A premiere for KEGs

A portrait of the new keg palletising system at Cölner Hofbräu P. Josef Früh KG

In 2021, Cölner Hofbräu P. Josef Früh KG significantly increased its production capacity and output. This meant that the hourly output of keg palletising had to be doubled – and maintaining the same footprint as the old plant. This challenge was solved using a plant prototype with the proven portal-type machines. This makes the keg palletising system very compact, highly flexible and particularly suitable for the output range in excess of 100 kegs per hour.

Cölner Hofbräu P. Josef Früh KG, or Früh for short, was founded in 1904 by Peter Josef Früh, just a stone’s throw from Cologne’s Cathedral.

In total, six different types of barrels and two types of pallets can be processed with the new system.

In terms of annual production, the third-largest Kölsch brewery

In terms of annual production, Früh is now the third-largest Kölsch brewery with an output of 400,000 hectolitres. Beer has not been brewed at the headquarters since 1987, rather at brewing facilities in Köln-Feldkassel. The former area of the brewery and the residential premises of the Früh family are now used as a hospitality business. Alexander Rolff and Philipp C. Müller now head the Kölsch dynasty in the fifth generation.

The core product of the brewery is Früh-Kölsch, which comes in bottles, cans and various keg sizes. The product range is complemented by non-alcoholic Früh-Kölsch, Früh NaturRadler (shandy) and Früh Sport Fassbrause lemonade.

With 180 kegs/h simply not powerful enough

For Früh, however, this expansion of the beer business meant that the existing palletising and depalletising system for kegs had to be replaced. At 180 kegs/h it was simply not powerful enough, also it could not be expanded adequately. With the expansion investment that was required Früh pursued three clearly defined goals, Bodo Böttcher, technical manager, recalls: “First of all, we needed double the output capacity while maintaining the same footprint. As a second requirement, the new line was to be operated by the same staff team. And thirdly we wanted further functionalities such as an automatic alignment station for incoming empties that would reduce disruptions, an automatic infeed of other pallet formats as well as NVE/SSCC marking and transport security.“

The depalletiser unloads the pallets with the layer pattern specified in the respective production mode

After carefully studying the solutions available on the market, Früh decided in favour of a prototype that used portal-type robots, i.e. a plant that was specifically designed for this type of application for the first time. There were good reasons for this, Böttcher emphasises: “On the one hand, we were convinced straight away by the robust engineering. The supplier had also been given a very positive rating by our professional colleagues. And last but not least, the prototype was the only way to implement the required overall package in the limited amount of space available.“ And for Früh, any structural changes to the buildings were out of the question.

The entire pallet handling is also carried out fully automatically

Turnkey implementation in the tightest of spaces

The installation involved a 3-axis portal-type Unipal 106 EPL with integrated pallet handling for depalletising, a 2-axis portal-type Unipal 105 BPL for palletising, a Unicontrol pallet inspection system and a pallet conveyor Unitrans P with inline centering. This aligns the stacks of kegs or pallets if they have slipped during transport. This alignment is necessary to ensure a fault-free process and also the required high performance of the palletising system. The company Strapex/Signode was included in the project as OEM for the securing of the loaded pallets. The entire plant was implemented as a general contractor turnkey job. The dismantling of the old system was also included in the contract.

“In this way, a maintenance and operator-friendly plant with extremely reliable machine technology was installed in the tightest of spaces“, Böttcher sums up. Via a double feed station the pallets are conveyed to a centering system which aligns the pallet load to the Euro pallet format. From here the pallet is conveyed directly to the unloader which unloads the kegs onto a massive layer table. The pallet and the intermediate pad pallets are then stacked on a separate pallet stream. The kegs are separated and transferred to the existing conveyor system. The empty pallet is conveyed to the pallet check where it is inspected. If the inspection is not successful, the pallet is conveyed - also via a separate conveyor - to the “Not OK” pallet magazine which can, if required, be automatically converted and used as an “export pallet magazine” for the corresponding product.

After a successful inspection, the empty pallets are transported to the loader. This loads the pallets in up to two layers, depending on the production mode. The loaded pallet is then secured by a horizontal strapper and a vertical strapper using plastic cords. After securing of the pallet the pallet enters a stacking device which places the pallets on top of each other, depending on the production mode. From here the pallets, which are now ready for shipping, are conveyed to the double output from where they are picked up by the forklift operator. With regard to automation, the KEG dry part is designed as a stand-alone solution with signal exchange with the filling. A total of six different keg types and two pallet types can be processed.

