CASE STUDY | FOOD & BEVERAGE

Smart Machine Solutions Pave the Way for Yichao Packaging's Global Expansion

Cardboard box moving along a conveyor belt in a factory or warehouse setting.

Located in Guangdong, Foshan Yichao Packaging Machinery Technology Co., Ltd. specializes in the R&D, manufacturing, sales, and after-sales service of food packaging machinery. The company has developed and produced over 10 product series encompassing more than 30 different models, which are widely used in numerous fields such as puffed food, snack food, frozen food, agricultural by-products, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and hardware products.

Challenge

Traditional automation solutions unable to meet high export requirements for performance and flexibility.
Machinery solutions must comply with international certifications and standards to meet overseas market demands.

Solution

Result

Enhanced performance: Packaging speed increased by 33% from 150 to 200 packs per minute; color mark cutting accuracy improved ±1mm (100% gain); 24/7 fault-free operation.
Increased flexibility: Dynamically adjusts packaging speed in real-time based on upstream/downstream equipment's operating speed; seamlessly interfaces with weighing systems to boost flexible, efficient production across the entire line.
Agile market response: Significantly reduced installation and commissioning time with timely equipment delivery.

Challenge

Foshan Yichao Packaging Machinery Technology Co., Ltd. (Yichao Packaging), an established player in the packaging machinery industry in China, aspired to expand globally. The company identified critical gaps — most of its traditional automation solutions failed to meet stringent export requirements.

Yichao Packaging required real-time dynamic speed adjustments to synchronize with upstream and downstream equipment and integrate weighing systems. To compete on a global scale, adopting advanced solutions became imperative.

Solution

To address these challenges, Yichao Packaging embarked on a technology upgrade journey centered on smart machine solutions with Rockwell Automation.

Through in-depth consultations, Rockwell helped Yichao to define the key equipment upgrade with smart machine characteristics. Beyond improving operational metrics and enhancing stability, they should also obtain UL safety certification to meet overseas requirements.

To implement this intelligent upgrade, we deployed a smart machine solution featuring Micro850® Controllers, Kinetix^® 5100 Servo Drives, and Kinetix® TLP Multi-purpose Compact Servo Motors. The equipment features EtherNet/IP connectivity that opened up a data "highway" for digital transformation, and the servo drives incorporated Safety Torque Off (STO) functionality to help enhance safety. The solution also utilized electronic cam curves for dynamic speed switching, enabling real-time on-demand packaging speed adjustment.

To ensure export compliance and meet the requirements for use overseas, all components carried UL certification while meeting international standards for smart machine architecture and software/hardware, including ISA 88 [PackML] for programming framework, ISA 18 for alarm management, and ISA 101 for HMI color palettes.

Amid the project development phase, programming and virtual commissioning proceeded concurrently with installation and were completed prior to the installation, significantly reducing time for commissioning and delivery. When issues arose during commissioning, the Rockwell Automation team mobilized cross-departmental resources for rapid response. This enabled Yichao Packaging to complete the prototype R&D and testing ahead of schedule, successfully exhibiting at an Italian trade show in time for global customers to get a sneak peek of their smart machine solution.

Result

Rockwell's smart machine solutions and technical support demonstrated lean value streams and enhancements on Yichao's new intelligent equipment.

For one, its equipment performance significantly improved. The packaging speed increased by 33% from 150 to 200 packs per minute while the color mark cutting accuracy improved to ±1mm, recording a 100% gain, and the equipment achieved 24/7 fault-free operation.

Additionally, the increase in flexibility created a competitive advantage for Yichao Packaging. The equipment dynamically adjusts the packaging speed in real-time based on the upstream and downstream equipment's operating speed. It seamlessly interfaces with weighing systems to boost flexible, efficient production across the entire line. Moreover, virtual commissioning significantly reduced installation and commissioning time while enabling more timely equipment delivery.

Altogether, these factors helped Yichao Packaging to secure orders from overseas and achieve successful deliveries at end-user production facilities. More significantly, this project expanded Yichao's business vision, unlocking opportunities in the implementation of production informatization, equipment cluster intelligent maintenance, and digital twin in packaging machinery. The OEM is able to explore making upgrades on not just a single piece of equipment but across the entire industrial chain.

Rockwell Automation's technological innovations and support empowered Yichao Packaging to transition from relying on traditional machinery to adopting smart manufacturing. The collaboration established new benchmarks for more efficient, flexible production, highlighting the pivotal role of smart automation in helping manufacturers to hold a stronger competitive advantage on a global stage.

Published July 30, 2025