Loading
Rockwell Automation Home
  • Industries
    • Industries Chevron RightChevron Right
      • Automotive & Tire
      • Cement
      • Chemical
      • Entertainment
      • Fibers & Textiles
      • Food & Beverage
      • Household & Personal Care
      • Infrastructure
      • Life Sciences
      • Marine
      • Metals
      • Mining
      • Oil & Gas
      • Power Generation
      • Print & Publishing
      • Pulp & Paper
      • Semiconductor
      • Water Wastewater
      • View All
    Industries
    Case StudyRockwell Automation's case studies Case Studies DistributorDistributor How to Buy EventEvent Events
  • Capabilities
    • Capabilities Chevron RightChevron Right
      • The Connected Enterprise®
      • Consulting & Integration Services
      • Cybersecurity
      • Digital Transformation
      • Industrial Analytics
      • Industrial Automation & Control
      • Industrial Maintenance & Support
      • Industrial Networks
      • Lifecycle Services
      • Machine & Equipment Builders
      • MES Solutions
      • Process Solutions
      • Safety Solutions
      • View All
    Capabilities
    Blogs DistributorDistributor How to Buy EventEvent Events
  • Products
    • Hardware Chevron RightChevron Right
    • Software Chevron RightChevron Right
      • Circuit & Load Protection
      • Condition Monitoring
      • Connection Devices
      • Distributed Control Systems
      • Drives & Motors
      • Energy Monitoring
      • Human Machine Interface
      • Independent Cart Technology
      • Industrial Computers & Monitors
      • Input/Output Modules
      • Industrial Control Products
      • Lighting Control
      • Motion Control
      • Motor Control
      • Networks Security & Infrastructure
      • Packaged Solutions
      • Power Supplies
      • Programmable Controllers
      • Push Buttons & Signaling Devices
      • Relays & Timers
      • Safety Instrumented Systems
      • Safety Products
      • Sensors & Switches
      • Signal Interface
      • View All Hardware Products
    • DesignSuite
      • Dynamic Digital Twin Software
      • Studio 5000 Design Software
    • OperationSuite
      • FactoryTalk Edge Gateway
      • FactoryTalk Batch
      • FactoryTalk Historian
      • FactoryTalk View - HMI Software
      • FactoryTalk Metrics
    • MaintenanceSuite
      • FactoryTalk Analytics for Devices
      • FactoryTalk AssetCentre
      • FactoryTalk Emonitor
      • FactoryTalk Network Manager
      • FactoryTalk TeamONE
      • Fiix CMMS
    • InnovationSuite
      • Augmented Reality
      • FactoryTalk Analytics
      • MES
      • ThingWorx IIoT Platform
    Products
    Find Products by Our Brands: Allen-Bradley FactoryTalk
  • Support
    • Product Support Chevron RightChevron Right
    • Documentation Chevron RightChevron Right
    • Knowledgebase Chevron RightChevron Right
    • Training Chevron RightChevron Right
    • Downloads
      • 2D & 3D Drawings
      • Activations
      • Add-on Profiles
      • Application Code Libraries
      • Compatibility & Downloads
      • Drivers & Firmware
      • Electronic Datasheets
      • EPLAN Macros
      • Sample Code Library
      • Software Patches
      • View All
    • Selection & Configuration
      • Control Systems Configuration Tools
      • Procurement Specifications
      • ProposalWorks Proposal Builder
      • Global Short-circuit Current Ratings Tool
      • Integrated Architecture Builder
      • View All
    • Compatibility & Migration
      • Migration & Modernization
      • Lifecycle Status
      • Product Replacement Lookup
      • View All
      • Technical Documentation Center
      • Technical Specifications
      • Product Certifications
      • Product Drawings
      • Release Notes
      • Literature Library
    • Support Center
      • Support Options
      • Search for Answers
      • Chat Online
      • Call Us
      • View All
    • Online Forum
      • My Inbox
      • My Favorites
      • My Subscriptions
      • View All
    • My TechConnect
      • Chat History
      • Service Ticket History
      • Manage Your Favorite Answers
      • Field Service Request
      • View All
      • E-Learning Courses