: Only the static and dynamic design of the machine technology was adapted to the higher masses to be processed. In addition, a gripper head was developed for the new conditions such as weight and pack variety

„Superb operation from the very first day“

“As the first implemented KEG line ever, the solution ran perfectly from day one. The concept with the well-proven portal-type system worked excellently”, Böttcher recalls. Which is not really surprising, as the system engineering operates in the same way as with beverage crates. Merely the static and dynamic design required adjustment to the larger masses. In addition, a gripper head was developed to cope with the new conditions such as weight and pack variety.

“Particularly the reduced amount of conversion work required for pack changeovers as well as the new functions mean a significant reduction in work and time”, Böttcher is delighted to add. For instance, when changing from 15 l kegs to 50 l kegs the different keg height is adjusted via the programme preselection. The fine adjustment is then carried out by the palletiser with its sensor system. To perform the changeover the operator merely has to adjust a light barrier at the unloader and two position holders on the loader to enable the exact clamping of the new layer pattern.

Problem Covid-19: if there is no demand, there is no palletising

The installation and commissioning under the sudden Covid-19 conditions was a huge challenge. Not only with regard to the extensive hygiene measures. Böttcher goes on to explain: “Just when we were about to start commissioning, the demand for draft beer stagnated due to the Covid restrictions. And no demand means no filling and also no palletising. The actual implementation, including the final acceptance was therefore delayed through no one's fault.”

Performance beyond reproach

Despite the Covid pandemic, the performance was excellent. And it remains so to this day, Böttcher concludes: “Both the plant and the cooperation met our expectations and the work was carried out to our fullest satisfaction. Also the subsequent order for another plant says it all, I think.“

In this way, the KEG palletiser is very compact, highly flexible and particularly suitable for the output range above 100 barrels per hour

Kölsch – the history of a beer specialty - source: frueh.de

The first brewer from Cologne to be mentioned in writing was Henricus Medebruwer (“mead brewer”) from Bechergasse in 1285. It was not until over 100 years later, in 1396, that the Cologne brewers’ guild was founded (Zunft der Kölner Brauer). However, they did not brew Kölsch as we know it today. At that time, instead of using hops, beer was brewed with gruit (a mixture of various herbs) and underwent “wild fermentation”. The people of Cologne seemed to like it – and in 1392, for instance, 32,000 hectolitres of gruit beer were already being brewed.

It was not until the beginning of the 15th century that hops were introduced into Cologne’s beer and sold to the people of Cologne as Keutebier. This was the starting shot for a remarkable success story: today, the top-fermented light, yeasty beer is considered a regional specialty and is only allowed to be made in Cologne and the surrounding area, and only served in the so-called Stange glass.

Glass returnables as a driver of growth

Gerolsteiner Brunnen expands filling and sorting capacity for its individual packs

To keep up with the exceptional and over-proportional growth of its 0.75 litre individual packs, last year Gerolsteiner Brunnen implemented a further line for glass returnables. This line has a filling capacity of 36,000 bottles per hour and features an integrated sorting unit that can handle up to 20 percent of the incoming empties. The entire system was successfully accepted on December 21 and 22, 2021, and has since then proved its worth in day-to-day production. Time for a technical review.

Gerolsteiner Brunnen GmbH & Co. KG produces Germany’s best-selling brand of mineral water. There are currently 881 employees working at Gerolsteiner Brunnen, 53 of whom are trainees. Shareholders of Gerolsteiner Brunnen GmbH & Co. KG are Bitburger Holding (51%) and Buse KSW GmbH & Co. (32%). The remaining shares are in private free float.

The brand with the star mark is well known for its sparkling mineral water products Gerolsteiner Sprudel and Gerolsteiner Medium as well as the still mineral water Gerolsteiner Naturell. The product portfolio also includes the new products Gerolsteiner Feinperlig (slightly carbonated) and Ursprung (high mineral content), Gerolsteiner Heilwasser (medicinal water), Gerolsteiner Heilwasser St. Gero as well as mineral water-based beverages.

Three portal-type packers of the type Unipack 103 for the main type and the sorting were delivered to Gerolstein and integrated both mechanically and on the control side.

