Tag: BevTech automation

  • Industrial Control System Cybersecurity Basics for FMCG Plant Managers

    An Increasingly Relevant Risk

    Cybersecurity has traditionally been treated as an information technology concern, separate from the operational technology running production equipment on a manufacturing floor. That separation is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain. Modern PLC and HMI systems are frequently networked, whether for remote monitoring, integration with production data systems, or simple convenience of access, and this connectivity introduces genuine cybersecurity risk to equipment that was never originally designed with security in mind. For FMCG plant managers, understanding the basics of industrial control system cybersecurity is no longer optional, even without becoming a specialist in the field.

    Why Industrial Control Systems Are Different From IT Networks

    Standard information technology security practices do not translate directly to industrial control environments. A PLC controlling a glycol refrigeration system or a hot water rinse process cannot simply be patched and rebooted on a routine schedule the way an office computer might be, since doing so risks interrupting a live production process, and in some cases risks safety critical functions. Many industrial control systems, particularly older installations, run on legacy hardware and software versions that vendors no longer actively support with security updates, because replacing them would require significant capital investment and production downtime that is difficult to justify purely for cybersecurity reasons.

    This creates a genuine tension: the equipment running much of FMCG production is often less inherently secure than a typical office IT environment, while the consequences of a security incident, ranging from production downtime to safety system compromise, can be significantly more serious.

    Common Vulnerabilities on FMCG Production Sites

    Several patterns show up repeatedly when reviewing industrial control system security on manufacturing sites. Default or weak passwords on PLCs, HMIs, and network switches remain common, often unchanged since original commissioning years earlier. Flat network architecture, where production control systems sit on the same network as general office systems without meaningful segmentation, means a compromise anywhere on the network can potentially reach critical control equipment. Remote access solutions, often set up for convenient vendor support or engineer access, are sometimes configured without adequate authentication controls, creating an accessible entry point for anyone who discovers it.

    None of these vulnerabilities are exotic or difficult to understand, which is part of why they remain so common. Addressing them does not require deep cybersecurity specialisation, but it does require a deliberate, structured review, since these gaps rarely get identified through normal day to day operation of a production line.

    Practical Steps That Make a Genuine Difference

    Network segmentation is one of the most effective practical measures available. Separating production control networks from general office and internet connected networks, using firewalls or managed switches to control what traffic can pass between them, significantly reduces the risk that a compromise elsewhere in an organisation’s broader IT environment can reach critical control systems. This does not need to be an all or nothing architectural overhaul, it can be implemented progressively, starting with the most critical control systems.

    Reviewing and updating default credentials on PLCs, HMIs, and network infrastructure is a simple but frequently overlooked step, particularly on equipment that has been in service for years without a formal security review. Similarly, auditing remote access arrangements, understanding exactly who has remote access to production control systems and how that access is authenticated and logged, closes a common and easily exploited gap.

    Maintaining an accurate inventory of control system hardware and software versions is also genuinely valuable, not just for security purposes but for general engineering management. Knowing which PLCs are running unsupported firmware versions, and which network devices have known vulnerabilities, allows a manufacturer to make informed, risk based decisions about where to prioritise upgrades, rather than discovering these gaps only after an incident.

    Balancing Security With Operational Reality

    The goal of industrial control system cybersecurity is not to apply generic IT security practices wholesale to a production environment, but to apply security thinking in a way that respects the operational realities of running live manufacturing equipment. Changes need to be planned around production schedules, tested carefully before implementation, and weighed against the genuine risk they address, rather than pursued as a compliance exercise disconnected from actual risk. An engineering partner with genuine understanding of both the control systems involved and the practical constraints of a live production environment is better placed to strike this balance than a generic IT security provider working from outside the operational technology context.

    Where to Start

    For most FMCG manufacturers, a sensible starting point is a structured review of existing control system network architecture and access arrangements, identifying the most significant and most easily addressed gaps first. This is typically far more valuable than attempting a comprehensive security overhaul immediately, both because it delivers meaningful risk reduction sooner, and because it allows changes to be tested and validated incrementally rather than all at once across critical production infrastructure.

