Rockwell Automation Helps Ken's Foods Streamline End-of-Line Operations

Food and beverage producer adopts on-machine architecture to reduce cabling, simplify maintenance and improve production visibility.

Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK), the world's largest company dedicated to industrial automation and digital transformation, modernizes end-of-line operations at Ken's Foods, improving performance, reducing complexity and supporting continued growth.

Legacy equipment, limited visibility and conveyor layouts that restrict material flow create inefficiencies across packaging and palletizing. Traditional cabinet-based automation architecture also slows maintenance, requiring technicians to access remote panels to troubleshoot.

Ken's Foods implements an on-machine architecture with Rockwell Automation PowerFlex 350 variable frequency drives (VFDs) accessible directly on production equipment, simplifying operations and delivering measurable gains:

Increased visibility: On-machine drives provide remote access to real-time current, voltage and speed data. Teams identify issues faster and improve end-of-line performance.

Simplified maintenance: Direct access to drives on the equipment reduces troubleshooting time and speeds replacement. Local disconnects, test points and quick-connect power and input/output (I/O) simplify lockout/tagout procedures and allow teams to isolate equipment without shutting down large sections of the line.

Reduced complexity: On-machine architecture cuts cabling, eliminates the need for large control panels and reduces engineering efforts. Conveyor-mounted drives shorten wire runs and simplify installation. Setup is intuitive, and commissioning moves quickly with minimal configuration delays.

"We estimate an overall cost savings of 17% compared to designing, building centralized panels and wiring directly to local motor disconnects, I/O points and motors," said Kyle Richard, vice president of business development for Elm Electrical, an electrical partner of Ken's Foods. "The on-machine VFDs also support a scalable safety system across a 130-drive palletizing line. A network-based safety architecture reduces wiring and panel costs and allows electronic stops to be placed where they are needed along the conveyors."

Based on the results, Ken's Foods establishes on-machine architecture as the standard for future pallet-conveying systems.

"This approach helps us operate more efficiently as demand grows," said Tony Stolo, project engineer, Ken's Foods. "It takes up less space, installs faster and is easier to maintain. It also gives us flexibility to expand or reconfigure as our operations evolve and reconfigure the system as our operations evolve."

Learn more about Rockwell Automation's on-machine portfolio and solutions for food and beverage manufacturing. Read more about Ken's Foods journey with Rockwell Automation here.

About Rockwell Automation
Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK), is a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation. We connect the imaginations of people with the potential of technology to expand what is humanly possible, making the world more productive and more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rockwell Automation employs approximately 26,000 problem solvers dedicated to our customers in more than 100 countries as of fiscal year end 2025. To learn more about how we are bringing the Connected Enterprise to life across industrial enterprises, visit  www.rockwellautomation.com.

About Ken's Foods
Ken's Foods is a family-owned and -operated company that produces high-quality dressings, sauces and marinades. Ken's Foods, Inc was incorporated in 1958 and currently has plant operations in Marlborough, Massachusetts, McDonough, Georgia, Las Vegas and Lebanon, Indiana. In addition, Ken's employs over 1,600 employees nationally. Today, between its Retail Grocery Products and Food Service divisions, Ken's Foods produces and packages over 400 varieties of dressings and sauces. For more information, visit www.kensfoods.com.

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SOURCE Rockwell Automation, Inc.