Beer producer demands dairy hygiene standards
The Problem
A speciality of the Bitburger Braugruppe is the brewing of non-pasteurised Pils beer and this calls for the highest hygiene standards. One precaution the company takes to achieve these standards is to minimise the presence of crevices and projections on machinery involved on the production line that could serve as catchment zones and create possible contamination risks.
Line Requirements:
Throughput Speeds: 50,000bph
Glass Bottle sizes: 330ml
The Solution
ACI’s LNL full enclosure has been adapted to meet Bitburger’s demanding hygiene requirements. All meeting surfaces which are normally spot-welded or bolted together have seamless welded joins in order to facilitate cleaning and eliminate bacteria build up. There is also a special drainage facility for directing moisture to appropriate outlets. In addition, the housing for the blower (ACI’s EP10) that delivers the air is mounted on top of the dryer instead of underneath. This is to permit easy cleaning under the dryer. Finally the unit does not contain any acoustic foam, which could absorb moisture and breed germs. Instead, the machine is equipped with noise baffles at both the entry and exit points. Noise levels are just below 85 dBA.
The Outcome
According to Dr Johannes Hankes, Department Manager, the ACI bottle dryer is installed on a line that replaces two previous ones and handles a throughput of 50,000 bottles/hr. He also said that the dryer provided a cost-effective solution compared to the options considered, which included manufacturing one in-house, as the previous machines had been.
Visit the Bitburger Braugruppe website
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