      • Training Workstations
      • Training Calendar
      • View All
    Support
    Contact Us HelpHelp Get Support LaunchpadTools and applications View All Tools
  • Company
    • Events Chevron RightChevron Right
    • News Chevron RightChevron Right
    • Careers Chevron RightChevron Right
    • PartnerNetwork Chevron RightChevron Right
    • About Us Chevron RightChevron Right
    • Featured Events
      • Automation Fair
      • Process Solutions User Group
      • Smart Machine Workshops
      • VirtualConnect: Smart Manufacturing
      • View All
    • Webinars
      • Live
      • On-Demand
      • View All
      • Blogs
      • Case Studies
      • Automation Today
      • Podcasts
      • Press Releases
      • Media Contacts
      • View All
      • View Jobs
      • Teams & People
      • Hackathon
      • Employee Video Spotlight
      • Authorized Distributors
      • Encompass Product Partners
      • Licensed Developers
      • OEM Partners
      • Strategic Alliance Partners
      • System Integrator Partners
      • PartnerNetwork Portal
      • View All
      • Our Brands
      • Our Community
      • Our History
      • Integrity & Sustainability
      • Investor Relations
      • View All
    Company
    ProductivityProductivity Investor Relations
  • Sales
  • Sales
  • View All Industries
  • View All
  • View All
  • View All
  • View All
  • Automotive & Tire
  • Cement
  • Chemical
  • Entertainment
  • Fibers & Textiles
  • Food & Beverage
  • Household & Personal Care
  • Infrastructure
  • Life Sciences
  • Marine
  • Metals
  • Mining
  • Oil & Gas
  • Power Generation
  • Print & Publishing
  • Pulp & Paper
  • Semiconductor
  • Water Wastewater
  • View All
  • The Connected Enterprise®
  • Consulting & Integration Services
  • Cybersecurity
  • Digital Transformation
  • Industrial Analytics
  • Industrial Automation & Control
  • Industrial Maintenance & Support
  • Industrial Networks
  • Lifecycle Services
  • Machine & Equipment Builders
  • MES Solutions
  • Process Solutions
  • Safety Solutions
  • View All
  • Circuit & Load Protection
  • Condition Monitoring
  • Connection Devices
  • Distributed Control Systems
  • Drives & Motors
  • Energy Monitoring
  • Human Machine Interface
  • Industrial Computers & Monitors
  • Input/Output Modules
  • Industrial Control Products
  • Lighting Control
  • Motion Control
  • Motor Control
  • Networks Security & Infrastructure
  • Packaged Solutions
  • Power Supplies
  • Programmable Controllers
  • Push Buttons & Signaling Devices
  • Relays & Timers
  • Safety Instrumented Systems
  • Safety Products
  • Sensors & Switches
  • Signal Interface
  • View All Hardware Products
  • View All
  • View All
  • Technical Documentation Center
  • Technical Specifications
  • Product Certifications
  • Product Drawings
  • Release Notes
  • Literature Library
  • View All
  • Training Workstations
  • Training Calendar
  • View All
  • View All
  • Blogs
  • Automation Today
  • Podcasts
  • Media Contacts
  • View All
  • View Jobs
  • View All
  • Authorized Distributors
  • Encompass Product Partners
  • Licensed Developers
  • OEM Partners
  • System Integrator Partners
  • PartnerNetwork Portal
  • View All
  • Our Brands
  • Our History
  • Investor Relations
  • View All
  • iTRAK Intelligent Track Systems
  • MagneMover Lite Intelligent Conveyor System
  • QuickStick Intelligent Conveyor System
  • View All
  • Dynamic Digital Twin Software
  • Studio 5000 Design Software
  • FactoryTalk Edge Gateway
  • FactoryTalk Batch
  • FactoryTalk Historian
  • FactoryTalk View - HMI Software
  • FactoryTalk Metrics
  • FactoryTalk Analytics for Devices
  • FactoryTalk AssetCentre
  • FactoryTalk Emonitor
  • FactoryTalk Network Manager
  • FactoryTalk TeamONE
  • Fiix CMMS
  • Augmented Reality
  • FactoryTalk Analytics
  • MES
  • ThingWorx IIoT Platform
  • 2D & 3D Drawings
  • Activations
  • Add-on Profiles
  • Application Code Libraries
  • Compatibility & Downloads
  • Drivers & Firmware
  • Electronic Datasheets
  • EPLAN Macros
  • Sample Code Library
  • Software Patches
  • View All
  • Control Systems Configuration Tools