Market leadership extended despite Covid

As shown by the balance sheet for the fiscal year 2021, even and specifically during the Covid pandemic Gerolsteiner benefited once again from the brand’s strength, national marketing and from the fact that mineral water extracted from the Volcanic Eifel is available in such a wide range of variants and packs. Gerolsteiner’s mineral water sales grew by 2.3 percent, against the market trend. By comparison: the market sector lost 3.7 percent in the same period. Gerolsteiner was also able to expand its position as market leader from 9.6 percent in 2020 to now 10.2 percent. Thanks to this success, at the end of the 2021 fiscal year, net sales for the company overall were down only slightly to 285.6 million euro (2020: 291.9 million euro, -2.2%). Total sales in 2021 were 7.5 million hectolitres (2020: 7.6 million hectolitres, -2.0%).

Particularly Gerolsteiner’s range of glass returnables has grown over-proportionally in recent years. Growth drivers of this development are the state-of-the-art individual packs, such as the Gerolsteiner 6 x 1.0 litre glass returnables and the Gerolsteiner 12 x 0.75 litre glass returnables. This success story began in 2019 with the brand Gerolsteiner Naturell (still). A new filling line was built specifically for its individualisation. This was the first project at Gerolsteiner Brunnen to be implemented with BMS Maschinenfabrik GmbH. In 2020 there then followed a turnkey dry part including inline sorting. With a clear result: in June 2021 Gerolsteiner began with the construction of a pure 0.7 litre line with a filling capacity of 36,000 bottles per hour. Based on the consistent and positive experience gained in the two previous projects, Gerolsteiner again placed its trust in BMS for the same project area as with the 2020 plant, this being the dry part together with the sorting, as well as the packers of the wet part as a complete package.

For the loading and unloading area, Gerolsteiner decided in favour of three portal-type palletisers of the proven type Unipal 105.

Strict specifications regarding the layout and implementation

“We prepare all our tenders here, ourselves. An important part in this process is a basic layout into which each of the suppliers can contribute their individual ideas”, explains Harald Jakoby, head of technical planning at Gerolsteiner. This layout defines the space available, for example. Jakoby explains further: “The area of the new plant 5 was previously occupied by a 60,000-bottle GDB returnables filling line. And there is now still room here for a future plant 6. By mirroring plant 5, for instance, we could approach an output of 72,000 bottles per hour on the same area.“

Gerolsteiner additionally required a clear separation of the wet and dry part. Moreover, the dry part was to include an integrated sorting system that can handle at least 20 percent of the incoming empties. “Due to the growing proportion of glass, we also require an increased amount of sorting. We have therefore specified 20 percent instead of the 10 percent sorting capacity of plant 4“, Jakoby adds.

The robust and low-wear design of all machines was a decisive criterion for Gerolsteiner. A further positive aspect was that the entire control system, including the axes, is based on S7. “This makes in-house maintenance a lot easier to manage.“

Gerolsteiner also has very clear ideas about how a machine is to be designed. Among other things, with regard to the materials used and the components to be installed. Other important factors are the costs of wear, spare parts and maintenance. There are also energy costs and other costs for resources that have to be considered. “One very clear and definite benefit we see with BMS is the very low wear. The spare part costs are also very favourable. This is where you can simply tell that someone wants to sell you high quality machines and not just earn money through the sales of spare parts“, Jakoby adds. He is also very pleased that the entire control system is based on S7 – even the axis control, for example, is based on this system. “This makes maintenance a lot easier to manage. Other suppliers install different controls in one system. Then only an external specialist can help, if action is needed“, Jakoby emphasises.

Another turnkey project completed

The following components were delivered and integrated in Gerolstein from mid 2021, both mechanically and on the control side: three portal-type packers of the type Unipack 103 for the main type and the sorting, as well as a secondary-type packer of the type Unipack 2.0, three portal-type palletisers of the type Unipal 105 as well as one new glass sweep-off depalletiser of the type Unipal 202. In addition, the order included the entire bottle, pack and pallet handling as well as the required Syscona inspection technology. The project was completed on a turn-key basis, i.e., including layout, project management, installation, commissioning, and operator training. The project also included the implementation of the two main-type packers in the wet part. Gerolsteiner was responsible for building work.

“For the sorting area we had originally thought of a robot solution. Now we have been able to implement this even better with proven standard machine technology“, Jakoby is very pleased to say. In this process, after the unloader the empties first pass through an empties inspection. This directs the crates either to the main unpacker in the wet part or to the sorting in the dry part. The latter stream is then further divided into non-unpackable crates and crates that contain foreign bottles. These two streams join up again after manual sorting and move on to the sorting unpacker. Here all crates are unpacked and sorted into foreign and production bottles. At the sorting unpacker there is additionally a discharge option for PET bottles that Gerolsteiner collects in baskets.