    The Role of Staff Awareness

    Technical controls such as network segmentation and credential management address only part of the risk. Many industrial control system security incidents originate not from sophisticated external attacks, but from simple human factors: a USB drive used to transfer a file between an infected office computer and a production control system, a shared password that has been passed between so many staff over the years that nobody can say who currently has access, or a vendor technician granted remote access for a single support task whose access was never subsequently revoked. Building basic security awareness among production and maintenance staff, without requiring them to become cybersecurity specialists, closes many of these gaps more effectively than technical controls alone.

    This does not require an elaborate training programme. Straightforward guidance on safe handling of removable media around control systems, a clear process for granting and revoking vendor remote access, and a simple, well understood policy on credential sharing address a meaningful proportion of the human factor risk present on most production sites.

    Working With External Vendors and Support Providers

    Most FMCG production sites rely on multiple external vendors for equipment support, from PLC manufacturers to specific machine OEMs, each of whom may require occasional remote or on site access to control systems. Establishing clear, consistent expectations for how this access is granted, authenticated, and time limited, rather than allowing each vendor relationship to develop its own informal arrangement, is a practical way to reduce the accumulated risk that builds up over years of ad hoc vendor access arrangements.

    Building Security Into Engineering Practice

    As BevTech continues to deliver control system upgrades and new automation projects across Allen Bradley and Siemens platforms for FMCG clients, cybersecurity considerations, appropriate network segmentation, credential management, and access control, are increasingly built into project scope from the outset, rather than treated as an afterthought once a system is already commissioned. For manufacturers wanting to understand their current exposure or plan a practical, prioritised approach to control system security, contact BevTech at 25 Silvio St, Richlands QLD 4077, or admin@bevtech.com.au.

  • Robotics and Cobots on Australian Bottling and Canning Lines

    A Shift Beyond Traditional Fixed Automation

    Automation is nothing new to Australian bottling and canning lines, PLC controlled conveyors, fillers, labellers, and seamers have been standard equipment for decades. What is changing is the growing accessibility of robotics and collaborative robots, commonly known as cobots, for tasks that were previously either manual or handled by expensive, custom fixed automation. For FMCG manufacturers evaluating where robotics genuinely make sense on their production lines, understanding the practical differences between traditional industrial robots and cobots, and where each fits, is an increasingly relevant question.

    Traditional Industrial Robots: Speed and Payload

    Traditional industrial robots, the kind used for high speed palletising, case packing, and pick and place applications on large scale bottling and canning lines, are built for speed, precision, and continuous duty cycles at significant payload. These systems typically operate within dedicated safety enclosures, physically separated from human workers during operation, because their speed and force make unguarded operation unsafe. They remain the right choice where genuine high speed, high volume throughput is required, such as end of line palletising on a large canning operation running continuously across multiple shifts.

    The trade off is cost and flexibility. Traditional industrial robotic systems typically require significant capital investment, dedicated safety guarding, and a longer design and commissioning timeframe, making them most justifiable where production volume genuinely warrants the investment and where the task is well defined and unlikely to change significantly over the equipment’s service life.

    Collaborative Robots: Flexibility at Lower Volume

    Cobots are designed specifically to operate safely alongside human workers without the extensive guarding traditional industrial robots require, using built in force and speed limiting to stop or slow down if they encounter unexpected contact. This fundamentally changes the economics and practicality of robotic automation for many FMCG applications. A cobot can often be deployed on a section of an existing line without a major layout redesign, redeployed to a different task relatively easily if production needs change, and programmed by production staff with moderate technical training rather than requiring specialist robotics programming expertise for every adjustment.

