additional process insight Kägi expects an overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) increase of up to 8% just through the act of linking and visualising the data.
More sustainable “The collected data not only helps us in traceability and transparency, but we are also working with Bühler on a CO2 quantification of the entire factory, which gives us an overview of where there is potential for optimisation to make our production more sustainable,” says Pascal. For Kägi, its Smart Factory journey has been about more than just machinery, process stability, and quality. Using artificial intelligence (AI) technology, the company has been able to automate its production planning. Employee scheduling, which previously took up to a whole working day, is now available within minutes. “Especially when it comes to working hours, time balances, and shift assignments, automated employee scheduling brings more transparency and fairness,” explains Pascal. “Comprehensive decisions ensure greater employee satisfaction. Feedback on automated workforce scheduling has been positive, not least because our teams now get their schedules immediately after production schedules are completed, rather than the previous day long delay, so they are getting it 12 hours earlier.” In conclusion, Pascal says: “Collecting data makes sense for us because it’s ongoing. It’s knowledge that we can acquire, store, and use later. We are excited to see where journey will take us.”
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