Electricity + Control September 2018

CONTROL SYSTEMS + AUTOMATION + SYSTEMS ENGINEERING

The digital era in the art of brewing

Information provided by Siemens

Whether as part of a cosy dinner, at a festival, or at a party – a glass of beer is integral to many occasions. On average, each German drinks around 106 litres a year (as of 2015, Source: STATISTA). Nationwide, that amounts to more than eight billion litres of the golden brew.

Take Note!

With digitalisation, all processes in the various areas of the brewery can be flawlessly controlled and visualised. The master brewer can now individually compose each recipe and adapt it flexibly. Quality control is even more accurate.

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Digitalisation in the brewery business Today, brewing companies are facing a multitude of challenges. The variety of types of beer on the market is increasing – as is cost pressure from the competition. To attain the goal of a more flex- ible and economical process, digitalisation of the brewing equipment along the entire value chain is vital, from the receipt of raw materials and delivery of products to production and corporate resource planning. If all processes are perfectly coordinated and all components of the equipment communi- cate reliably, the entire plant becomes more flexi- ble, ultimately reducing costs. The Stieglbrauerei zu Salzburg brewery, Aus- tria's largest private brewery, relies on a custom automation system to brew about 20 different types of beer efficiently, economically, and with consistently excellent taste. Choice of ingredients is not the only area in which the Stiegl private brewery insists on the very best quality. Technical implementation of the

brewing process has to meet the Salzburg-based company's high standards as well. Having started in 1492 with rather basic components like electric motors, the brewery continued with more com- plex control systems for automating the produc- tion processes during the 1970s. Today they have transformed to a new, customised automation solution, thereby digitising its processes from start to finish. Brewing beer remains a craft With digitalisation, all processes in the various areas of the brewery – including the brewhouse and the fermenting, storage, and specialty cellars – can be flawlessly controlled and visualised. Sim- ple but effective recipe control is at the core of the system. The master brewer can now individually compose each recipe and adapt it flexibly. Quali- ty control is even more accurate, and the unique flavours of the individual types of beer are more distinct than ever.

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SEPTEMBER 2018