Challenge
With breakfast considered to be the most important meal of the day, restaurants must offer a well-rounded breakfast menu to stay competitive. For a global fast-food giant, launching budget-friendly breakfast smoothies as a new product line was essential to compete against other café chains that offered similar products but at a higher price point. The fast-food giant enlisted a leading developer of fruit-based products to help deliver the new product offering but the project required the creation of several new manufacturing lines with a focus on process control. The fruit solutions developer engaged Automation Group for their reputable flexibility and process control expertise to complete the complex project within a tight timeline.
Solution
Time was limited to execute the new smoothie product line for the fast-food giant. The project involved the establishment of three new manufacturing lines across different states within a 90-day turnaround timeframe. Process control optimization was essential for effective line management as well as adhering to strict requirements related to sterilization, temperature-control, and product packaging specifications.
The Automation Group team worked around the clock to design and build the control system which included Allen Bradley PLCs and Wonderware for HMI visualization software. The team also integrated advanced machinery to support the multi-gallon product packaging and box formation requirements. Furthermore, the Automation Group team swiftly integrated valves, pipes, heaters, bag fillers, sterilization equipment, and other production components to enable the best process control applications and industrial process automation across the multiple manufacturing lines.
Results
The Automation Group team executed the project within the tight timeline and the smoothie manufacturing process was seamless. With process control top-of-mind, Automation Group was able to support the stability and efficiency of the new smoothie offering in addition to the expansion of the fast-food giant’s customer base with a new product line. Since the launch, smoothie products have become a staple in the fast-food giant’s breakfast menu and customers no longer need to travel to a second drive-through when they can find competitive offerings at their favorite fast-food giant.
