Pet food manufacturer rewires its legacy electrical cabinet

As part of an electrical panel modernisation, Real Pet Food Company used Rockwell Automation’s Single Pair EtherNet/IP In-cabinet Solution to reduce downtime and de-risk the rewiring process.

Real Pet Food Company identified an electrical panel controlling auxiliary functions for a chiller, including fans, lighting and pumps, that was using an older PLC from the 1990s.

“During an obsolescence study, we found this panel needed updating, and Rockwell’s solution allowed us to do this in-house,” said Jack Walsh, electrical reliability engineer, Real Pet Food Company, which produces well-known pet food brands including Nature’s Gift, Farmers Market, Ivory Coat and V.I.P, and supplies major Australian supermarkets.

“The new Single Pair EtherNet/IP In-cabinet Solution gives us greater visibility and real-time data, which we can use for predictive maintenance, diagnostics and troubleshooting, all of which contribute to reductions in downtime,” Walsh said.

“We were able to allocate the lighting and fan control to another PLC, leaving the new one dedicated to the chiller, which further reduces risk.”

Rockwell Automation’s Single Pair EtherNet/IP In-cabinet Solution reduces wiring by up to 80%, enabling faster installation times.

 Pictured above is a before (top) and after (below) of this solution being deployed by Real Pet Food Company in Australia as part of an electrical panel modernisation project.

“Moving away from hard wiring and utilising ribbon cables means the downtime was minimal while Rockwell upgraded the electrical panel. It’s around 10–20 times faster than if all wires had to be upgraded, while also reducing panel space requirements,” Walsh said.

“Being a chiller, we could power it down for up to 10 hours before it would impact the quality of the pet food being stored there. In the past this type of job would take 2–3 days, but with the Rockwell solution, we could complete it in 8–9 hours,” he added.

“Additionally, removing so many wires derisks the process, and simplifies testing and commissioning. It’s now possible to view the whole system at once, because you’re connected to the network, so there’s no need to painstakingly test every wire.

“With older technology, it was often a matter of waiting until something failed, and then going to fix it. With Rockwell’s solution, we can use on-board diagnostics and solve issues ahead of time, which not only helps with uptime, but also reduces fire risk.”

Rockwell launched the EtherNet/IP In-cabinet Solution in 2025, and it quickly drew interest in its ability to reduce installation time, enhance operational efficiency and integrate wired components into a more intelligent, data-driven network.

“The EtherNet/IP In-cabinet Solution streamlines communications between devices within the panel, making system integration simpler, boosting real-time data access, and helping manufacturers make faster, more informed decisions,” said Adrian Giecco, regional vice president, South Pacific, Rockwell Automation.

Key benefits of the solution include: faster installation, optimised space, improved data access and scalability. It is also simple to upgrade and adapt as needs change in the future.

“Adding new modules is an easy plug-and-play retrofit. I’ve been working in PLC refurbishments for seven years now and have been looking for this type of solution for a long time,” Walsh said.

“You don’t need to be technical to program alarms and maintenance, and you can easily extract useful data on critical pumps and fans. After installation, it was a frictionless experience.

“The in-cabinet solution saved us costs, reduced downtime and provided better ongoing functionality, so the value proposition was clear.”

Images: Supplied