With the installed new glass sweep-off depalletiser of the type Unipal 202, Gerolsteiner can mechanically replace the rejected faulty bottles with new glass bottles.

Conveying of the packs at a height of three metres

The production bottles are subsequently placed in Gerolsteiner crates by the secondary-type packer and also conveyed to the wet part. This is where a special detail had to be taken into account, says Jakoby. “The conveying of the packs in the dry part takes place to about 70 percent on a platform at a height of around three metres, as we are still planning plant 6. Its respective pack conveyor would then be underneath the current platform.” All machines in the dry part are, by contrast, at ground level. “Standard conveyors are used to provide the necessary level compensation. Spiral conveyors have not proved as good in the returnables sector”, Jakoby sums up.

Moreover, Gerolsteiner can replace missing bottles with new glass bottles using the installed sweep-off depalletiser. “In this way, only full crates reach the main-type unpacker, and this translates into the highest possible efficiency of the overall system”, Jakoby explains. At the same time, the infeed of pure new glass can also take place via this stream. The required empty crates in this case are automatically fed in from the wet part. Both the new glass sweep-off depalletiser as well as the secondary-type palletiser already have the required capacity reserve to also serve the future plant 6.

The foreign bottles are also placed by the secondary-type packer into Gerolsteiner crates which are then taken over by the secondary-type palletiser. After palletising, both the secondary types and the main types from the wet part are stored in five buffer stations from which they are subsequently discharged.

From commissioning to acceptance in eight weeks

„The speed in which the entire plant was ramped up was most impressive“, Jakoby recalls. In fact, it took only about eight weeks from commissioning to the successful acceptance being granted through VLB Berlin. Jakoby goes on to say: “We had not actually planned the acceptance until the end of March 2022. However, due to the super ramp-up of the entire plant, acceptance was granted as early as December 21 and 22, 2021.“ A remarkable achievement, especially against the backdrop of Covid conditions that were hampering construction site work.

Key drivers for this rapid implementation were the two BMS developments “Virtual Commissioning” and “LOP 4.0“. In “Virtual Commissioning” a computer simulation is used in the run-up to an investment to clarify how the task set by the customer can be implemented in a technically and economically sound way. At Gerolsteiner this concerned the design of the pallet conveying. “Virtual Commissioning”, however, goes well beyond mere computer simulation. The tool controls exactly the same PLC that will be used by the customer, and this in turn drives the simulation“. The findings acquired during these tests – practically under operating conditions – help optimise the plant design as well as the later commissioning at the customer site.

Besides pallet handling, the contract also included the entire bottle and pack conveying, a secondary-type packer of the type Unipack 2.0 as well as the required inspection technology

„LOP 4.0“ on the other hand is a cloud-based construction site management system to which all parties participating in the project have access. This digital platform maps the status of the project during the construction site phase with maximum transparency, from the delivery up to commissioning. “LOP 4.0” is also an open communication and documentation platform. Each project partner can, for instance, upload photos or videos, submit next steps for discussion purposes or prioritise individual items. This ensures that the status of all project phases is always up-to-date and displayed in a clearly understandable manner. In this way, any interactions on the further course are identified immediately. This results in fewer conflicts and fewer coordination losses, and the project can be planned most effectively. “LOP 4.0 is very good. It gives you an excellent overview of the project status. We were also able to bring in ideas for discussion, and respond to developments. This is really excellent. We are currently considering adopting LOP 4.0 for our own project management,” Jakoby adds. And he mentions another reason for quickly reaching the required performance data: “We were already familiar with the operation of the dry part and the packer/unpacker from plant 4. And because our operators also swap around within the plants, it is doubly advantageous to know the HOW.”

“It was a lot of fun again”. Ulrich Rust (left), managing director of technology and logistics at Gerolsteiner, and Thomas Lehmann, managing director of BMS, are delighted about a further successful project completed together.

“It was a lot of fun, yet again“

Since then, the plant has proven its worth in tough day-to-day production. Three-shift operation on five days a week is standard, also on six days if necessary. “The plant is running so well that we sometimes prefer to leave another line standing in order to carry out production on plant 5”, Jakoby explains. So, all in all, is the conclusion just as positive as with the two previous projects? Absolutely, concludes Jakoby: “From the tender to acceptance, there was a very, very good cooperation. All our specifications and wishes were taken into account and implemented in an exemplary manner – without the words “extra effort” being mentioned even once. “For me it was a lot of fun, yet again.“

Twice the output, same footprint

A portrait of the new packing and palletising solution for party kegs from Krombacher Brewery.

