The new plant was built at Atria’s production facility in Nurmo. It increases the company’s Finnish poultry production capacity by approximately 40% and enables higher export volumes. Atria was the first company in the world to introduce farm-level traceability information on consumer packaging. By including the farm’s details on the product packaging, we let consumers know which farm the chicken is from. Moreover, Atria’s chicken products are free of antibiotics and salmonella, which is an important competitive advantage particularly in the export market. Our advanced operations are based on intelligent technologies.
The new poultry plant is, so far, the largest investment in Atria’s history. It is modern both in terms of its technology as well as its energy-efficiency. The production facility includes new slaughter, cutting, and packing lines. Insta provided the conveyor system for the cutting plant automation as a turnkey delivery.
– We wanted to work with a competent partner that has the capacity to deliver and coordinate a complex set of production lines that comprises more than 200 motors, explains Tommi Kumpulainen, Manufacturing Manager at Atria.
– We felt confident with Insta’s preparation for and commitment to the project. Furthermore, they paid attention to the IT aspects and the special requirements of the production environment, not to mention safety and traceability, adds Pasi Marttila, System Manager at Atria.
Utilizing state-of-the-art technology
The turnkey delivery of the cutting plant automation covered the design and delivery of the production control and automation system (including e.g. electrification, recipes and the management of production batches), automation cabinets, system integrations and commissioning. Furthermore, Insta coordinated the collaboration between subcontractors and equipment suppliers.
Insta used Siemens’ modern SIMATIC WinCC Unified system for the cutting plant’s control room and panel solution concept. The system was built with a range of different features that enable traceability, reporting, and recipe management, among other things. In addition, the cutting plant is equipped with belt weighing systems that utilize Siemens’ latest scale and automation components. Recipe management leverages the Siemens PM Control software, for which Insta provided tailored data transmission applications. After installation, Insta took care of the training and commissioning.
From planning to commisioning in under a year
In addition to technological expertise, active communication was essential for the project’s success. The important and relevant matters were discussed at weekly meetings, and Insta appointed dedicated experts to work on Atria’s project. The project progressed from planning to commissioning in under a year, which is an impressive feat for a project of this scope. The work was not even slowed down by the component shortages that still continued when the project was started. Atria was able to start production free of disruptions at the time of test operation. The waste volumes have been minimal right from the start.
– Everything just works with familiar professionals you can rely on. We just clicked with Insta, and no one left in the middle of the project. For example, the same people were in charge of electrical design and programming throughout the project, Kumpulainen points out.
– It is a pleasure to work with Atria. We particularly liked how committed they were and how systematically they worked on the project, says Rainer Granrot, Project Manager at Insta.
Reducing energy consumption and waste
Insta’s automation solutions deliver several long-term benefits. For example, the frequency converter centers are more efficient than before, which yields significant energy savings, and effective monitoring of material flows reduces waste. Moreover, all of the equipment in the cutting plant can be halted from anywhere in the area with the push of a button, which improves occupational safety. The equipment carries a CE marking and complies with the European Machinery Safety Directive.
Next, the Nurmo facility will transition into a supplier model where Insta takes care of the maintenance and further development of the automation system. The agile partnership will make the system increasingly more resource efficient and enable smooth, continued production.
– We never let our processes go stale, so there will be new things coming in the future. Based on our experience, Insta is a strong candidate for further development as well, Mr. Marttila concludes.
What is this about?
Atria is one of the leading food companies in Northern Europe. The company was founded in 1903, and it employs approximately 3,900 meat and food professionals in Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and Estonia. Valued at approximately €165 million, the Nurmo poultry plant is, so far, the largest investment in Atria’s history. The production facility meets the increased consumer demand and strengthens Atria’s market-leading position in poultry products in Finland, while also supporting the expansion of exports to new markets. Furthermore, the investment enables the company to produce further processed food products.
