Philip Morris
Industrial
Automation
Solutions
Project: Automating the traceability in Filter Making Process
Company: Papastratos AVES, Philip Morris International’s affiliate in Greece
Start of Operation: 2014
In May 2009, Philip Morris International inaugurated her new factory in Aspropyrgos, an investment of 100 million euro, which is one of the most modern manufacturing sites of Philip Morris International in Europe. Recently, Papastratos obtained a new production line for fine-cut tobacco, an investment of 3 million euro. We also have a tobacco warehouse facility in Agrinio and regional sales offices in Thessaloniki and Patras.
In November 2013, MOTION Hellas contracted the design, development, installation and commissioning of a new innovative system for Automating the traceability in Filter making process.
Filter traceability is a critical parameter for the production process, because it is important to know what filter fed at particular cigarette, by whom and with what equipment and materials. Further we ensure product integrity, contributing to the reduction of non - conformities and enhancing the efficiency and accuracy of quality checks.
Practices with managing multiple and complex files replaced with a flexible and automated application, which covers all stages of the production of the filter, the storage, up to the feeding in Cigarette making machines.
In particular, using RFID cards (Radio Frequency Identification tags) in each cardboard / palette, is created a unique combination of palette/carton blank/ filter code that is recognized by specific antennas at three stages of Filter making process.
Finally, the use of RFID technology helps transfer and comparing data from the filter production to cigarette production, allowing not only to record but also to control the feeding, using special lights and the color alarm code in case of error.
