Food and Beverage Manufacturing
www.kraftheinzcompany.com
In the 1990s, Kraft General Foods (now Kraft Heinz Co.) was rethinking running their business entirely via pencil and paper on a clipboard. They envisioned the efficiency they could achieve by running SAP in real-time within their processing areas. With the rise of the multi-user, multi-tasking OS that is the basis of all computing technology today, Kraft saw an opportunity to outpace their competitors by computerizing their production scheduling, recipe management and quality assurance applications. Hewlett Packard (HP, Inc.) was brought on to provide their X-Terminal and PC products. They teamed with applications software providers to meet Kraft's technological needs and chose Modular to protect it all with integrated display/computing workstations meeting NEMA 4/4X/IP69 rating requirements.
Result
Modular's durable workstation solutions led to a decades-long partnership with Kraft, helping set the industry standard for computerized food processing operations.
Challenge
Kraft faced the challenge of deploying reliable computing technology in production environments that required frequent sanitation washdowns. Their workstation designs needed to accommodate future maintenance and technology upgrades without disrupting operations. Additionally, they had to develop safe, straightforward mounting solutions that could adapt to the specific layout and constraints of each plant floor.
Requirements
To operate reliably alongside Kraft's SAP-driven processing lines, the workstations had to survive daily washdown cycles, resist caustic sanitizing agents, and remain accessible for field service. Deployments had to standardize across dozens of plants while accommodating floor-specific mounting, cable routing, and peripheral configurations. NEMA 4X rated protection, polished 316 stainless surfaces, sealed cable glands, and OSHA-compliant ergonomics were all requirements at the outset of the program.
Solutions Design
To meet Kraft's requirements, Modular provided polished stainless steel NEMA 4X enclosures featuring durable viewscreens and an integrated keyboard valet for both keyboard and mouse. The enclosures were designed with lift-off door hinges to simplify maintenance and component replacement, while a rain-guttered door frame prevented water ingress when the door was open. Compression latches ensured a consistent, watertight seal against the gaskets. All interconnects were routed through sealed cable glands to maintain the enclosure's protective rating. Internally, PC and monitor mounts were engineered for easy removal and replacement to support field serviceability. A variety of mounting options—including wall mounts, pedestal bases, and rolling carts—allowed the workstations to be deployed flexibly across plant floors based on specific operational needs.
Outcomes
The long-term reliability of Modular's workstations solidified an ongoing relationship with both HP and Kraft. 30 years later, Modular still supplies Kraft with HP Inc. workstations as well as a host of other technologies, including Large Panel Displays, Printer Enclosures, Instrumentation Enclosures and Custom Enclosures for use in their food and beverage processing operations. Kraft's example of applying computerized technology to one of the largest Food Processing/Manufacturing Companies in the United States was followed by other giants in the industry, resulting in computerization becoming integral to success in the industry.
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