Precision in Chocolate Molding and Spice Blending
Case In Point : Axtel Industries modernizing food processing equipment with Rockwell Automation technology.
Industry 4.0 Solution Partner
About Rockwell Automation
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Company Overview
Axtel Industries has more than 30 years of experience in offering customized solutions for the food processing industry. The company’s design, engineering and manufacturing capabilities are focused towards delivering solutions that maximize profitability, ensure sustainability and improve reliability. Axtel is a specialist in engineering process systems for the food industry. The company is recognized for its expertise in Turnkey Systems, Product Development and Customer Service. Axtel’s advanced manufacturing facility, located on Vadodara – Halol highway, Gujarat, India, is suitably equipped to build robust and aesthetically designed machines.
Business Challenge
Need for Higher Level of Accuracy, Efficiency and Safety in Production
The field of process automation is constantly evolving, and as an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), it was crucial for Axtel to stay up to date with the latest technologies. To enhance productivity in a more efficient, safer, and sustainable way, the processes and technologies in their chocolate molding lines had to be updated constantly.
The traditional process automation technology used by Axtel had limited capabilities, where different stock-keeping units (SKUs) were required from a single chocolate molding line, including solid bars, shells with inclusions, one-shot molding and ribbons. The complex chocolate molding processes, which involve fillings and book molding for multiple SKUs on a single molding line, require high levels of accuracy, precision, and efficiency
In spice processing, Axtel had a need for enhanced reporting capability as the evolving market dynamics demanded a better compliance, operational efficiency, quality control, and safety
Industry Solution
Axtel turned to Rockwell Automation to make their chocolate molding lines fully automated. This collaboration aimed to meet market demand and product innovation; boost productivity, accuracy, efficiency; and to deliver greater safety and sustainable growth for the company.
Starting in 2009, Axtel used Rockwell Automation’s Kinetix® 6500 multi-axis servos drive to develop fully automated chocolate molding line, entirely in-house. This helped Axtel in increasing precision and accuracy of the processing line.
For operational excellence, in 2024, Axtel leveraged Rockwell Automation’s Integrated Architecture® consisting GuardLink® 2.0 and Kinetix® 5700 servo drives system to enhance safety and efficiency of its molding line.
In 2019, Axtel created a fully automated ingredient management system by leveraging ControlLogix® processor and PlantPAx® system to enhance efficiency and precision in spice blending solutions.
Starting in 2009, Axtel used Rockwell Automation’s Kinetix® 6500 multi-axis servos drive to develop fully automated chocolate molding line, entirely in-house. This helped Axtel in increasing precision and accuracy of the processing line.
In 2019, Axtel created a fully automated ingredient management system by leveraging ControlLogix® processor and PlantPAx® system to enhance efficiency and precision in spice blending solutions.
For operational excellence, in 2024, Axtel leveraged Rockwell Automation’s Integrated Architecture® consisting GuardLink® 2.0 and Kinetix® 5700 servo drives system to enhance safety and efficiency of its molding line.
Business Outcome
Becoming a Global Leader in Chocolate Molding
The innovative solution built using Kinetix® 5700 servo drives and Category 3 safety solutions from Rockwell Automation has made Axtel's chocolate molding lines a leading choice in the global market.
In spice processing, managing multiple ingredients, including small and micro, while ensuring data integrity has significantly supported the manufacturing process for spice processors. This automation has improved precision and efficiency, leading to enhanced quality and consistency in the final product.
Overall, in its manufacturing solutions, Axtel has reached the PLd Safety Performance Level. This accomplishment has made Axtel-manufactured machines and process plants safer and more sustainable.
The innovation in automation has further led to improvements in their troubleshooting and maintenance processes, enhancing the aesthetics of the production line using a common controller, and simplifying the wiring. Additionally, it enables remote troubleshooting through EIP connectivity.
Handles more than 100 spice ingredients with improved precision and consistency.
The article reports achievement of PLd safety performance.
Simpler wiring and remote troubleshooting improve serviceability.
Key Benefits
| Benefit Area | Impact |
|---|---|
| Safety | Axtel has reached the PLd Safety Performance Level |
| Precision and Efficiency | Improved precision and efficiency, leading to enhanced quality and consistency in the final product. |
| Improvements In Troubleshooting and Maintenance | Enhancing the aesthetics of the production line using a common controller, and simplifying the wiring |
| Remote Troubleshooting | It enables remote troubleshooting through EIP connectivity |
Technologies used
What they said
"In the last 30 years Axtel and Rockwell Automation has collaborated on countless projects and provided sustainable automation solutions to customers. We continue to invest robustly in such technologies and shall continue doing so in future."