Calibration service keeps dairy running
European dairy cooperative Arla meets audit requirements with Endress+Hauser contract
Arla is a European dairy cooperative with a global reach. Engineers at Arla’s Westbury Dairies are required to have a reliable calibration system in place to meet demanding audit obligations. Every process at the dairy relies on instrumentation to monitor parameters such as temperature, flow, pressure and conductivity, and those readings have to be accurate. “Our customers and the food industry always look seriously at calibration compliance,” states Process Automation Engineer Matthew Tribick.
Arla Westbury Dairies blend plant
Pressure and Temperature sensors
The benefits
-
Reliable calibration helps Arla to comply with regulations by ensuring its processes run smoothly and its products are safe. “If the accuracy of our readings cannot be proven, a failed audit could result in disastrous order cancellations.”
The partnership with Endress+Hauser saves valuable time for Arla. “We’re over the moon with the service. We have a contract manager now, so if there's any problems, I can pass them on to him and he gets them resolved without me having to chase.”
“We’re over the moon with the service. We have a contract manager now, so if I have any problems, I can quite confidently pass them off to him and he gets them resolved without me having to chase.”
Arla
The challenge
“We have over 210 separate calibrations for over 130 plant locations each year. It isn’t a small task and gone are the days of lengthy plant shutdowns to carry out the work. We can’t bring a team in to calibrate all the instruments in one go because we’re unable to remove the equipment from the line for long enough, and we don’t have the facilities or the time to do our own calibrations.” Matthew Tribick, Process Automation Engineer
The solution
Arla decided to purchase a second instrument for each calibration point so they can send their devices to Endress+Hauser’s lab for calibration and hold replacements on site to keep the process running. The devices are always returned within Arla’s KPI of 14 days. “We’ve just sent a batch of 69 devices away, which in the past might have taken three weeks to calibrate. They were done in six days and back on the shelf in 12,” confirms Matthew.
Being able to rely on a quick service is crucial for Arla. “We have to be able to show that we have a robust system in place to minimise the turnaround. Due to the contract we have with Endress+Hauser it’s become much easier to prove that to the auditors, which our quality department are happy with. We can say exactly when something is going to be sent away and exactly when it’s going to return.”
Downloads direct from the W@M Portal
After calibration, Arla’s engineers and QEHS department can download their certificates and access reports directly from the W@M Portal, Endress+Hauser’s asset management tool.