Founded in 1906, the Wapsie Valley Creamery, Inc., in Independence, Iowa, has been producing dairy consumables for four generations. They manufacture a variety of lactose and whey products—American cheeses in particular—for customers across the United States and parts of Asia. They also produce dried milk products which are delivered globally. Their automated equipment is used to move, store, pasteurize, and dehydrate milk that is sourced from over 300 local dairy farms in northeast Iowa.
Though they have a sizeable customer base, the operation has a fairly small staff, with only 77 employees currently operating the automated dairy systems. This year, the creamery made big changes, beginning with the addition of a new cheese production floor and new automated dairy processing equipment. They expect the new equipment to double their current output.
Maintaining Environmental Conditions for Quality Results
For automated dairy systems, maintaining precise environmental conditions is essential; the products (cheeses, milk, butter, ice cream, etc.) are temperature sensitive. Whether during the high-heat phases of bacteria removal and pasteurization or the refrigeration of finished products, a change in temperature can render an entire batch unusable.
To keep their various dairy products at an optimal temperature—and to prevent costly product loss—the Wapsie Valley Creamery recently installed a brand-new ammonia refrigeration system. The system is fairly extensive. However, the company did not have the manpower or the budget to have personnel onsite 24/7 to monitor temperature regulation.
The Wapsie Valley Creamery approached WIN-911 for comprehensive, reliable alarm notification software that would enable them to remotely monitor the refrigeration system 24/7. WIN-911’s exceptional reputation as the market leader in alarm notification systems, and recommendations from other local sources, made WIN-911 alarm notification software the obvious choice. The additional reassurance of around-the-clock monitoring and alarm notification now protects Wapsie Valley Creamery from the consequences of unnecessary downtime and product loss due to irregularities in environmental control.
Automated Dairy System Monitoring Ensures Quality Results
Now equipped with WIN-911 Software, the Wapsie Valley Creamery is able to remotely keep tabs on the status of their automated dairy refrigeration system at all times. With WIN-911, personnel can receive alarm notifications via phone call and email from any location when problem conditions occur. This enables the operators to respond and resolve issues quicker than ever before—without having to keep someone onsite at all times. Operators are notified when an alarm is acknowledged; this ensures clear communication. At the Wapsie Valley Creamery, these alarms notify plant management if any processes go out of range; they also send immediate alerts for specific critical system alarms.
The Wapsie Valley Creamery is pleased with the results from WIN-911 and intends to expand its use within the facility to monitor other automated dairy systems. With WIN-911, the company is capable of continuing their expansion without overstretching their limited manpower. Their high quality is now a guarantee, thanks to the vigilance of WIN-911 alarm notification software.
