Industry: Food Production
The Client
- Industry: Food Production
- Location: Melbourne, Victoria
- Type of Facility: Food Processing Plant
A food production business operating in Melbourne’s north running a high-volume cabbage processing line, with an auto corer as a critical part of the production process.
The Operational Challenge
The client identified that the auto corer on their cabbage processing line was not running as efficiently as it could. Each cycle included unnecessary delay before the conveyor advanced, and PLC timing settings were limiting overall throughput.
Across a full production shift, these small inefficiencies were compounding into a meaningful loss of output. The client approached us to review the system and deliver targeted PLC and machine modifications to improve cycle time and overall line efficiency — without compromising reliability or product quality.
Objectives
The client required:
- Improved cycle speed on the auto corer
- Higher overall efficiency across the cabbage processing line
- PLC logic refinements to remove unnecessary delays
- Flexibility to accommodate varying product sizes
- Testing and commissioning under live production conditions
Our Solution
We carried out targeted PLC and machine modifications to address the operational inefficiencies identified on the auto corer. The work was delivered in two key changes:
1. Air Cylinder Position Sensor Installation
A new sensor was installed at the mid-position of the air cylinder. This sensor now triggers the conveyor to run as soon as the corer clears the product, eliminating the need to wait for the corer to fully retract to the top position before advancing.
The sensor position is adjustable, allowing the operator to tune the trigger point to suit varying product sizes across different production runs.
2. PLC Optimisation
The PLC logic was reviewed and refined to improve overall cycle efficiency. This included reducing unnecessarily high internal timer pulse settings that were adding delay to each cycle without any operational benefit.
Testing & Commissioning
The machine was tested and commissioned with the updates in place. Operation was observed during live production to confirm performance and to validate that the changes delivered the expected efficiency gains without affecting product quality or system reliability.
Key Client Benefits
- Cycle time reduced by approximately 2–3 seconds per cycle
- Significant productivity gain over the course of a full shift
- Adjustable sensor position to accommodate varying product sizes
- Refined PLC logic for improved overall efficiency
- Targeted upgrades delivered without major capital investment
- Tested and validated under live production conditions
- Ongoing PLC programming support capability
The Result
The system is running well following the upgrades, with each cycle reduced by approximately 2–3 seconds. While modest on a per-cycle basis, this improvement compounds significantly across a full production shift, delivering a meaningful uplift in throughput and overall line productivity.
The client now has a faster, more efficient auto corer with the added flexibility to adjust the sensor trigger point to suit different product sizes — supporting consistent performance across varied production runs.
