Pat Reynolds reported in May 2020 that the L’Oreal Group, facing SKU proliferation and shorter runs, replaced an outdated system with a new track-based system of movers that brings fast changeover and high output.
In its Caudry plant in the north of France, the L’Oréal Group produces high-quality skin care products, mascaras, and foundation makeup for its Division Luxe. Faced with trends such as increasing individualization and smaller production quantities that present challenges in the growing luxury segment, the L’Oreal managing board set the strategic goal to make the company’s production operations more agile. That’s why three production lines in the plant are based on the Beckhoff eXtended Transport System (XTS). One of these lines is the new Agile F24 filling and capping line for the production of foundation makeup, a system that combines fast format changes with increased output.
Previously, the line on which these products were made consisted of multiple machines from different vendors that were connected in a conventional material flow by way of conveyor systems and product buffers. But its lack of flexibility meant...
