Hilton Foods and the power of the MES system

Hilton Foods took on the challenge of improving its production process by introducing automation and reducing human error. Through a customized Manufacturing Execution System (MES) developed by Euvic’s team, Hilton Foods was able to streamline the management of over 200 production lines.  

Hilton was founded in 1994 as a central meat packing facility for beef and lamb in Huntingdon, England. Hilton has grown rapidly and now has six factories in Europe plus two joint ventures , which means their products are sold in supermarkets in 14 European countries, Australia and New Zealand.  

Hilton Foods faced a number of challenges and from the outset had clearly defined goals they were striving to achieve.  

• A key part of their ambition was to automate production processes to achieve continuous control over production execution. This included being able to react quickly to equipment problems and ensuring a smooth flow of data between different departments within the facility.
   
• Another important aspect was to minimize the risk of human error by standardizing processes and greatly reducing the need for manual input of production data. In order to constantly monitor and ensure production performance and quality, Hilton Foods also wanted to implement a system to provide key performance indicators through built-in reports, allowing for quick  insight into the business from anywhere in the world.
   
• Finally, they aimed to become a paperless organization, which meant a significant reduction in the number of paper forms and reports, to further streamline and modernize their operations. 

To meet the challenges and objectives identified by Hilton Foods, Euvic’s team developed a tailored solution by implementing a Manufacturing Execution System (MES) to optimize production execution and control. This solution was specifically designed to handle the complex and high production volume of the environment  in which Hilton Foods operates.  

• The system is capable of supporting production on over 200 different production lines, demonstrating its scalability and flexibility. To handle the intensive production volume, the system could handle up to 120 trays of meat per minute for each individual production line.  This enabled an impressive daily capacity of over 300,000 trays per plant, equivalent to 150 tons of meat, ensuring that Hilton Foods was able to meet its production targets and market demand.

• RFID was installed to automate tracking.

• The customized MES system also integrated over 1,000 devices, including controllers and monitoring equipment, via its interface. This allowed for comprehensive and real-time monitoring and control of production processes, directly addressing Hilton Foods’ desire to automate and continuously monitor production. By connecting these devices, Hilton Foods was able to effectively reduce human error, standardize processes, and ensure a high level of data integrity and availability.  

The result of the implemented solution for Hilton Foods can be summarized in the following points: 

Production data collection: Efficient collection of detailed information on production execution, improving the overview and control of production processes. 

Data exchange with external systems: The system can exchange data with external systems such as ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), WMS (Warehouse Management System), energy control systems and quality assurance systems, ensuring an integrated and coherent operation. 

Product specification generation: Automated generation of final product specifications, contributing to consistency and accuracy of product information. 

RFID package programming: Programming of finished product packages using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, which streamlines the traceability and handling of products.  

Downtime management: Effective management and minimization of downtime on production lines, helping to increase productivity and reduce production disruption. 

Calculation of key performance indicators: Precise calculation of key performance indicators to continuously monitor and evaluate production performance and efficiency. 

 Reporting system: Provision of a comprehensive set of reports for different user groups, including operators, team leaders and management, enabling informed decisions based on real-time data and analysis.