When AriZona Beverages opened a state-of-the-art 621,000 square-foot manufacturing facility, it required a world-class automation system that could maximize production and prioritize sustainability. The new facility features six production lines and will produce more than 60 million cases of the company’s wide variety of iced-tea products annually. 

The scope of services Vertech delivered as part of this project spanned multiple areas, including the following:

• SAP integration with MES for production scheduling
• Finished goods production reporting
• Batch control
• Associated PLC programming
• OEE and downtime tracking
• Overall system commissioning

One of the biggest challenges Vertech faced was creating the custom ISA-88-based batch solution using Inductive Automation’s Ignition platform rather than dedicated batch software. But thanks to the flexibility of Ignition, Vertech provided a solution that scales with production needs by automatically controlling bulk additions of raw materials while operators perform manual additions.

• Inductive Automation Ignition 8.0
• Ignition Perspective Mobile Screens
• Sepasoft OEE Module
• Rockwell Automation ControlLogix PLCs
• Rockwell Automation CompactLogix PLCs
• Rockwell Automation 1734 POINT™ I/O Modules

This project resulted in a best-in-class batch control system that interacts with every level of automation, from device control to the ERP. With new and improved levels of control, AriZona Beverages now has complete visibility into its business and production process, allowing the new facility to produce high-quality, consistent products more quickly and easily than what was previously possible. With all this data now at their fingertips, operators can look at any line over any length of time and get site overviews, equipment overviews, and production history and can use this information to identify areas of continuous improvement.

This entire project was performed using Inductive Automation’s Ignition platform and Sepasoft’s OEE Downtime module. The customer specifically requested that Ignition be used for MES, batch control, and process control, and that these systems interface with its SAP ERP system for production tracking and business traceability. Ignition made it possible to design an easily adaptable system according to industry standards for ultimate flexibility while eliminating unnecessary software licensing costs. The Sepasoft OEE module was significant because it simplified the integration of business data within the ISA-88 batch system.  

At the heart of AriZona Beverages’ brand is offering its unique 23-ounce cans to consumers for 99 cents. Maintaining the sustainability of this was just as important as production volume. Capturing production metrics and converting the information into digestible data makes it possible for the company to continue offering its customers popular products, using quality ingredients, presented in its uniquely designed packaging, at an affordable price. You can read more about this project in Inductive Automation’s ICC 2020 Firebrand Award Discover Gallery.