First-class chocolate specialties for trade and industry are the core competence of Chocolats Halba. Each year, the Coop division produces more than 15,000 tons of Swiss quality chocolate for well-known brands, private labels for trade and industry. The success story began in 1933 with two pioneers who came up with the idea of producing chocolate in a living room. To this day, Chocolats Halba, the largest retailer in Switzerland, bears the name of its founders: Hallheimer and Baer.

The realization of the project “New Construction Coop Production Center Pratteln” started in 2016. The production operations (divisions) Chocolats Halba, Sunray and Cave are centralized at one location and the corresponding logistics are integrated. The tank farm ensures that the chocolate is received from production (conching), stirred and stored. The associated pipelines ensure that the chocolate is transported to the consumers (forming systems, truck delivery, Stöckli tanks and others). The implementation partner in this project is the long-standing Autexis partner “Anlagenbau”.

All processes of the more than 60 tanks including the suppliers (conches) and filling lines are visualized with the PCS7 control system, monitored with two OS servers and automated with two Siemens S7-410-5H controllers. The more than 20 control cabinet panels and 25 decentralized peripherals (ET-200SP) ensure real-time communication in the processes. Operation is performed using 13 modern touch panels. More than 700 ASI valves control the valves and 40 pumps handle the conveyance of the base mass. To enable dynamic routing control, Autexis uses a proprietary PCS7 add-on. To ensure traceability, all product transfers are stored in a database. This information can be retrieved at the operator panels and is also available for further processing in the Autexis MES. In a second phase, the tank farm will then be integrated into the ERP systems at Coop via the Autexis MES, connecting production with enterprise planning.

Through a collaborative and intensive cooperation, the required goals and deadlines were achieved. The required use of small flushing volumes was accomplished. Flexibility was increased through the control of the complex pigging system. The strategy of a unified control system was successful: by using standardized operating modules from Autexis, training and commissioning time could be significantly reduced, thus keeping operating costs low for Chocolats Halba.