The Krombacher Brewery, first mentioned in a document in 1803 and family owned for generations, is now Germany’s largest private brewery and one of the most modern in Europe. Its flagship, Krombacher Pils, was once again Germany’s favourite beer last year. In addition, the company Krombacher has built up a successful family of brands. Besides the popular products Krombacher Radler (shandy), Krombacher Alkoholfrei (alcohol-free) and Krombacher Weizen (wheat beer), further successful products have become established in the beverage market over recent years, these being Krombacher’s Fassbrause, Krombacher 0.0%, Krombacher Limobier and Krombacher Brautradition.

These are complemented by non-alcoholic soft drinks which include some very well-known brands. Milestones on this path “from brewery to beverage supplier“ were the acquisitions of brand rights of Schweppes, Orangina and Dr Pepper. Together with these brands the company entered the non-alcoholic soft drinks sector in 2006. The traditional brand Vitamalz followed in 2016. With effect from August 1, 2022 the Krombacher Group has also taken over Heil- und Mineralquellen Germete GmbH, based in Warburg.

„It was really a matter of centimetres." Due to the cramped spatial conditions, Krombacher decided to install a column loader...

The impact of Covid-19 has been manageable

The second financial year in the Covid pandemic has also had an impact on the Krombacher Group, but on a relatively manageable scale when compared with the sector as a whole: a total output of 7.335 million hectolitres was achieved across all brands – this representing a drop of 0.9 percent. The parent brand Krombacher suffered a year-on-year loss of 2.3 percent, ending up with an output of 5.590 million hectolitres. The performance of the non-alcoholic soft drink family was again very encouraging. Output increased by around five percent to 1.453 million hectolitres. A key driver here was once again the Zero variants. The share of non-alcoholic products in the Krombacher Group’s total output thus rose to around 38 percent in 2021. “Especially in these difficult times, it has become evident that our strategy of consistent diversification of the product and packaging spectrum enables us to meet the diverse wishes and needs of the market in the best possible way“, comments Uwe Riehs, chief marketing officer, on the annual results.

Clearly in a better position with a wrap-around solution

In the packaging area, Krombacher successfully completed a further investment in a smaller but nevertheless significant segment at the beginning of 2022. A segment that certainly gained popularity during the Covid pandemic and the related shutdown of the hospitality sector is the 5-litre party keg - for serving draught beer at home. Here Krombacher distinguishes between the party keg for “Bavarian-type” keg tapping and the fresh keg, which also has an integrated CO2 dispensing unit.

...in combination with a wrap-around packer.

“We had an existing plant for both versions - this was a pick-and-place solution comprising a packer, loader and stretcher”, recalls Rainer Bub, operations engineering/project manager at Krombacher. However, the older machines were getting on in years. They were therefore requiring a lot of maintenance, spare parts were becoming difficult to acquire and the machines were susceptible to faults, leading to a decline in the overall efficiency of the filling system. Oliver Mette, head of the plant development department goes on to explain: “The old plant was therefore practically running around the clock, seven days a week, in order to cope with the demand.“ It was also becoming increasingly difficult to meet the rising requirements in connection with occupational safety on the machine side. All of this combined led to Krombacher looking for a new solution. The question was: What is technically feasible in the available space?” And this space was equal to that of the old plant - there was no scope whatsoever. “This is where we were clearly better off with a wrap-around solution than with a set packer. It was literally a matter of centimetres,” says Bub.

The new line is designed for a maximum output of 1,320 cans equal to 660 wrap-arounds per hour.

Mette explains further: “In the old cases the top and bottom sides were sealed with adhesive tape. We can now do without this tape completely because the new wrap-around packaging is glued using hot melt glue. We can also influence the stability of the packaging through the design of the glue dots.“ An important aspect, considering the packs contain two kegs each and weigh over ten kilogrammes. A positive additional effect is that the new packaging can be opened via the perforation without requiring the use of any tool.

Compact combination unit comprising packer, loader and stretcher

Krombacher decided in favour of installing a loader of the type Unipal 108, with low-floor pallet conveyor, in combination with an A+F ModuLine for the wrap-around processing of two formats. For one simple reason: “No other machine manufacturer was able to offer us a combination unit of packer, loader and stretcher of this quality for the given space“, Bub concludes. In addition, according to Mette, there was the much simpler interface clarification: “We had just one contact partner for the overall solution.” The scope of the contract also included the conveyor line required for the connection to the keg filler, the control as well as the integration of the pallet securing. The overall package, comprising keg packing and palletising, was completed on a turnkey basis.

