National Chocolatier Gains Sweet Success with a Control System Upgrade
At a nationally recognized chocolate manufacturer, a much-needed control system upgrade became essential as the aging system created inefficiencies, made troubleshooting difficult, rendered alarm notifications unreliable, and complicated future expansions. What began as a modernization project quickly became a transformative upgrade for the production team.
Aging Systems Holding Back Efficiency
This major U.S. chocolate producer was facing growing challenges with an outdated Allen-Bradley SLC processor. Troubleshooting was time-consuming, system flexibility was limited, and operational risks were becoming harder to manage. With production efficiency at stake, the company turned to Cornerstone Automation for a modern solution that would provide better visibility, enhanced organization, and long-term scalability.
A System in Need of an Overhaul
The chocolate distribution system transfers product from four large holding tanks to smaller tanks at seven production lines. The SLC 5/04 processor controlling this process had become a major obstacle to efficiency. Because the system’s programming was undocumented, any troubleshooting required time-consuming reverse engineering.
Operators also struggled with a poorly designed alarm system. The HMI only displayed the most recent alarm, making it easy for active alarms to go unnoticed. The main alarm horn had been disabled, eliminating a key notification system that should have alerted operators to critical faults.
Further complicating operations, several devices were broken, control wires were crossed between production lines, and some controls had been manually bypassed—creating safety risks and making it harder for operators to track system activity.
A Smarter, More Reliable System
Cornerstone Automation tackled these challenges by replacing the obsolete processor with a modern Allen-Bradley 5069 series PLC, allowing for better documentation, improved flexibility, and simplified troubleshooting. The new system introduced a structured program with tag-based variables and clear comments, making future modifications easier.
The alarm system received a complete overhaul. The disabled alarm horn was reenabled and reworked to chirp in distinct patterns, differentiating between critical and minor alarms while avoiding unnecessary noise. The HMI alarm banner was upgraded to display all active alarms, allowing operators to track system issues more effectively. Operators also gained the ability to sort alarms by status and trigger time, ensuring that no critical issues were overlooked.
During installation, the team discovered and corrected several wiring issues, replaced broken devices, and removed bypassed controls that had previously overridden the PLC. These corrections significantly improved system safety and reliability.
Preparing for Future Growth
Beyond solving immediate issues, the upgrade set the stage for future automation improvements. The manufacturer can now easily expand the system, adding remote I/O racks to reduce wiring complexity and improve flexibility. The new control system also opens the door to further automation, including integrating Ethernet-controlled pump drives for better fault detection and reliability.
The leadership team has already noticed the difference.
“Working with Cornerstone Automation has improved our chocolate distribution system tremendously. The upgrade has given us better control and visibility over operations and allowed us to future-proof the system for growth. The alarm improvements have made a huge difference, and the thorough documentation means we can now easily troubleshoot and expand as needed,” said the Director of Operations at the company.
A Recipe for Long-Term Success
With a modernized and future-ready control system, this nationally recognized chocolatier has improved efficiency, enhanced safety, and positioned its operations for future automation advancements. Upgrading legacy systems isn’t just about solving immediate challenges—it’s about creating a more resilient and scalable production environment.
For manufacturers relying on aging control systems, modernization can lead to better troubleshooting, improved alarm management, and greater process visibility. Investing in automation ensures not only smoother day-to-day operations but also long-term flexibility for future growth.
To explore how control system upgrades can enhance efficiency in food and beverage manufacturing, visit Cornerstone Automation’s resources on industrial automation solutions.