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Engineers display a 'can-do' attitude

To convert its 12-packed cans to a 6x2 configuration took much more than change parts. Coke Consolidated engineers deliver without a major capital investment.

Kevin Colcord, project engineer checks the programming for the PLC that controls the conveyors.
Kevin Colcord, project engineer checks the programming for the PLC that controls the conveyors.

While the marketing people drooled at its sales prospects, the new 6x2 Fridge Pack by Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated challenged the company engineers and production and maintenance staffs. However, two major equipment upgrades, the last completed in October, have the plant producing the new pack at virtually identical output to the 4x3 pack it replaces.

The company was convinced by research conducted by Coca-Cola USA that the new pack would be a winner with consumers (see story, p. 117). But shifting from full production of the 4x3 pack to partial production of the 6x2 configuration, to full high-speed production of the 6x2 has been a production, packaging, and engineering feat. All the more so because it was accomplished without a major capital investment. The Consolidated bottling plant in Charlotte, NC, already had the Model 600C from Riverwood (Atlanta, GA) in operation.

“We didn’t originally buy the Model 600C for the Fridge Pack. It was added to upgrade our capability to run multipacks on both our can lines,” says Dave Brown, vice president of operations.

The basic problem was that the plant needed to find a way to convert to the 6x2 configuration at the same time it was still mostly running the 4x3 shape. The plant began tests last May with Mello Yello in the Fridge Pack. As Brown puts it, “we had to rely on seat-of-the-pants engineering throughout the entire process. It wasn’t just a matter of putting equipment vendors together to find a solution. We had to create one ourselves.”

Step one

The upgrading of the can line was accomplished in two stages. First, Coke Consolidated worked with Riverwood to buy the change parts for the new pack. At the same time, it worked with Production Automation, Inc. (Montgomery, AL), to make some modifications to the palletizer that would take the output of the multipacker.

“We added a dual infeed and a modified metering belt system to the palletizer to allow us to carry two multipacks side by side,” says Kevin Colcord, project engineer for CC. A new PAI diverter went on the front end. Upstream, Sentry Equipment (Forest, VA) provided a retractable lane shifter that directs the packs into two lanes, and pneumatic lane guides throughout.

“We did that with PAI’s recommendation because it let us retain the capability to also run the 4x3 packs,” Brown adds. And PAI worked with us to develop the programming, Colcord says.

Once the plant began to produce the 6x2 packs of Mello Yello, the balance of the line had to be changed over to produce the 4x3 packs still used by all other Coke brands. “We probably had to change over on a weekly basis,” Brown points out.

However, that changeover doesn’t create a lot of downtime. “It takes one worker about 30 minutes to shift the end of the line from the 4x3 to the 6x2 pack,” Jim McNee, maintenance manager, points out. “It’s fairly easy.” And the changeover could often be accomplished while the line was down to accommodate the “flavor” change to a different product. “So we wouldn’t necessarily lose a half hour,” Colcord says.

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