The new plant is designed for a maximum output of 1,320 party kegs that is 660 wrap-arounds per hour. As a comparison: the old plant had an output of 600 party kegs per hour at best. In a nutshell, the challenge was to at least double the hourly output on the same site – while of course complying with the latest ergonomic and occupational specifications. “This output is not currently called for because at 620 kegs per hour we are running at roughly the maximum output of the filler. But we are equipped and ready for future growth”, Mette explains.

A 90° selective turning station integrated in the infeed of the loader aligns the wrap-arounds into a row according to the desired layer pattern.

Layer formation directly in the loader head

The frequently mentioned, extremely tight space conditions were particularly challenging. For this reason, also the loader of column-type design and the low-floor pallet conveyor with a height of just over ten centimetres were chosen. Another important factor regarding optimal use of the available space was the 90° selective turning station of A+F. This makes it possible to omit the normally installed layer table, meaning a decisive gain in compactness. In this way, the customer was able to gain major advantages, such as amply dimensioned working areas and excellent accessibility.

This turning station, integrated in the infeed of the loader, aligns the wrap-arounds in a row according to the desired layer pattern. The respective row is then fed to the loader head via a row pusher until the layer pattern has been formed completely. The actual layer formation thus takes place directly in the roller griper head. The completed layers are then placed on the pallet until the pallet has a total of 60 cases, or 120 party kegs. In the case of export pallets there are actually 72 cases. The operation of the newly developed universal roller gripper head is particularly gentle on the product. This gripper head also takes over the pallet and layer pad handling. The loaded pallet is then secured using a stretch wrapper and transported away.

“An excellent example of what can be achieved thanks to the synergies that have been created“

To solve this intricate task a great deal of customisation was therefore needed based on the proven machine technology of two sister companies. “This is an excellent example of what can be achieved thanks to the synergies that have been created. Neither of the two companies could have accomplished this unprecedented feat on their own“, Bub points out. The plant has been running since the end of the first quarter of 2022. Between the dismantling stage and the commissioning there was a period of just ten days. “An important aspect,” says Metter, “was that the commissioning engineer was able to cover both the mechanics and automation here at our construction site.“ The commissioning was followed up with support in the production over fourteen days. “We went straight into three-shift operation during this period. BMS and A+F accompanied this phase in two shifts and we were thus able to reach full performance quickly,” says Bub.

By means of a row pusher, the respective row is fed into the loading head until the layer pattern is completely formed. This means that there is no need for a layer table, which is a decisive plus in terms of compactness.

And does the experience gathered in practice meet the expectations placed in the investment? Bub sums up: “We have accomplished the set goal of significantly reducing susceptibility clearly achieved.“ As a result of this, the overall efficiency of the filling line has been increased as planned. The operating personnel are the same as with the old plant. It was also never the aim to save on personnel, Mette emphasises: “It was all about state-of-the-art instead of old, reliability instead of susceptibility to faults, and ideally that we would not have to go 24/7.“ Krombacher also found the constructive and flexible cooperation very positive. “As customers, we were helped quickly and without red tape, despite the fact that there were still some spontaneous requests for changes,“ Bub recalls. Mette goes on to conclude: “A big praise to the whole project team. We were and are once again very satisfied.”

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Rothaus Brewery modernises its 50,000-bottle glass returnables line in the year of its anniversary

Palletising area including the pallet transport successfully completed.

To make a long story short, there are a minimum of four key factors behind the success of the Badische Staatsbrauerei Rothaus AG: a clear commitment to the home region, the Black Forest, popular beers like the Tannenzäpfle that are well known well beyond regional borders, quality beyond reproach and, last but not least, ongoing investment in technical facilities. In its anniversary year 2021 – Rothaus has been brewing now for 230 years – another major project is underway, the complete modernisation of a 50,000-bottle line for glass renewables. In this project the redesign of the palletising area including the pallet transport has already been successfully completed.

The founding of the Rothaus Brewery in 1791 was for a truly noble purpose: Martin Gerbert, Benedictine prince-abbot, wanted to dissuade the people of the Black Forest from distilling their own schnaps, the so-called “Wässerle“. The prince-abbot was very business minded for his time and wanted to make “his“ region competitive and economically fit, providing an alternative to another brewery in the region. In addition to this, he also founded one of the oldest Sparkasse savings banks in Germany.

