A sweet success: Maximizing sugar mill efficiency with EcoStruxureTM Plant
Customer Company Size
Large Corporate
Region
- Africa
Country
- South Africa
Product
- EcoStruxure Plant
- Modicon X80 I/O modules
- ConneXium network switches
- Magelis HMIs
- Telefast ABE wiring interfaces
- Modicon M580 Ethernet programmable automation controllers
- AVEVA’s System Platform
- Historian tand Historian Client
- Intouch HMI
Tech Stack
- IoT
- Automation
- Remote Access
Implementation Scale
- Enterprise-wide Deployment
Impact Metrics
- Productivity Improvements
- Cost Savings
Technology Category
- Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Connectivity Platforms
- Analytics & Modeling - Real Time Analytics
- Application Infrastructure & Middleware - API Integration & Management
- Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration
- Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Middleware, SDKs & Libraries
Applicable Industries
- Food & Beverage
Applicable Functions
- Discrete Manufacturing
- Maintenance
Use Cases
- Predictive Maintenance
- Process Control & Optimization
- Real-Time Location System (RTLS)
- Remote Asset Management
Services
- System Integration
- Software Design & Engineering Services
About The Customer
RCL Foods is a South African food manufacturer that operates three sugar mills, including the Pongola sugar mill. The company acquired the Pongola mill in 2009, but the facility was in dire need of modernization as its proprietary system was almost 30 years old. With outdated software and hardware, the plant used to experience between 33 and 40 blackouts per 39-week season. The production delays became unacceptable and a drop in product quality was noticeable. In 2014, the company decided to initiate an ambitious 5-year DCS migration project to modernize the mill and improve its efficiency.
The Challenge
The Pongola sugar mill, operated by South African food manufacturer RCL Foods, was in dire need of modernization. The proprietary system was almost 30 years old and the plant used to experience between 33 and 40 blackouts per 39-week season. The production delays became unacceptable and a drop in product quality was noticeable. RCL Foods was looking for an off-the-shelf solution that could be expanded over time and that would optimize production efficiency – a scalable system (both hardware and software) that was easy to operate and allowed for remote access. The company wanted to reuse the existing infrastructure where possible, so the new solution had to be both future-proof and backward compatible.
The Solution
RCL Foods picked a full, systemic, IoT-ready solution based on EcoStruxure Plant. The scope of work was broad, from the implementation of connected products (Modicon X80 I/O modules, ConneXium network switches, Magelis HMIs, Telefast ABE wiring interfaces), through edge control (Modicon M580 Ethernet programmable automation controllers), to software and analytics (AVEVA’s System Platform, Historian tand Historian Client, and Intouch HMI). This comprehensive project was designed and implemented by system integrator Control Software Solutions (Pty) Ltd, a Master Alliance Partner and Certified Wonderware Partner based in South Africa, with a proven track record for successfully delivering Schneider Electric solutions. At the heart of the project is System Platform, a scalable solution that integrates the process with the enterprise, unifies all applications in a central hub, and integrates all remote, local, and historian clients into one system platform.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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