For more than one year, the new production plant Quattro has been in operation and shower gels, soaps and shampoos are being produced with three shifts operating around the clock.
A milestone in industrial production
Quattro is far more than just a replacement for the nearly 40-year-old production plant. It represents an important step on our path to Industry 4.0. Designed by the specialists from Engineering and Production and Plant Construction, Quattro combines sophisticated information and communications technology with the latest industrial production technology. This major project required two years of planning, construction and installation.
The largely automated plant offers lots of scope and flexibility, so that we can meet a wide range of customers’ needs at any time. With a capacity of 35 tonnes (previously 20 tonnes) and five separate mixers – 3 x 5 and 2 x 10 tonnes – we can manufacture up to five products at the same time using Quattro. The combination of mixers and homogenisers, as well as automatic feed of as many as 17 ingredients, considerably reduces production times. In future, we will also be able to offer special recipes thank to the pre-prepared cooling and heating jackets for two mixers. The continuous illustration of all processes in SAP and accurate, automated raw materials dosing guarantees even greater product safety for our customers.
The interaction between man and machine has become closer
Collaborative robots, driverless transport systems, Quattro and the use of tablet computers are important investments towards our future of Industry 4.0. In accord with the objectives of our parent company, Migros, we are therefore making a clear commitment to Switzerland as an industrial powerhouse. And to its strengths, such as the superbly trained workforce and its willingness to learn. Industry 4.0 is changing the industrial working environment, with a move away from the conveyor belt to more complex tasks. Our employees’ agreement to adopt the new processes and methods and to undertake further training has been a decisive factor in implementation of Quattro. Their enthusiasm for being at the forefront of industrial development guarantees our customers long-term competitive products that are of reliable Swiss quality.