Fifteen years later on, due to the secularisation process, Gerbert had to hand everything over to the Baden State which still holds the reins today. And for a good reason too. Although output figures are traditionally not disclosed, Rothaus sales have for years now been relatively steady between 75 and 78 million euro. In 2019, for example, Rothaus and its team of 240 employees achieved sales of 75.8 million euro and earnings before taxes of 15.3 million euro. Even during the Covid-19 pandemic the brewery has held up comparatively well, according to reports. The reasons for this are said to be the increasing popularity of regional beers, a smaller share of draft beers as well as the warm and sunny summer of 2020. So it is definitely a worthwhile undertaking for the state. !

Brewery anniversary 2021 – This year Rothaus has been brewing for a proud 230 years. To celebrate this, a new major project for the complete modernisation of a 50,000-bottle glass returnables line is being implemented in the Upper Black Forest.

The palletising system was becoming a troublespot

There were several reasons for investing in a replacement of the returnables filling line: This filling line dates back to 2003 and was the main plant at Rothaus up until 2018, primarily for the 0.33 litre Tannenzäpfle. “This means fifteen years with intense three-shift operation and this has definitely left its mark. The time had simply come“, Roger Jäger, head of filling at Rothaus recalls. Also the palletising system was from a supplier who has long since left the market. It was becoming more and more difficult to obtain spare parts. Also the version of the loading system was not powerful enough.

Jäger goes on to explain: “It really wobbled during deceleration. A lot of reworking and welding then had to be carried out.“ In short: the palletising system was becoming a troublespot, it needed to be replaced as quickly as possible within the framework of the overall modernisation scheme during which Rothaus also wanted to change the pallet labelling system. “In the warehouse, there was an occasion when the label foils on over 200 pallets were torn. For this reason we decided to use the cord labelling system“, Jäger explains. The first problem with the new layout: “The foil labeller had a significantly smaller footprint and we had to fiddle around until we came up with a suitable solution,” Jäger comments.

Stipulation to only dismantle and assemble, and maintain the use of interfaces

Rothaus wanted no further major changes to the crate infeed and outfeed and therefore stipulated only dismantling and assembly work in the palletising area with the continued use of existing interfaces. This was not going to be easy, but after drawing up several design variants a very good solution was found“, Jäger underscores. Another tricky task awaited, Jäger continues, and this was in the integration of the existing pallet destrapper and the pallet elevator. “The machinery guidelines which have to be implemented with regard to safety have become a real challenge. Especially for existing plants with a defined footprint. However, we were still able to achieve good accessibility to the individual components which is needed for cleaning and maintenance purposes.“

There was also a very hard task to be dealt with at the pallet elevator. Jäger recalls: “The pallet elevator was integrated in the machine control system of the old loading system. This was something we were not really aware of, it was quite a surprise.” On the hardware side, BMS thus had to set up a new stand-alone control system. The control software, on the other hand, was taken over as much as possible in order to have CE certification.

Whereas BMS previously acted primarily as a machine partner, for example in the area of packaging machines, its area of responsibility was significantly expanded in this project.

Loader and unloader in column-type design

In terms of machinery, the complete pallet conveying system including the pallet magazine as well as the loader and unloader were supplied. Both are layer palletisers of the type Unipal 108 in column-type design. Both loader and unloader have an output capacity of 2,700 24-bottle crates per hour, and with 20-bottle crates the output is 3,250 crates per hour. Rothaus specifically chose this machine type because: firstly, column-type palletisers were already installed in the old plant. With regard to the layout it was therefore a simple and attractive solution. Secondly, Rothaus has been relying on the Unipal palletiser model since 2017. “We therefore knew that these palletisers feature an extremely stable design and operate with reliable accuracy and precision,” Jäger explains. Also in favour of this choice of machine were similarities in maintenance, spare parts and operation.

Scope of responsibility significantly expanded

The contract was awarded on 11 September 2020. Compared to previous joint projects, Rothaus has significantly expanded BMS’s area of responsibility. “Previously BMS acted primarily as our partner for machines, now they were responsible for the entire package, from the layout and the components to dismantling and selling of the old plant, to assembly, automation as well as commissioning, including the training of operators“, Jäger adds.