    This makes cobots particularly well suited to mid volume production lines, tasks with some variability, such as handling multiple product formats, and applications where the capital and complexity of a traditional robotic cell simply cannot be justified. Common applications on Australian bottling and canning lines include secondary packaging tasks, quality inspection handling, and repetitive pick and place tasks that are physically demanding or repetitive for human operators, without requiring the extreme speed of a dedicated high volume robotic cell.

    Integration With Existing Control Systems

    A significant practical consideration for any robotics or cobot deployment is integration with existing line control systems. A robotic cell or cobot installation does not operate in isolation, it needs to communicate reliably with the broader line PLC, whether that is an Allen Bradley or Siemens platform, to coordinate timing with upstream and downstream equipment, respond correctly to line stoppages, and integrate with existing safety systems. Poorly integrated robotics can become a bottleneck or a new source of downtime rather than a genuine efficiency improvement, if the communication and safety integration with the existing line is not properly engineered.

    This is where combined mechanical and electrical automation expertise matters. Selecting and mechanically installing a robotic or cobot system is only part of the project, the control system integration, safety interlocking, and communication with existing PLC infrastructure is equally critical to a successful deployment.

    Making the Business Case

    The business case for robotics or cobot deployment on a bottling or canning line typically rests on a combination of factors: labour cost and availability for the specific task, the physical demands or injury risk of the manual task being replaced, and the production volume and consistency the automation needs to support. Given the skilled trades and general labour shortage affecting food and beverage manufacturing, automating physically repetitive tasks can also help manufacturers redeploy existing staff toward higher value, more skilled roles rather than simply reducing headcount.

    For lower volume or highly variable production, cobots frequently offer a more sensible entry point into robotic automation than traditional industrial robotic cells, given their lower capital cost, reduced guarding requirements, and greater flexibility to be redeployed or reprogrammed as production needs evolve.

    A Practical, Staged Approach

    Manufacturers considering robotics or cobots on their bottling or canning lines are generally best served by a staged approach: identifying a specific, well defined task where automation offers clear value, whether reducing a repetitive manual handling task or addressing a genuine production bottleneck, and piloting a solution on that task before considering broader deployment. This allows the organisation to build genuine operational experience with robotic automation, and to validate integration with existing control systems and workflows, before committing to a larger scale investment.

    Maintenance Considerations for Robotic Systems

    Robotics and cobots introduce a maintenance profile that differs from traditional fixed automation, and this is worth genuine consideration before committing to a deployment. While cobots are generally designed for straightforward maintenance and typically require less specialised servicing than large traditional robotic cells, both categories of equipment still require staff with the skills to diagnose faults, whether mechanical, electrical, or software related, and to safely carry out repairs or recalibration when required. Manufacturers considering a first robotics deployment need to plan not just for the initial installation, but for the ongoing servicing and technical support the equipment will require across its operating life, including access to spare parts and manufacturer technical support where in house capability is not sufficient.

    This is another area where an engineering partner with broad automation experience across multiple platforms and applications adds genuine value, providing a single point of contact for robotics maintenance and troubleshooting alongside the broader control system and mechanical support already in place for the rest of a production line.

    Safety Certification and Standards Compliance

    Regardless of whether a traditional industrial robot or a cobot is selected, safety certification and standards compliance remain essential, covering aspects such as risk assessment specific to the application, verification of any safety rated force and speed limiting functions on cobots, and appropriate integration with existing machine safety systems on the broader line. This is not an area where shortcuts are acceptable, and working with an engineering partner who understands both robotics integration and broader machine safety compliance requirements ensures a deployment is genuinely safe, not just operationally functional.

    Engineering Support for Robotics Integration

    With combined mechanical, electrical, and automation capability under one team, BevTech supports FMCG manufacturers evaluating and implementing robotics and cobot solutions on their production lines, from initial feasibility assessment through mechanical installation and full integration with existing Allen Bradley or Siemens control systems. To discuss whether robotics or cobot automation makes sense for a specific task on your line, contact BevTech at 25 Silvio St, Richlands QLD 4077, or admin@bevtech.com.au.