At a global chocolate and cocoa manufacturer's Melbourne factory, Mobile Automation delivered a major reconfiguration of the production and packing lines — a program spanning mechanical, electrical, automation and safety, run inside a live food-manufacturing environment.
The challenge
The project required relocating and re-integrating production and packing equipment across multiple lines, including third-party OEM machines — a Pattyn case erector, a Mettler-Toledo checkweigher and a stretch wrapper — while correcting control logic, bringing safety systems and documentation up to standard, and keeping disruption to production and food safety to a minimum.
Our approach
Because Mobile Automation self-performs electrical, mechanical, automation and safety in-house, the entire reconfiguration was delivered by one accountable team — no hand-offs between trades, and control-logic problems solved in software rather than with extra wiring.
Scope of works
- Mechanical and electrical relocation of conveyors and equipment, MCC modifications, and relocation of socket outlets to conveyor frames
- Shielded data and network cabling — tracing, running and terminating communications to the wrapper and data rack, with a full data-cable mapping document produced
- PLC and Siemens WinCC programming: conveyor control logic (CONV501/503/507/508), bi-directional CONV407 selectable via physical switch (manual) or WinCC (auto), and analogue level-sensor control of CONV409
- Commissioned FIM402 including sampling logic; resolved a Pattyn case-erector liner-timing fault entirely within the PLC program, avoiding additional wiring
- Integrated the Mettler-Toledo checkweigher (CW502) control and reset function
- Machine safety: segregated the ADM safety circuit to separate E-stops from gate switches; produced a safety summary report, IO testing documentation and Standard Operating Procedures for the affected lines
The results
- Production and packing lines reconfigured, re-integrated and recommissioned
- Third-party OEM equipment (Pattyn, Mettler-Toledo) integrated and faults resolved in-house
- Complete controls and safety documentation handed over — data-cable maps, IO test records, SOPs and a safety summary
- Mechanical, electrical, automation and safety delivered by a single accountable contractor