The dismantling of the old plant started on 06 February 2021, production start-up took place in calendar week 8. Since then, pallets with empties are being conveyed to the palletising level via the elevator as before. “We still have a real bottle cellar,” Jäger adds, grinning slightly. It is followed by the destrapper, then the unloader. The empty pallet is conveyed from here to the magazine where it is buffered. This is a key function because due to the storage capacity, Rothaus drives the empties pallets six-crates high into the warehouse, and in this way also into the filling lines. The full goods, however, leave the filling line only five crates high. As a result of this there is a shortage of pallets for the full goods, whereas there is a surplus of pallets for the empties.

Already completed: the redesign of the palletising area including pallet transport and pallet magazine.

Magazine buffers pallets fully automatically

Missing pallets can be manually fed into the magazine via a loading station or stored at two separate buffer stations. If there is a surplus of pallets, for instance when the line starts – the surplus pallets are temporarily stored in the magazine and the buffer stations and then conveyed to the loader as required. If there is still a surplus of pallets, Rothaus removes the corresponding blocks manually. Alternatively, new pallets can also be fed in via this stream. Downstream of the loader the pallets are secured as required with cord labelling. The full goods pallet is then conveyed by the elevator to the discharge level.

Loader processes up to three streams of packs

The identical type of machine has been installed as loader and unloader. “With regard to the palletisers it makes no real difference from a design point of view whether they transfer full or empty goods”, Jäger assures us. The loader was given three bays as a special feature. Jäger goes on to explain: “In the filling line we have the option of sorting empties inline. In this case, two additional crate streams are fed to the loader.” These are firstly Rothaus crates with third-party bottles and secondly sorted Rothaus glass bottles.“ Our crates feature identical dimensions, so there are 0.5 litre crates and 0.33 litre crates on the pallets. If, for example, we now fill 0.5 litres, then our sorted 0.33 litre crates are conveyed on the second stream. The third stream conveys the then filled goods, in this case 0.5 litre crates,” Jäger explains. Depending on the situation in the buffer line the three streams are called up accordingly and are placed on pallets by the loader and then conveyed to warehouse logistics.

Rothaus chose a column-type palletiser for both the loader and the unloader.

A completely new challenge – the Corona pandemic

It was indeed an unprecedented challenge that was then faced during the actual processing of the project - the strict Covid hygiene measures. Jäger continues: “During this phase we had to run the entire filling programme on our second plant. It was therefore vital that all deadlines were met, in spite of the difficult conditions and restricted direct communication – and it all went well.” The cloud-based construction site management system LOP 4.0 played an important role in this respect. All parties involved in the project can access this cloud solution via the BMS homepage using a password. No special software is required. Data security is ensured at all times.

This digital project platform maps the current status with the highest possible transparency during the construction site phase, from delivery right up to commissioning. Here, among other things, it gives a graphic display of how many jobs are currently outstanding, in progress or completed. A filter function also allows the information to be generated quickly and in a targeted manner. Another feature is a digital material list that acts as a push client.

LOP 4.0 is furthermore an open communication and documentation platform. Each project partner can, for example, upload photos or videos, propose next steps or prioritise individual items. This makes sure that the status of all project modules is always up to date and clearly understandable. Any interactions with the next steps can thus be seen immediately. This reduces conflict and coordination losses and leads to a high level of planning ability.

Problem solved: Machinery guidelines with regard to safety are a real challenge for the planning, especially in the case of existing plants with a defined footprint and specified interfaces.

Clear positive effects through LOP 4.0 and “Virtual Commissioning“

“Despite Covid-19, the overall execution within the scope of the project was simply faster compared to previous projects, showing the clear positive effect of LOP 4.0. The “virtual commissioning” certainly contributed to this development as well,” Jäger points out. This computer-aided simulation tool is also an in-house development of BMS. Using this tool it is possible to carry out process engineering and commissioning of the software in parallel. In this process, the actual PLC of the machine is given concrete tasks and challenges by a simulated model. For example, the virtual model sends a signal to the PLC which then drives a virtual motor faster. The commissioning engineer can therefore see whether the actual value matches the target value, before getting to the construction site. Or whether, in the case of a simulated sensor defect, all fault messages are programmed correctly. In this way, the commissioning of the machine or plant at the customer’s premises is optimised decisively.

The final question is then: is Rothaus satisfied once again with the execution of the project and the plant performance? „Absolutely.” Jäger concludes. “From planning right through to the commissioning, the implementation went extremely well in every respect. Particularly exemplary was the way in which any required optimisation work was openly approached.” Rothaus can now, in the year of its anniversary, tick off this major modernisation step as accomplished and is more than happy to share a Tannenzäpfle with us.

Published in: Brauwelt International
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