The micro-brewery Hardknott, based in Cumbria in the UK, produces craft beers with such names as Azimuth and Intergalactic Space Hopper. To ensure adherence to fermentation and brewery process parameters vital to the quality of the beer, company founder David Bailey relies on control and automation technology from Siemens.
Craft beer is soaring in popularity. Originally coined in the USA, the term craft beer is used to denote beer types produced by the growing movement of independent, small and highly localised brewery companies. The British micro-brewery Hardknott founded 12 years ago by David Bailey is one such independent producer with its own take on the amber brew. Like many other micro-breweries, Hardknott is keen to emphasise the craft and individuality that goes into its beers. So it comes as no surprise that the beer names such as Azimuth, Continuum, Dark Energy, Code Black or Intergalactic Space Hopper are chosen by Bailey to reflect the unique character of the product. To satisfy his own and his customers’ stringent quality expectations, when it comes to technical innovation and investment, Bailey relies on technology from Siemens.
Indispensable for quality assurance
“Control of the fermentation temperature helps to improve the quality and consistency of the beer considerably,” explains Bailey. “Fermentation takes place over several days and on a practical basis the process can’t be watched continuously.” This is why for cost reasons, some breweries dispense with complex and costly temperature control systems and instead use less accurate manual on/off controls. Unwilling to compromise on quality, this was not an option for Bailey. Instead, he opted in favour of using Logo! 8 from Siemens. The brewery was already using Logo! to control a keg washing application, so extending its use to the fermentation process seemed an obvious choice.
Simple, precise, rapid
As the fermentation temperature must not be allowed to deviate from target by more than a single degree, its precise control is paramount. Logo! 8 takes this easily in its stride. The control system also features a function which logs acquired data onto an SD card. This allows the control process to be further optimised, makes the brewing process stable and reproducible, and also provides a trend display. The clearly arranged graphic user interface enables the control system to be intuitively operated. Added to this are the large display, the diverse scope for communication over Ethernet or remote communication over the wireless cellular network and the integrated web server. This can be operated without any special programming knowledge in HTML, so accessing the controller is simple. “Using Logo! to control our brewing process has already proven to be beneficial because it offers flexibility, scalability and the potential to be seamlessly networked with other Siemens technology,” says Bailey. “We wanted to meet the functional demands of this new generation of breweries, yet remain affordable,” adds Sara Nichols from Siemens. “Working closely with these brewers, we have developed a solution to support all the requirements of the fermentation process, including remote access, data logging, and app support.”
For more information contact Jennifer Naidoo, Siemens Digital Factory and Process Industries and Drives, +27 (0)11 652 2795, [email protected], www.siemens.co.za
Compressed air treatment do’s and don’ts Artic Driers International
Editor's Choice Pneumatic systems & components
As a long-established importer and manufacturer of air dryers, Artic Dryers often sees the results of poor installation and issues with aftercoolers that create serious problems in air drying systems.
Read more...Process control system for the entire plant lifecycle Siemens South Africa
Editor's Choice
The automation of process plants has been characterised by IT silos for a long time. The high level of IT security required was achieved through strict isolation from the outside world. However, this made unlocking the opportunities for digitalisation very difficult. This is a compelling reason to opt for Simatic PCS neo – Siemens’s completely web-based process control system with state-of-the-art IT security concepts.
Read more...Celebrating 65 years: rebuilding and redefining its legacy Axiom Hydraulics
Editor's Choice News & events
Founded in 1959 by Neill Simpson, Axiom Hydraulics has grown into one of South Africa’s elite hydraulic companies. Over the past six and a half decades they’ve weathered many challenges, but none as devastating as the fire of 2023.
Read more...Monitoring the health of systems SA Gauge
Editor's Choice Shaft power components
Pressure and temperature gauges are vital instruments in various industries. However, they are susceptible to failures that can compromise their accuracy and reliability. When these gauges fail, the consequences can be severe.
Read more...PC-based control for advanced hydrogen storage technology Beckhoff Automation
Editor's Choice Electrical switching & drive systems & components
The proportion of renewable energies from solar, wind and water is rising continuously. However, sufficient storage options are of the essence to use these energies as efficiently as possible. GKN Hydrogen offers a particularly compact and safe option, low-pressure metal hydride hydrogen storage systems with PC-based control from Beckhoff.
Read more...Axiom reaches new heights Axiom Hydraulics
Editor's Choice Electrical switching & drive systems & components
When Rula Bulk Handling could not source a cable tensioner large enough for a new cableway, the engineers knew they had to come up with an inventive solution. After discovering that no such tensioner was immediately available, Rula approached Axiom Hydraulics and ifm to assist with building their own.
Read more...At least 60 million strokes Horne Technologies
Editor's Choice Electrical switching & drive systems & components
Designing and constructing compact automation systems is one of the core activities of the Austrian machine manufacturer, STIWA. Its modular LTM-CI system has been optimised for small parts assembly. Linear and rotating micromotors from Faulhaber perform key tasks in these systems.
Read more...Pushing technological boundaries with Festo Electric Automation solutions Festo South Africa
Editor's Choice
In the ever-evolving landscape of Industrial Automation, Festo Electric Automation solutions are at the forefront of a revolution, fundamentally reshaping production paradigms. As a global leader in automation, Festo focuses on intelligent connectivity to reduce costs, save time, and increase efficiency and convenience for customers.
Read more...Perfect balance for every race Horne Technologies
Editor's Choice Electrical switching & drive systems & components
It goes without saying that success in Formula 1 requires a top driver. However, their chance of achieving a place on the podium depends on the car, which in turn depends on three essential factors: engine, tyres and aerodynamics. To find the optimum balance, the racing teams test models of their bolides in the wind tunnel. At Sauber, the adjustable components are moved on the model and in the test chamber using FAULHABER motors.
Read more...Reshaping the future of air freight with Siemens software Siemens South Africa
Electrical switching & drive systems & components
Aerospace company, Natilus has adopted the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio of industry software. The company is focused on transforming the world’s supply chain with its next-generation blended-wing body aircraft, and through its use of Siemens software it has reduced the development time to build its first prototype aircraft by 50%.
printer friendly version