Inside a 110,000 Sq Ft Food Commissary: The Challenge of Unifying a Multi-OEM Pizza Packaging Line
As demand grows for fresh, prepared foods in convenience retail, food producers are investing in highly automated, scalable manufacturing environments. One such project in the southeast US involved the development of a large-scale food commissary and production facility designed to support a regional chain's expanding prepared foods program. Within this new operation, Imperium Technology Solutions (Imperium) played a key role in delivering a fully integrated packaging line for high-volume pizza production.
This is the first of a two-part case study. In Part 1, we'll walk through the facility, the throughput requirements, and the integration challenge that defined the project. Part 2 will cover the engineering solution, the sub-freezing operating environment, and the results.
A New Facility Built for Business Growth
The 110,000 square foot facility located in east Tennessee was designed to produce fresh, ready-to-eat items including fried chicken, salads, and pizzas for distribution across dozens of retail locations. As the organization's largest production site to date, the facility represents a major investment in centralized food service capabilities and operational efficiency.
Within this environment, pizza production presented a unique set of challenges. The line needed to handle 12"-14" round pizzas at high throughput, while maintaining product integrity and ensuring consistent, retail-ready packaging. Achieving this required seamless coordination between processing equipment and multiple packaging machines sourced from different OEMs.
The Integration Challenge
Imperium was brought in to provide controls engineering, system integration, and master line coordination for the packaging portion of the pizza line. Working alongside the packaging OEM, who performed overall conveyor design and supply, and Imperium's sister company ASBECO, who provided mechanical and electrical installation, the team delivered a cohesive, high-performance system from a diverse set of equipment.
The packaging line incorporated several key machines, including:
• Texwrap shrink wrapper
• Shrink tunnel
• Metal detector
• Box former
• Wexxar case erector and sealer
Each of these machines operated with its own OEM control system. Imperium's task was to unify them into a single, coordinated line capable of responding dynamically to upstream and downstream conditions - without compromising throughput, product quality, or operator visibility.
Coming in Part 2
In the next installment, we'll dig into how Imperium built the master control architecture around a CompactLogix Safety PLC, why much of the work happened in a 35°F environment, and how the project came in on time despite the complexity. Stay tuned.
Have a similar integration challenge?
Imperium specializes in unifying disparate OEM equipment into cohesive, high-performance systems. Contact us at sales@imperiumtechllc.com or (470) 253-1055 to discuss your project.