As the world of manufacturing evolves at rapid pace, packaging machinery specialist Rychiger aims to be at the forefront of this transformation through tools such as its RyConnect platform.
Efficiency drives competitiveness in coffee manufacturing. In order for large-scale coffee roasteries to provide their clients with affordable products at a consistent level of quality, their operations must run smoothly and issues resolved quickly.
Providing coffee companies with high-performance capsule filling and sealing lines for almost two decades, the Rychiger team know maximising efficiency while also minimising downtime and waste are the keys to success. To help clients achieve this, the company has engineered a digital ecosystem to further support its machinery.
“RyConnect was developed to connect production machinery, process data, and IT systems on one platform. At its core lies RyEdge, a Linux-based edge layer with a modular, container-based architecture that consolidates machine data and makes it directly usable for operations, quality management, or supply chain functions,” says Nathan Cerveny, Key Account Manager at Rychiger.
“For large coffee roasters, this means greater transparency across the entire plant, faster identification of root causes, and the ability to act on difficulties before they escalate. By minimising downtime and reducing waste, all facilities achieve measurable improvements in throughput and quality while lowering their total cost of ownership.”
As coffee companies increasingly look to automate their production lines, Rychiger has set out to introduce a solution that can easily digitise the entire coffee manufacturing value chain, step by step.
“Coffee producers face pressure to increase flexibility, handle multiple capsule formats, and meet strict compliance requirements while maintaining stable, high-performance operations,” Cerveny says.
“Automation and digitalisation have shifted from optional initiatives to essential factors for competitiveness. Digitalisation has become essential for competitiveness, and with RyConnect we have created a platform that enables producers to exploit this potential with maximum flexibility.
“The digital ecosystem treats production data as a strategic asset and links factory-floor events with business systems in real time. Each data point is timestamped and enriched with metadata, making correlations visible that would otherwise remain hidden. It creates the basis for predictive and preventive maintenance and ensures resources are used where they bring the most value.”
Cerveny highlights sealing process characterisation – a procedure through which every capsule is assigned a digital fingerprint of its sealing parameters – as an example of the efficiencies RyConnect can provide large roasting operations.
“This process makes full traceability possible and allows immediate rejection of non-conforming items without destructive testing,” he says.
“Another performance lever is the integration of Standard Operating Procedures and recipe management directly into factory workflows.
“Combined with condition-based maintenance strategies, RyConnect enables faster ramp-up after maintenance by quickly restoring process parameters to the required quality level. At the same time, the platform provides a basis for machine speed-up programs, allowing roasters to optimise performance while maintaining consistent quality standards.”
Operators and managers can access RyConnect via a central dashboard, available both on desktop and mobile devices on the factory floor. Instead of the unfiltered data streams some plants currently rely on, the system provides contextualised insights such as process trends, machine heatmaps, or quality deviations.
“Each of these views is directly linked to the production context, making the information actionable and easy to interpret,” says Cerveny.
“RyConnect creates a digital touchpoint to Rychiger, keeping the user at the centre. Intuitive navigation supports daily work, strengthens collaboration, and offers a platform where real value is generated together.
“With its container-based architecture, RyEdge is open for customised applications.
This allows third-party systems to be integrated or factory-specific use cases to be implemented quickly and effectively.”
While digital platforms such as these are introducing new tools that make data actionable, they can raise concerns of security and privacy. However, Cerveny says the architecture of RyConnect has been built to ensure safety.
“Cybersecurity is embedded from the start. Vulnerabilities can be isolated and patched quickly, protecting production data and intellectual property,” he says.
“The product is developed according to CRA (Cyber Resilience Act) requirements, while our organisation is aligned with the European Union’s NIS2 Directive standards. The result is an architecture that offers flexibility for upgrades and robustness for regulated environments.”
All new-built Rychiger machinery will soon come with the RyConnect as standard – from high output lines such as the FS 960 HV coffee capsule filler and sealer to smaller format machines. For the installed base, retrofit kits are available.
The rollout is part of the company’s vision of being a core element of the “smart coffee factories of the future”.
“RyConnect is based on a new software stack that defines our future digital architecture,” says Cerveny.
“Our role is to combine decades of process expertise with digital tools that create real value. Smart factories cannot be bought as turnkey solutions. They need to be built step by step, with data providing the foundation for continuous improvement.
“With RyConnect, we provide the foundation for this journey. It enables coffee producers to digitise processes, improve reliability, and remain competitive as consumer demands and technologies evolve.”
For more information, visit rychiger.com
This article was first published in the November/December 2025 edition of Global Coffee Report. Read more HERE.