  • Procurement Specifications
  • ProposalWorks Proposal Builder
  • Global Short-circuit Current Ratings Tool
  • Integrated Architecture Builder
  • View All
  • Migration & Modernization
  • Lifecycle Status
  • Product Replacement Lookup
  • View All
  • Support Options
  • Search for Answers
  • Chat Online
  • Call Us
  • View All
  • My Inbox
  • My Favorites
  • My Subscriptions
  • View All
  • Chat History
  • Service Ticket History
  • Manage Your Favorite Answers
  • Field Service Request
  • View All
  • My Training
  • View All
  • Automation Fair
  • Process Solutions User Group
  • Smart Machine Workshops
  • VirtualConnect: Smart Manufacturing
  • View All
  • Live
  • On-Demand
  • View All
  • Digital Transformation at Norbord
  • View All
  • Brighter, More Flexible Tower Light Now Available from Rockwell Automation
  • Delphi Award Received For Asset Management
  • Internal Bypass Expands Smart Motor Functionality
  • New IaaS Bundle Eases Industrial Networking
  • Rockwell Automation Names Sebastien Grau as Regional Sales Director for Middle East, Turkey and Sub Saharan Africa
  • Expanded Power Range for PowerFlex 6000 MV Drives
  • Studio 5000 Software Update Optimizes Productivity
  • FLEX 5000 I/O Modules Bring Greater Productivity and Flexibility to a Connected Enterprise
  • New Cable-Pull Switch Enhances Industrial Safety
  • Instant Industrial Device Analytics
  • Rockwell Automation to name Al Ghandi Electrical & Automation as Authorised Distributor in the UAE
  • Rockwell Automation to Broaden Connected Enterprise Consulting Expertise with Acquisition of Kalypso
  • Single-Control Multi-Well Pad Solution Cuts Costs
  • Advanced Light Curtain System Improves Flexibility and Safety
  • Automation University
  • Rockwell Automation to Showcase the ConnectedProduction Solutions and Premieres its ThinManager Software at ADIPEC 2018
  • Safe Torque Off Option Simplifies Machine Design
  • Machine Performance Analytics Bring OEM Expertise Into Producer’s Digital Environment
  • Software-Powered Connected Services
  • New Managing Director of Rockwell Automation for Sub-Saharan Africa announced
  • Rockwell Automation Simplifies Analytics for Industrial Productivity
  • New Managing Director of Rockwell Automation for Sub-Saharan Africa announced
  • Securely Deploy Cloud and Mobile Technologies with New Network Guidance
  • Rockwell Automation drive system selected for Sumitomo Rubber’s rubber mixers
  • PlantPAx DCS Roadmap
  • View All
  • Students & New Grads
  • View All
  • Hackathon Use Case for Manufacturing Optimization
  • Hackathon Use Case for Sustainability
  • Hackathon Use Case for Visual System Modernization
  • Hackathon Use Case for Dynamic Filtering
  • View All
  • 24toCode Event Recap - Winter 2019
  • 24toCode Event Recap // IT Internal Hackathon
  • Meet the 2019 IT Summer Interns
  • 24toCode Promo Video
  • Harbor View Plaza Ribbon Cutting
  • Check Your Blind Spots Mobile Tour at Rockwell Automation
  • Mechanic & Tool Apprenticeship at Rockwell Automation
  • Working at Rockwell Automation in Karlsruhe
  • Summer Internships at Rockwell Automation
  • The Intrapreneurial Skills Accelerator at Rockwell Automation
  • Makers Wanted
  • #LifeatROK w Katowicach
  • IT Summer Internship Program
  • #LifeatROK with Diogo
  • View All
  • Cisco
  • Endress+Hauser
  • FANUC
  • Microsoft
  • Panduit
  • View All
  • Our Focused Giving
  • STEM Education
  • Lifelong Learning
  • View All
  • Sustainability Report
  • Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  • Environmental, Health, & Safety
  • Ethics & Compliance
  • Global Supply Chain & Sourcing
  • Product Environmental Compliance
  • Quality Management Systems
  • Trust & Security
  • Workforce of Tomorrow
  • View All
Case StudyRockwell Automation's case studies Case Studies DistributorDistributor How to Buy EventEvent Events
Blogs DistributorDistributor How to Buy EventEvent Events
Find Products by Our Brands:
Allen-Bradley FactoryTalk
Contact Us HelpHelp Get Support LaunchpadTools and applications View All Tools
ProductivityProductivity Investor Relations
  • Literature LibraryLiterature Library
    Literature Library

