MOODY KEEPS THATCHERS FLOWING

The worldwide industrial control system specialist, Moody Automation, has 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 to 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."

Specialising 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.