New Production Facility

Customer: Food Customer

Project Type: Project was an EPCm effort to document the customer’s existing manufacturing process and then design and build a purpose-built manufacturing and warehouse facility to meet those needs.

Technical Specs: Overall facility was two stories, about 90,000 square feet total. Included both production and warehouse areas.

Project Scope: Matrix Technologies provided detailed design for the production facility.  Site development included grading, drainage, storm sewers, sanitary sewers, process wastewater sewers, water mains, and natural gas, and paving layouts.

Matrix engineered the foundation systems for the entire building. Steel framing was specified for all working areas and stairs. Architectural plans, elevations, details, and schedules were provided.

Matrix provided detailed design of the equipment and instrument layout and specifications, P&IDs, process and utility piping, ventilation, and power distribution systems required to install all of the new process area, support equipment, and utilities.

Matrix automated the batch control so that all ingredients are added in correct sequence with all processing parameters monitored and controlled. A detailed functional specification was written and used as the basis for software development for the system.

On-site construction management was provided to coordinate efforts of all construction trades and to work with production scheduling for the customer operations.

Engineering Challenges: The existing systems and plants were very inefficient and manual processes.  The project required a definition phase that completely reconfigured the manufacturing process to make it highly automated, while providing the unique flexibility required by their process.

Products and Technologies Used: Control system utilized Rockwell Automation PLCs and FTBatch and FTView software for operator interface.

Project Outcome: The new plant systems greatly increased production throughput and reduced product loss from misbatching that occurred in the older manual arrangement.