    Access technical and commercial publications for hardware and software products, applications, services and solutions.

    PCDCProduct Compatibility and Download Center
    Compatibility & Downloads

    Find downloads including firmware, release notes, associated software, drivers, tools and utilities.

    KnowledgebaseKnowledgebase Support Center
    Knowledgebase

    Browse the database of questions and answers on a variety of products and technologies.

    Product ConfiguratorProduct Configurator
    Product Configurator

    Configure and select products rapidly.

    Software SubscriptionsSoftware Subscriptions
    Software Subscriptions

    One stop shopping for software and subscription services.

    2D & 3D Drawings Bill of Materials CrossWorks Electronic Datasheets Motion Analyzer My Equipment My Training E-Learning Portal Product Lifecycle Status Product Registration Product Selection Toolbox Repairs Sample Code Library Software Activations View All
    Tools
    UserUser Sign In/Create an Account
  • User Account User
Tools
Literature LibraryLiterature Library
Literature Library
PCDCProduct Compatibility and Download Center
Compatibility & Downloads
KnowledgebaseKnowledgebase Support Center
Knowledgebase
Product ConfiguratorProduct Configurator
Product Configurator
Software SubscriptionsSoftware Subscriptions
Software Subscriptions
2D & 3D Drawings Bill of Materials CrossWorks Electronic Datasheets Motion Analyzer My Equipment My Training E-Learning Portal Product Lifecycle Status Product Registration Product Selection Toolbox Repairs Sample Code Library Software Activations View All
Case Study
Recent ActivityRecent Activity

MedImmune Integrates Control of Cold-Chain Distribution Center

Maker of FluMist nasal vaccine implements modern DCS to access critical information from disparate systems

Share This:

LinkedInLinkedIn
TwitterTwitter
FacebookFacebook
PrintPrint
EmailEmail
Main Image

Challenge

  • Diverse legacy systems
  • Lack of a dedicated, unified production network restricted access to critical operating data
  • Compliance with FDA regulations

Solutions

  • PlantPAx distributed control system
  • PartnerNetwork Program

Results

  • Industry-hardened VMware templates reduced the installation of the virtualized environment from two weeks to eight days.
  • The PlantPAx object/code library minimized development and testing time, reducing first-phase implementation six weeks ahead of schedule.
  • Greater efficiency and ease of access for operators and maintenance personnel

Background

Vaccines are one of the pharmaceutical industry’s most perishable products. The shelf-life of biologic agents, such as influenza vaccines, is relatively short even under ideal conditions – around six months.

Most of these life-saving agents are sensitive to temperature variations.

