“We used to be quite rigid when it came to the controls platforms that we specified on our packaging machinery,” says Hershey’s Joe Wagner, manager of the controls engineering department for global operations engineering at The Hershey Co. “But about four years ago, we opened up our controls standards to enable our OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) to utilize controls platforms that they are most familiar with.

“In turn we are realizing reduced machine delivery times, cost savings, and performance guarantees that are in line with our corporate strategies. In the past, we were adding complexity and were forcing major engineering design changes onto the machinery builders. By modifying our internal expectations and behavior, and by opening ourselves to other major globally based controls manufacturers, we’ve made it less complicated for the machinery builders to build packaging machines. Other benefits we have realized are that the equipment can also be delivered, installed, and commissioned more quickly.”

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By Pat Reynolds, Editor, Packaging World.