Depending on your age, you might remember Amway as a multi-level seller of cleaning supplies and other household goods. The company has expanded in several different directions since its beginnings, including personal care products, cookware, vitamins and supplements, and more.
One of Amway’s newest products is its XS brand of energy drinks. Marketed as a blast of energy without sugar or carbs, XS is a blend of premium ingredients, herbs, and B vitamins.
XS Energy饮料最初是由两位独立企业主（IBO）开发的。一年后，Amway成为独家分销商，而XS很快成为Amway的第一卖家。Amway在2015年完全收购了该品牌，此后已将XS业务增加了两倍。
Since then, the market for functional beverage has only continued to grow. The market was already on the rise, but that took off even further once the pandemic began. Lockdowns not only were a time to explore new foods and beverages, but also health was top of mind. Energy drinks make up the largest share of the U.S. functional beverage market at an estimated $18.6 billion, according to Euromonitor, and their popularity continues to escalate.
 |
了解安利和其他CPG在大流行期间倾斜了OEM. |
这对安利及其在密歇根州ADA的工厂的意义是，迫切需要提高生产能力。Amway以前曾在XS Energy Drink共同制造XS Energy Drink，但决定将生产带入内部以提高生产效率和成本结构。该公司在ADA占地100英亩的校园中进行了1500万美元的投资，这不仅是为了提高生产的能力并在将来进一步扩展，还可以安装可容纳各种食谱的灵活系统。
Formerly making liquid soaps not only for its own brands but co-manufacturing for several other big industry names as well, Amway was looking to get out of contract manufacturing, according to Rob Dargie, senior electrical engineer for Amway. The idea, then, was to use that plant for the new XS production. “We closed the liquids plant. It was one of the older plants, and we completely gutted that thing,” he says. “So it really was a greenfield plant then.”
Finding the digital thread
Amway has been on a digital transformation journey for more than five years, Dargie notes. He began by overhauling the control network, which was dominated by a range of proprietary legacy networks that did not communicate well with one another. “Since then, we started building the Ethernet structure and then some bridge connections to those legacy communications,” he says.
他们开始从系统中获取更多信息，但是无缝连接旧版IT系统和本土制造系统以创建数字线程是一项挑战。他们需要一个可以将所有这些结合在一起的控制系统，从而使数据流可以改进和优化操作。
Amway was able to apply one control and information system, Rockwell Automation’s PlantPAx distributed control system, across all processes to improve capacity and product quality, save energy and raw materials, and reduce process variations and human intervention.Photo courtesy of Rockwell Automation安利转向罗克韦尔自动化及其PlantPAx modern distributed control system (DCS) to get the job done. The system will help the manufacturer collaborate in real time across the value chain, validating new lines and processes virtually, simplifying data analysis and increasing manufacturing flexibility. As Amway integrates the solution into its product lifecycle management, it will achieve better connectivity across its supply chain as well.
Though Amway engineers had no experience with the PlantPAx DCS, they had years of experience with Rockwell Automation controllers and ControlLogix and trusted PlantPAx to meet the new demands. Amway specified the Rockwell system not only for the processing side of the plant but for its Krones packaging line as well. Being able to apply one control and information system across all processes helped to improve capacity and product quality, save energy and raw materials, and reduce process variations and human intervention.
|
Learn whatprocess industry challengescan be addressed with the latest updates to PlantPAx. |
The team used modern batch control strategies to support flexible production needs and standardize company procedures while accelerating product and process development. The system’s standard methodologies, process libraries, and reusable code meant better equipment utilization and improved quality, visibility, and access to actionable data.
安利（Amway）的8,000加仑稀释罐，在前沿中显示了防阀库。Photo courtesy of Rockwell AutomationDargie makes note of the mixproof valve manifold technology that Amway incorporated into the new XS plant, raving about the streamlined operation and the elimination of hoses. “This is a brand new technology when it comes to piping or control,” he comments. “But the PlantPAx system already had that stuff in the programming software. So it was very easy to program.”
Easier troubleshooting
PlantPAx has also made troubleshooting easier and faster. With the sprawling campus that Amway has—multiple production buildings and a maintenance operation spread across facilities—it can take 10 minutes for a technician to physically get to a machine. Real-time troubleshooting has made it easier for operators to be more self-reliant.
“With a lot of the troubleshooting before, you’d have to call an electrician to come out, get into the PLC, and find out what’s wrong. With PlantPAx, most of the troubleshooting is right on the HMI,” Dargie says. “It’s been very rare cases that I’ve ever heard of an electrician being called out to figure something out.”
More than a few times during the pandemic, the system was able to run with a single employee at the controls. “Once operators spent some time with the new system and realized the power of the PlantPAx DCS, their confidence grew both in the system and in their own capabilities, and they became more agile and self-supporting,” Dargie says. “They appreciated the simplified troubleshooting and commonality between systems.”
In terms of application development, at different times Amway had five engineers working on the project simultaneously. Having a server-based system allowed the team to work together; the library of process objects ensured they had a common methodology, and the faceplates provided a consistent look and feel.
Installation through COVID lockdowns
The initial onset of the COVID-19 pandemic added some complexity to an already aggressive schedule of extensive upgrades. “It was 2019 and we did the FATs for the packaging line in Germany—way ahead of schedule, at the end of September, into October,” Dargie recalls. “The equipment and tanks started arriving in January. We were getting ready for installation by the end of February, into March.”
The Krones pasteurizer handles 25,000 cans at a time, pasteurizing each for 45 minutes at 165°F.Photo courtesy of Rockwell Automation锁定是2020年3月中旬开始的，而达吉本人也得到了库维德。他回忆说：“这使整个项目变得疯狂。”然而，该项目仍按计划进行，每个人在锁定期间都插入了。“我们实际上已经计划八月启动和跑步，我们在七月进行了首个产品。”
达吉（Dargie）对一切进展都感到惊讶，一路上几乎没有听到任何困难。“让我们遵守的事实是，我们所做的一切都是标准过程的一部分；我们不需要编写自己的代码。这将增加了六个月的时间，并为我们打开了错误。”他说。“我们像零停机时间一样快地上市，没有挫折，因为一切都按照承诺的承诺运作。”
总而言之，安利（Amway）享受更流畅的生产，更高质量，更高的操作员效率，实时故障排除和几乎亮起自动化。他说：“与过去取得的一切相比，我们的表现不在图表上。”“我们翻转了开关，它只是奏效了。”
