Automation and process control for new beverage canning facility

Siemens is working with one of North America’s largest canned beverage manufacturers to automate its new facility in Fort Worth, Texas. Through a combination of advanced automation, smart infrastructure and tailored financial solutions, Siemens is helping DrinkPAK scale its operations, maintain reliability, maximise energy efficiency and enable sustainable decision-making.

DrinkPAK is a contract manufacturer for alcoholic and non-alcoholic canned beverage brands. With facilities in California and Texas, the manufacturer batches, fills, tests, warehouses and distributes drinks at speeds of up to 3000 cans per minute. Its third facility is expected to be completed in Pennsylvania in 2027.

“Partnering with Siemens gave us the flexibility to scale rapidly while investing in energy-efficient automation,” said Brian Aster, chief strategy officer, DrinkPAK. “Their industry knowledge and tailored financing solutions have been critical to our growth and long-term success.”

One of the Siemens solutions integrated is BRAUMAT, a scalable process control system designed for the brewing and beverage industry. The solution is used to automate recipe-based production to ensure consistent quality and efficient operations. It also integrates advanced automation components like programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and human–machine interfaces (HMIs), providing real-time monitoring and reporting, and supporting secure, scalable development for both small and large producers.

In Fort Worth, Siemens provided a comprehensive suite of energy infrastructure and integrated automation solutions, including switchboards and metering, that both power the plant’s critical operations and allow for intelligent power monitoring to ensure high-output performance and energy efficiency.

“Innovation isn’t just about technology — it’s about how the right technologies work together to solve business challenges. Our collaboration with DrinkPAK unites advanced automation, intelligent infrastructure and flexible financing to create a truly integrated solution,” said Chris Stevens, president, Siemens Digital Industries. “By enabling DrinkPAK to automate complex logistics, maximise uptime and scale efficiently, Siemens turns the promise of digital transformation into measurable results: greater efficiency, reliability and safety for our customers.”

In addition, DrinkPAK integrated Siemens’ advanced automation components, including PLCs and HMIs, into its automatic laser-guided vehicle (AGV) systems. These systems are supplied by DrinkPAK’s intralogistics partner, E80 Group, to automate pallet movement throughout the warehouses and support truck loading and unloading operations.

Siemens technology plays a critical role in ensuring this automation runs smoothly. Siemens’ PLCs handle critical control and communication functions with each AGV, ensuring precise coordination with sensors, drives and safety systems. The HMIs provide operators with clear, intuitive visibility into system performance, diagnostics and status updates to minimise downtime and enable predictive maintenance.

The consistency and interoperability of Siemens’ hardware across the plant floor is designed to ensure seamless coordination between vehicles, warehouse systems and production lines, translating to greater efficiency, higher reliability and safer operations.

Image credits: DrinkPAK