CC‑Link Open Industrial Ethernet: Powering Reliable Production at Huhtamaki

Every week, Huhtamaki’s Franeker plant in the Netherlands produces over 11 million molded-fiber egg cartons made from recycled paper. To keep this 24/7 operation running smoothly, the facility relies on highly automated production lines that must be fast, reliable, and ready for the future.

To meet these demands, the plant is upgrading its automation infrastructure from legacy serial networks to CC‑Link IE Field, an open industrial Ethernet technology that delivers Gigabit performance, robust diagnostics, and long-term scalability. Already deployed across multiple production lines, the new network has significantly improved maintenance workflows, reduced troubleshooting time, and simplified system complexity—making it the new standard for future upgrades.

Investing in a future‑ready automation platform

Huhtamaki Franeker’s in-house engineering team is responsible for both supporting legacy equipment and developing new machine designs. After decades of collaboration with Mitsubishi Electric, the plant is now standardizing on iQ‑R series PLCs combined with CC‑Link IE Field.

“We want systems that still work flawlessly ten years from now”
— Albert Bruining, Electrical Engineer, Huhtamaki

When machines are modernized, PLCs, inverters, and HMIs are upgraded together. Switching to CC‑Link IE Field has delivered immediate benefits: better diagnostics, more flexible wiring, and easier configuration—reducing commissioning effort and long-term maintenance.

Smarter diagnostics, less downtime

Previously, limited diagnostics made troubleshooting time-consuming and required additional tools and measurements. With CC‑Link IE Field, diagnostic information is instantly available and fully integrated into both the PLC and HMI.

“If a communication error occurs, the HMI tells us exactly which node or cable is affected. It makes troubleshooting much faster and more efficient.”

For a plant running around the clock, faster fault localization means reduced downtime, stable throughput, and greater reliability

Flexible, simplified network architecture

CC‑Link IE Field’s Ethernet-based design enables a star topology with standard switches—unlike serial daisy-chain networks. This ensures that a single cable failure no longer stops the entire line.

The plant also benefits from using standard Ethernet cables instead of specialized, hard‑to‑source alternatives. Newer Mitsubishi Electric inverters come with CC‑Link IE Field support built in, eliminating the need for additional expansion cards.

“Fewer components mean less to install and maintain. It just makes everything simpler.”

A standard for the future

The success of recent upgrades has led Huhtamaki Franeker to adopt CC‑Link IE Field as its site-wide networking standard. As older machines are replaced, the network will continue to expand across the facility.

Mitsubishi Electric—an active supporter of CC‑Link IE technologies and a CLPA board member—ensures strong alignment with Huhtamaki’s long-term automation strategy.

“CC‑Link technologies prepare manufacturers for the future”
— John Browett, General Manager, CLPA Europe

CC‑Link IE TSN, the next evolution of the standard, will enable Huhtamaki to merge high‑speed control and enterprise data into one converged Gigabit network—laying the foundation for smart, data‑driven manufacturing.

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Potvrzuji, že jsem se seznámil/a s informací, že mých správcem osobních údajů je společnost Mitsubishi Electric Europe B.V., se sídlem Schiphol-Rijk, Capronilaan 46, 1119NS, Nizozemské království, zapsána v Obchodním rejstříku vedeném Obchodní komorou pro Amsterdam, číslo spisu: 33279602, sp. z o.o. pobočka v Polsku (dále jen „Pobočka“). Údaje budou zpracovány za účelem odpovědi na dotaz zaslaný prostřednictvím výše uvedeného formuláře. Zpracování údajů pro tyto účely je oprávněným zájmem správce (čl. 6 odst. 1 písm. f) Nařízení Evropského parlamentu a Rady (EU) 2016/679 ze dne 27. dubna 2016, o ochraně fyzických osob v souvislosti se zpracováním osobních údajů a o volném pohybu těchto údajů a o zrušení směrnice 95/46/ES („GDPR“). Více informací o zásadách zpracování údajů, včetně práv (mimo jiné možnost podat námitku), je k dispozici na tomto odkazu.

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