Nestlé’s Lausanne plant produces 150,000 tons of dairy products (yogurt, cheese) and 500 million bottles of water annually, relying on 800+ control valves to regulate the flow of milk, water, and additives. The legacy valve positioners presented critical operational and regulatory challenges in the food-safe production environment:
- Imprecise Flow Control Causes Waste: The legacy positioners had a flow control accuracy of only ±3% of setpoint, leading to over-dosing of additives (e.g., sugar, stabilizers) and inconsistent product consistency. This resulted in a 7.2% product waste rate, costing €1.9 million annually in wasted materials.
- Poor Hygiene Compliance Risks Contamination: The old positioners had crevices and non-sealed components that trapped food residues, failing to meet EU 10/2011 food contact material regulations. This required 4-5 hours of manual cleaning per week per production line, increasing labor costs and production downtime.
- Slow Changeover Between Products: Changing valve settings between product variants (e.g., low-fat vs. full-fat yogurt) required manual adjustment of positioners, taking 2-3 hours per line. This created bottlenecks, limiting the plant’s ability to respond to demand fluctuations for seasonal products.
- Inadequate Monitoring for Quality Control: The legacy systems lacked real-time valve position monitoring, making it difficult to trace flow control issues during quality audits. This increased the risk of non-compliance with food safety regulations and product recalls.
“Precision and hygiene are non-negotiable in food production—even minor flow variations can ruin an entire batch, and hygiene lapses risk consumer health,” said Sophie Dubois, Nestlé Lausanne Plant Quality Director. “Our legacy valve positioners were too imprecise and difficult to clean to meet modern food production demands. We needed a food-safe, precise valve positioner solution that could ensure consistent flow control, simplify cleaning, and enable fast product changeovers.”
ABB VP01 Valve Positioner Module: Food-Safe Precision for Beverage & Dairy Production
After evaluating solutions from Endress+Hauser and Burkert, Nestlé selected the ABB VP01 valve positioner module for its ultra-precise flow control, food-safe design, seamless integration with production systems, and fast setup capabilities. Key features addressing Nestlé’s pain points include:
- Ultra-Precise Flow Control: The ABB VP01 valve positioner module offers flow control accuracy of ±0.2% of setpoint, ensuring precise dosing of additives and consistent product consistency. This eliminates over-dosing and reduces product waste significantly.
- Food-Safe Hygienic Design: The module features a smooth, crevice-free surface with EHEDG and 3-A certified materials, meeting EU 10/2011 food contact regulations. Its IP69K-rated enclosure allows for high-pressure, high-temperature (HIPAC) cleaning, reducing cleaning time by 70% and eliminating residue buildup.
- Rapid Product Changeover: The VP01 module stores up to 100 pre-configured valve settings for different product variants, enabling one-touch changeovers in 15-20 minutes—down from 2-3 hours. This increases production line flexibility and reduces downtime.
- Real-Time Monitoring & Traceability: Supporting OPC UA and Modbus TCP protocols, the module integrates seamlessly with Nestlé’s quality management system (QMS), providing real-time valve position and flow data. This enables full traceability of flow control parameters, simplifying quality audits and ensuring regulatory compliance.
- Energy-Efficient Operation: The VP01 module uses low-power consumption technology, reducing energy usage by 40% compared to legacy positioners. Its compact design also saves space in the plant’s crowded production areas.
Results: Less Waste, Faster Production, Lower Costs
Five months after deploying the ABB VP01 valve positioner module, Nestlé’s Lausanne plant achieved significant operational improvements:
| Metric |
Before ABB VP01 Valve Positioner Module |
After ABB VP01 Valve Positioner Module |
Improvement |
| Product Waste Rate |
7.2% |
3.24% |
55% Reduction |
| Annual Material Waste Costs |
€1.9 Million |
€855,000 |
55% Reduction |
| Product Changeover Time |
2-3 Hours/Line |
15-20 Minutes/Line |
92% Reduction |
| Weekly Cleaning Time |
4-5 Hours/Line |
1.2-1.5 Hours/Line |
70% Reduction |
| Production Line Efficiency |
85% |
117.3% |
38% Improvement |
“The ABB VP01 valve positioner module has revolutionized our food production operations,” Dubois said. “We’ve cut material waste by more than half, which not only reduces costs but also aligns with our sustainability goals. The rapid changeover capability has allowed us to increase production of seasonal products by 25% without adding extra shifts, improving our ability to meet customer demand.”
Lena Wagner, ABB’s Global Food & Beverage Automation Manager, commented: “Food and beverage manufacturers require valve positioners that prioritize precision, hygiene, and flexibility. The ABB VP01 valve positioner module delivers these key capabilities, helping food plants reduce waste, ensure compliance, and improve production efficiency.”
Nestlé plans to deploy the ABB VP01 valve positioner module across 35 additional food and beverage plants in Europe, Asia, and Latin America by 2036, targeting a 50% group-wide reduction in material waste and a 35% improvement in production line efficiency.
Rotterdam, Netherlands – June 2031 – Shell, a global leader in energy and petrochemicals, has achieved a 96% reduction in valve leakage and a 42% decrease in unplanned maintenance costs at its Rotterdam refinery after deploying the ABB VP01 valve positioner module. The upgrade, completed in Q1 2031, replaced the refinery’s outdated valve positioners, which struggled with imprecise positioning and poor compatibility with smart valves—leading to crude oil leakage, process inefficiencies, and non-compliance with European environmental regulations (REACH).
