Case Histories > Walkers Snackfoods
USIC Realtime database and communications package
Walkers Snackfoods
Walkers is the UK's favourite crisps brand. Founded in 1948, butcher Henry Walker began making crisps in his Leicester Plant to keep his workers busy, as meat was scarce in post-war Britain.
Today, Walkers is Britain's largest crisp manufacturer, employing thousands of people in seven locations. Walkers has 16 ranges of crisps and snacks including Walkers Sensations, Doritos and Quavers.
Still based in Leicester, Walkers joined the PepsiCo family in 1989 and makes around 10 million bags of crisps a day.
The Challenge
To replace an Obsolete system - Monogate interface that was developed in 1997 as a Win32 API application. The Monogate system was outdated and not capable of supporting additional functionality that had become a requirement. In addition, Walkers Snackfoods required the applications to be run on a central server - which was not possible with Monogate.
Szabo Software Solution
The EMSIC (EMS Information Centre) was developed to replace Monogate and to add additional functionality to the system.
USIC is a software package that monitors realtime control applications and writes measured process data into one or more SQL databases. USIC includes a control interface that can activate process functions, allowing full closed loop process control.
USIC features comprehensive handling of alarm conditions, fault visualisation and recovery. An Alarm client and server package displays and distributes fault messages. Each fault has error recovery files attached, and historical databases are built in.
Szabo Software Benefits
- Improved communication - The communication core connects to the WMS system and enables order functions, redirections, tracking, error recovery and information requests based on socket TCP/IP telegram protocol. The EMSIC communicates to the PLC’s over OPC servers and an additional secured communication layer.
- Reduced disruption - The visualisation and the maintenance tools enable the maintenance engineers to find and recover a fault quickly.
More Information - Walkers Snackfoods - USIC Realtime database and communications package - Case History (pdf 418kb)
