Deutsches Milchkontor (DMK): From Weigh Slip to a Seamless Digital Process Chain
About the customer
With approximately 30 locations in Germany and the Netherlands, the DMK Group is Germany’s largest dairy cooperative. At its Altentreptow plant, DMK processes GMO-free milk into high-quality cheese, including products for the MILRAM brand. Milk collection trucks arrive there around the clock, and their deliveries must be seamlessly managed and documented.
Challenge: Seamless quality assurance in 24/7 operations
„IT-supported quality assurance is the top priority in all work processes,“ says Hans-Martin Lohmann, plant manager at the DMK plant in Altentreptow, summing it up. The real challenge lay not in a single step in the process, but in reliably connecting many systems: vehicle identification, weighing technology, laboratory and inhibitor tests, quality assurance, and central route planning in Bremen. Without automated communication between these systems, there was a risk of data discontinuities and manual transfer errors—a risk that a facility subject to HACCP requirements cannot afford. Mandy Kriesen, Quality Manager at the DMK Group in Altentreptow: „It is particularly important for quality management that the entire process is documented flawlessly across all systems.“
Solution: OPC Router and Kepware Server as a Data Hub
DMK relies on inray’s OPC Router as its central integration platform, supplemented by the Kepware Server to connect the on-site control systems and weighing equipment. Together, these two systems automatically link the specialized applications within the plant and ensure that every station in the receiving process transmits its data in real time:
Arrival and Identification: An RFID chip in the driver's license is scanned at the gatehouse, and the vehicle is automatically recognized.
Weighing: The collection truck is loaded and then weighed when empty to accurately record the amount of milk.
Quality Control: The Charm-EZ system tests for antibiotic inhibitory substances and also checks the pH level. The OPC Router transmits the results to the laboratory management system (WinLaisy), quality assurance, and other plant systems.
Authorization and Logout: The system authorizes unloading only after the inspection has been passed; after cleaning and a second weigh-in, the driver logs out, and the data is automatically sent to the route planning department in Bremen.
The combination of OPC Router and Kepware Server integrates a wide variety of systems. Using the manubes cloud platform, this process and quality data can also be made visible in real time across multiple locations, enabling dashboards, KPIs, and a quick overview even outside the plant. „The collection truck driver still has several more stops ahead,“ says Lohmann, describing the busy but—thanks to system integration—smooth workflow.
Benefits for DMK
Complete documentation of every step in the process, traceable at any time.
Legally compliant quality control in accordance with the HACCP concept through automated integration of testing systems.
More efficient vehicle availability through automated processing at the shop gate.
Seamless, cross-location communication between Altentreptow and the headquarters in Bremen, with the potential to add real-time visibility via manubes.
For DMK, the combination of OPC Router, Kepware Server, and manubes thus forms the backbone of a process that combines quality assurance, efficiency, and transparency in 24/7 operations.
