Product category:
Food and drink manufacturing: processing equipment
News Release from: Marco MES | Subject: Trac-it MES recipe control system
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 05 December 2006
Trac-it MES puts extra 'fizz' in Cott
Beverages
Cott Beverages is the latest company to benefit from the Marco Group's inspirational Trac-it MES recipe control system, which Marco claim adds real value to existing ERP and MRP systems.
Cott Beverages is the latest company to benefit from the Marco Group's inspirational Trac-it MES recipe control system, which Marco claim adds real value to existing ERP and MRP systems At the heart of the system, installed in Cott's two syrup rooms at their Kegworth plant, are four triple-scale DataMaster workstations dedicated to controlling the mixing of the ingredients that make up the diverse range of soft drink syrups used on the production line
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 15 May 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
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Cott is the world's largest retailer brand soft drink provider and commercializes its business in over 60 countries worldwide.
The company markets or supplies over 200 retailer and licensed brands with its principal markets in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom.
Its thirst-quenching products include carbonated soft drinks, sparkling and flavoured waters, energy drinks, sports drinks, juices, juice drinks and smoothies, ready-to-drink teas and other non-carbonated beverages.
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Marco MES have sold 72 Linemaster workstations in Scotland for the fruit growing and packaging industry
Marco 'scoop' contract at ice cream manufacturer
Marco have been awarded a prestigious contract to supply Unilever UK Ice Cream with their all-encompassing TRAC-IT MES manufacturing execution system.
Unlocking the true potential of ERP and MRP
The Marco Group claim that their innovative and ground breaking TRAC-IT MES factory floor software suite is unlocking the real power of ERP and adding value to MRP.
The manufacturing statistics for the Kegworth plant are simply staggering.
Operating 24 hours a day, the syrup rooms produce 70 million litres of syrup a year, made up from almost 600 different ingredients.
This is then converted into more than 400 million litres of finished drinks in bottle sizes ranging in capacity from 330 ml to 2 litres.
The Phase 2/3 room is used for syrup batches from 2000-5000 litres, whilst the Phase 4 room creates those from 2000-12000 litres.
Ensuring batch consistency and accuracy is vital to the overall manufacturing process.
The vast array of ingredients vary from bulk pre-weighed products such a sugar and glucose, through to vitamins and flavours in powder and liquid format.
The complexity and variety of syrups dictates that they are made up manually and it is vitally important that the correct amount of each ingredient is added and that all the ingredients for a particular batch are included.
Each of the DataMaster workstations incorporates three separate bulk, fine and milligram scales, with capacities of 60 kg, 6 kg and 200 g respectively.
This ensures that ingredients with widely varying target weights can be weighed with the same proportional accuracy at the same workstation.
The low capacity scale is conveniently situated on a sliding tray in the side cabinet housing a bar code scanner, which is used to verify raw material codes.
Cott's Business Improvement Manager Andy Stirling is clear about the benefits the Marco System has brought to his company and as he explains: "Our previous system used basic weighing scales with control procedures relying on onerous, often inaccurate and laborious paperwork systems".
"This placed significant onus on the operator to ensure correct batch makeup".
"The Marco System now takes complete control of the process and provides an important safety net for operators".
"A critical feature is its ability to communicate directly with our BPCS (Business Planning and Control System) ERP/MRP system, which is utilised throughout Cott Beverages".
"Orders are downloaded from BPCS to the syrup room PC and then scheduled to the DataMaster workstations".
"This gives important manufacturing flexibility to accommodate changing customer requirements".
"Like all ERP/MRP systems, without data to the contrary, BPCS assumes preset targets are met - precisely".
"Unfortunately in the real world this does not always happen, but real time factory floor data from the Marco equipment is constantly made available to BPCS, allowing the actual weighs to be integrated into the system".
The Trac-it system is designed to provide full control and traceability at every stage, ensuring that the correct ingredient, either weighed or pre-weighed, is selected and the correct amount added for each recipe step.
Operators can only proceed if these conditions are met.
The comprehensive PC based display at each station shows all manufacturing instructions together with any pre and post weighing prompts that may be appropriate, including relevant health and safety instructions and general product information.
Operators select the job they wish to complete and are prompted for the first ingredient.
They now confirm the correct raw material selection via the bar code scanner.
After each ingredient has been added, the system resets to zero and the process starts again.
The scanners incorporate RF wireless technology to ensure the operators can easily locate the bar codes on the bulk containers without the added constraints of a cable.
Every time material is used, the system sends the data to BPCS to downgrade the stock level.
Although the workstations are PC based, operators have the advantage of an analogue bar graph which guides the pour to target.
It has been shown that this is a highly effective method for displaying and controlling operator initiated filling processes.
Weights below the target are shown as amber, changing to green in the acceptance zone.
In practice, Marco have found that operators subconsciously tune in to such systems and stop adding the raw material nearer to the minimum tolerance than the maximum.
If the operator allows too much product to be added, the graph goes red and an out of tolerance message is shown, preventing the operator proceeding further.
However, if too much of a raw material has been added, under supervisory control, the batch can be automatically re-sized, whereby all target weights are recalculated without affecting batch composition.
The improvements brought about by Trac-it are highly visible and as Andy Stirling concludes: "I am delighted with the way the system is performing".
"Trac-it takes control of the process for us, ensuring not only that each sub-batch is correct, but also that all those required for a particular end product are placed in the mixing vessels".
"The new system scans and logs the collated batches together with any pre-weighed ingredients and only allows final mixing when all have been confirmed to be OK.
We are seeing significant improvements in the control of our raw ingredient usage and spoilt batches are almost unheard of".
"Given our hectic schedule throughout the year, the equipment was installed with the minimum of disruption".
"Marco engineers were prepared to listen to us at every stage and worked extremely well alongside our own engineers throughout the project".
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