Case Study

OBJECTIVES

• Improve operational efficiency in the area of basket handling and tracking in their retort process area.
• Provide more reliability control system utilizing the latest technology and proven methodologies.
• Improve the basket tracking methodology before and after the retort process.
• Develop and implement new tracking and alignment system for OPR (over pressure retorts) loaders and unloaders.
• Reduce troubleshooting time by delivering more thorough and accurate system documentation.
• Meet project schedule and tight budget.

CHALLENGES

• Managing project expectations between client’s engineering team and operations.
• Existing code had been modified over the years without updates to system documentation.
• Programming was blamed for certain issues in functionality that turned out to be physical device and equipment related.
• Existence of old and abandoned code.
• Working through anomalies within the code.
• Short downtime window to complete the on-site system cutover and testing.
• COVID-19
• Client would not allow any outside contractors to visit the plant site due to COVID.
• Client even restricted their own engineering resources physical access to the plant facility.
• Design reviews and FAT had to be conducted virtually with very limited plant resource participation.
• Local COVID distancing and stay-at-home restrictions forced our development and programming team members to collaborate and test virtually.

RESULTS

• Improves safety and profitability by enabling operators to rapidly identify and mitigate emerging abnormal situations.
• Maximized uptime and throughput for this line with improved controls and automation.
• Accurate tracking and alarming/rejecting of faulty product.
• Deliverables were exceeded with automated control of areas that didn’t work prior to upgrade.
• Client is requesting Malisko to assist them with improving and automating additional areas of their facility.