Tillamook County Creamery Association
The controls on an existing Westfalia S/RM were replaced with an Allen-Bradley ControlLogix solution. All PLC code is written in Allen Bradley Ladder Logic and can be accessed remotely via VPN for easier troubleshooting by Westfalia's Service Department. Horizontal and vertical drive systems were upgraded to SEW Eurodrive, while mechanical encoder positioning devices were replaced with a SICK laser positioning system on the horizontal and vertical axis. The upgrade significantly improves speed, accuracy and reliability of the system while eliminating the need for sourcing now obsolete parts.
The Association traces its beginning to 1909 when 10 independent cheese plants formed the Tillamook County Creamery Association in an effort to control quality and marketing initiatives. Today, the Association comprises nearly 140 dairies that bring a range of quality dairy products to the national market.
Westfalia also updated the communication infrastructure between the S/RM, Warehouse Management System (WMS) and Conveyor System, replacing an infrared and a second hard-wired interface to Wireless LAN, eliminating electrical interference issues due to mechanical wear.
Source: Westfalia Technologies
