Since 1972, LeMatic has prided itself on delivering not only leading bakery solutions – but outstanding customer service throughout the lifecycle of their equipment.
“Our specific expertise is in slicing and primary packaging,” said Richard Kirkland, president, LeMatic. “While most of our customers today are large, wholesale bakers, we are developing equipment to help the mid-size baker get the job done.”
From headquarters in Jackson, Michigan, the family-owned company supports an installed base extending across more than 40 countries. LeMatic is part of the Rockwell Automation® PartnerNetwork™ program.
Early Technology Adoption Drives Differentiation
LeMatic traces its success to its ability to quickly recognize evolving industry challenges. And to harness the power of new technologies to address customer needs.
“Historically, LeMatic has been an early adopter of Rockwell Automation solutions,” said Kirkland. “We embrace new technology and devote much of our product development to incorporating it into our offerings.”
One example: The company now offers remote connectivity on all major equipment to better serve customers.
“Instead of spending 15 hours on a plane, I completed a 10-minute repair over Ethernet on equipment in Eastern Europe,” said Chris Wojton, controls engineer, LeMatic. “We also used remote connectivity and on-machine cameras to commission a bagger line in South America when we were unable to travel due to the pandemic.”
Impactful Proof-of-Concept with Emulate3D Software
LeMatic is also incorporating new digital tools into its machine development process.
For instance, the company recently used Emulate3D® digital twin software to guide product design and customer engagement for a new machine, the P7 pattern former.
Built on a Rockwell Automation® control platform, the P7 is a complex machine designed to arrange single packaged products into larger package configurations. The products enter the machine via conveyor single file and are intercepted on the fly by an overhead robotic gantry system. The system orients the product and releases the grouping to a retractable conveyor, which drops the product onto a tray.
“With Emulate3D, we used our CAD models to create a simulation and demonstrate machine operation to our customer during proof-of-concept,” explained Glen Wheaton, electrical engineer, LeMatic. “We also loaded the machine program into a PC to emulate exactly how product would run online – before any PLCs were purchased.”
