MOODY AUTOMATION NOMINATED FOR AWARD

Moody Automation have been nominated for Food Processing's 'Robotics & Automation Initiative of the Year' Award. The worldwide industrial control system specialist, Moody Automation, installed and commissioned a state-of-the-art kegging line at the production facility of Thatchers Cider’s Myrtle Farm.

As part of an expansion programme incorporating a £1.4m investment in new packaging facilities, Moody installed a system that fully automates the Thatchers kegging process, running 450 kegs per hour – a 900% increase in capacity.

The plant provides Thatchers with a comprehensive one-stop kegging solution,  with integral washing facilities, capping and labelling, as well as camera inspection  at two key points of the line, to quickly eliminate any packing discrepancies and maximise efficiency.

As Neil Day, operations director at Thatchers, explains, the installation was a key driver to growth for the Somerset cider producer:

"As a result of the increasing appreciation and demand for Thatchers draught  cider, we have doubled the size
of our orchards this year.  However, to meet  the needs of our trade customers and ensure that the cider reaches pubs as  quickly as possible and in first class condition, we had to increase our supply  capability when it came
t o kegging.  The new line allows us to fulfil all customer  requirements, at the same time as improving quality."

For Moody Automation, the process plant automation division within the Moody  group, the Thatchers installation
is a prime example of how manufacturing plants  can benefit from Moody’s in-house control expertise, as Nigel Russell, managing director at Moody Automation points out:

"As manufacturers strengthen their position, moving out of difficult economic  times, efficiency in production is
ever more important.  Covering the full spectrum  of process plant control, from system design, manufacture, installation and commissioning, the Moody Automation team offers the expertise to be able to  deliver turnkey solutions from start to finish of a project.  Our innovative solutions  are geared towards delivering measurable performance improvements and our engineers are able to provide on-site training, providing a fully documented, functioning control system, without the need for third party contractors."

Specializing in plant control and monitoring and the design of bespoke control  panels, Moody Automation
products offer efficiency gains through the use of  data logging and monitoring, fault finding and machine safety systems.

For further information about Moody Automation, please visit www.moodyautomation.co.uk