Any break in the “cold chain” could harm their potency and effectiveness in warding off disease. MedImmune – the global biologics research and development arm of pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca – operates its single cold-chain distribution facility near Louisville, Kentucky.

From there, it annually ships more than 15 million doses of FluMist,® the first nasal-spray flu vaccine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The Louisville distribution center is strategically located near major facilities for commercial shipping companies that deliver the vaccine to hospitals, clinics and retail pharmacies.

One of MedImmune’s major customers is the U.S. Department of Defense, which contracts with the company to provide the flu-shot alternative to American military personnel based around the world.

The distribution center stores the FluMist pallets in two FDA-validated freezer spaces, together totaling 27,000 square feet.

Inside each temperature-controlled freezer is space for 1,180 pallets. Each frozen space also contains automated storage-and-retrieval systems that include conveyors, lift tables and robotic cranes, which break down the pallets and cases.

A high-tech, pick-and-pack area is equipped with eight stations where orders are filled in various quantities for various customers.

A large percentage of orders are small parcels delivered in one or two days. They’re shipped in passively-cooled containers – essentially, ice chests containing frozen gel packs to maintain the cold chain until the products reach their destinations.

Challenge

The distribution center facility contained diverse legacy systems, partly because it changed ownership twice before AstraZeneca bought it in 2007.

In addition, the automation systems were largely siloed. For example, each freezer’s ammonia-based refrigeration system operated independently. “We had eight separate control systems that were loosely connected at best,” explained Jim Heckmanski, senior manager for global automation at AstraZeneca’s Global Operations/Supply Biologics division.

“The components that were networked were on our public business systems, so when IT would do maintenance on the corporate network, we were subject to interference.” The lack of a dedicated, unified production network also restricted operators’ access to critical data, such as freezer temperatures.

Two redundant human machine interfaces (HMIs) were the sole source for operational information about the refrigeration systems.

That limited line of sight and also created safety concerns. “If the site were to ever experience an accidental ammonia release, everyone would have to evacuate the building,” said Gary Bilger, distribution analyst at the MedImmune facility.

“But unless you were standing at one of those terminals, you wouldn’t be able to trace the problem, diagnose it and help direct emergency responders.” Meanwhile, accessing reports about temperature monitoring was cumbersome.

That information was housed on databases that had to be backed up every six months to avoid overloading the system. “We have to be able to pull that information quickly, especially in case of an FDA audit,” Bilger said.

“We needed a solution to make that data more accessible and easy to interpret.” As an FDA-licensed and regulated facility, the distribution center also required an automated solution that would segregate good manufacturing practice (GMP) from non-GMP data.

To further comply with FDA regulations, pharmaceutical operations need reliable equipment and readily available spare parts.

But with so much dated hardware from so many vendors, complying with those requirements posed a growing challenge for the Louisville facility. “We needed a state-of-the-art automation strategy to combine our automation islands on a unified common platform,” Heckmanski said.

“With plans for the possible addition of another refrigeration system at the Louisville site, MedImmune also needed a robust, expandable infrastructure that could effectively handle the future process needs of the facility.”

Solution

MedImmune selected the PlantPAx® distributed control system from Rockwell Automation – a scalable, plantwide control system – to gain fully integrated control over the Louisville center’s distribution operations.

The project was implemented in phases to minimize downtime to the two freezers. MedImmune partnered with Stone Technologies – a Solution Partner within the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork™ program – to implement phase one of the new system.

That included installation of the facility’s core control infrastructure, a fully redundant, fiber-optic ring backbone enabled with EtherNet/IP™ connectivity.

Deployment of the freezers’ process control network quickly followed, including two new programmable automation controllers for each, and a third dedicated to segregating and archiving GMP data.

All electronic components associated with the two freezers were replaced.

Phase one also included the creation of a virtual environment using VMware® to save on space, as well as the high costs that come with purchasing, commissioning and maintaining multiple physical servers.

In phase two, MedImmune engaged directly with Rockwell Automation to design and implement a new conveyor and control system, and integrate it with the PlantPAx system for plantwide control.“Each of the conveyors systems had somewhere north of 500 I/O and were not well-documented,” Heckmanski said.

“Using their code-transfer tools, the Rockwell Automation design and engineering team was able to extract the existing code with 80 to 85 percent accuracy. They did the minor modifications in their facility and brought the new control system into our distribution center ready to go.”

Phase three – addressing the automated storage and retrieval system for each freezer – is under way. Besides new controllers for the each system, the legacy crane equipment will eventually be replaced with a full complement of Rockwell Automation equipment, including new drives and remote, reset-overload capabilities.

“With the reset, our operators won’t have to go into a minus 25-degree environment to reset a trip. They can just push a button on an HMI,” Heckmanski said. “From a safety standpoint, the more information the operator can access outside the freezer, the better.”

Results

The ease of implementing the modern distributed control system helped shave weeks off the original timeline. MedImmune leveraged the Rockwell Automation library of process objects to minimize development and testing time, allowing them to finish phase one six weeks ahead of schedule.

Using new, industry-hardened VMware templates, MedImmune also reduced the installation of the virtualized environment from two weeks to eight days.

“We were surprised how much time we save overall,” Heckmanski said.

“In particular, reducing the anticipated downtime of the refrigeration system by over 20 percent was huge because the freezers are the most essential element of the facility’s operation. The longer they sat at ambient, the longer it would have taken to come back down to the validated temperature.”

The PlantPAx platform has provided MedImmune with all the components needed for regulatory compliance in a single, plantwide solution, opposed to the islands of automation previously deployed at the facility.

Availability of centralized GMP data delivered by the new system helps the company easily pull any required information required for an FDA audit.

In addition, the facility’s process systems now operate with greater efficiency and ease of access for operators and maintenance personnel, though MedImmune is still quantifying those benefits as it moves through phase three of the project and beyond.

“The seamless integration and compatibility of components with the PlantPAx system will reduce risk when we replace other aging equipment and continue to upgrade the facility,” Bilger said.

“Once everything is connected to the system, we can really explore all the bells and whistles. We are really just scratching the surface of what the system will enable us to do.”

The results mentioned above are specific to MedImmune’s use of Rockwell Automation products and services, in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.

Allen-Bradley, Listen. Think. Solve., PartnerNetwork, PlantPAx and Rockwell Software are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc. FluMist is a trademark of MedImmune LLC. VMware is a trademark of VMware Inc. EtherNet/IP is a trademark of ODVA Inc.

Published 15 May 2017

Subscribe

Subscribe to Rockwell Automation and receive the latest news, thought leadership and information directly to your inbox.

Subscribe

Recommended For You

Loading
  • Technical Question
  • Chat Technical Support
  • Phone Support
  • Contact Sales
  • General Questions
  1. Chevron LeftChevron Left Home Chevron RightChevron Right
  2. Chevron LeftChevron Left Company Chevron RightChevron Right
  3. Chevron LeftChevron Left News Chevron RightChevron Right
  4. Chevron LeftChevron Left Case Studies Chevron RightChevron Right
Discover
  • The Connected Enterprise®
  • Create Your Account
  • Case Studies
  • Events
Information for...
  • Distributors
  • OEM
  • System Integrators
  • Encompass Partners
  • Investors
  • Career Seekers
Contact Us
  • General Questions
  • Technical Questions
  • Local Sales & Service
  • Pricing & Availability
  • Report Ethical Concerns
  • Customer Experience Survey
Site Information
  • Legal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Preferences
  • Terms of Use
  • Trademarks
Change Country Site SelectionChange RockwellAutomation.com site selection to a different country, region or language Change Country
South Africa/English

Keep Updated With Us

Sign up to receive our latest headlines for free.

Stay Informed Now
Follow Us
BlogRockwell Automation's Blog
Copyright ©2021 Rockwell Automation, Inc.
Home