Competitive advantage secured

  

Lubomir Neubauer*

*  Head of KHS representative office Czech Republic and  Slovakia , KHS GmbH,    

   Budweis, Phone.:+4 20-38 55 15-1 02

Pilsner Urquell belongs to the Plzensky Prazdroj brewery group which also includes three other traditional Czech breweries: Gambrinus in Pilsen and Radegast and Velke Popovice in Nosovice. In the Czech Republic, Plzensky Prazdroj holds an almost 50% share of the beer market, making it the biggest brewery group here, followed by the Staropramen brewery and the breweries of the Heineken Group. What's interesting is that these three brewing groups cover about 85% of the total Czech beer consumption. At 144 liters per capita beer consumption in the Czech Republic remains the highest in the world – even though this has sunk by approximately 15 liters per head in the last ten years. 

Since 1999 the historic brewery group has belonged to SABMiller, the second-largest brewery group in the world, which is based in Woking, Great Britain. Hamara says, "Among other things, we profit from being part of the SABMiller group by the constant exchange of expert information on all levels,

learning from other operations and passing on our expertise in return. For example, after an initial test phase we communicated the positive experience we'd gained during the Innofill Can DVD pilot project to our colleagues. SABMiller followed the relevant report with great interest." 

In 2014 Plzensky Prazdroj realized sales over 10 million hectoliters, of which almost 3.5 million hectoliters of beer were exported. Katerina Krasova, press spokesperson for Plzensky Prazdroj, tells us more. "In 2014 we were again able to gain new markets, such as New Zealand, Singapore, Slovenia and Serbia. Our brands, particularly Pilsner Urquell and Velkopopovicky Kozel, are also successful on highly competitive beer markets, for example Germany and the UK. Thanks to their top quality and characteristic taste, they are already popular in 54 countries around the globe." Here, the Pilsner Urquell brand still plays a major role in its 54 export countries – which is hardly surprising, as the legendary brew has been made to the same recipe since 1842.  Besides using the best locally sourced ingredients, Pilsner Urquell is also subjected to an extra-long quality maturing phase of five weeks as opposed to the usual 16 days. 

Despite its many exports the company has a close bond with its home market, attempting to satisfy the very different demands of the consumers in its native country with a wide range of products.  Gambrinus pilsner, for instance, named after the brewery of the same name in Pilsen founded in 1869, is one of the most frequently consumed brand beers in the Czech Republic. There are also a number of specialty beers, among them the traditional Velkopopovicky Kozel lager, Birell, the Czechs' most popular alcohol-free beer, Radegast, which is brewed in Moravia, and dark special brew Master. The most recent addition to the family is Fenix, a wheat beer launched in 2012, which has been excellently received by consumers. The focus is largely on the brewery's historic beers, however, and impressively echoes the great brewing tradition associated with the Czech Republic.

Plzensky Prazdroj of course also markets products in the mid-price segment, such as the popular Primus and Klasik brands. It also aims to reach out to younger adults with alcoholic mixed beer beverages and most recently with its Kingswood cider.

Throughout its diverse spectrum of products the brewery group has realized that the beverage can especially is undergoing something of a renaissance.  In 2004 just under 2% of brewery sales reached the consumer in the can; this figure is now at 10%. This growth was to the detriment of the keg, sales of which declined from 52% to 44% over this period. States Krasova, "Consumer habits in the Czech Republic have shifted from the hospitality trade to the privacy of the home or to outdoor leisure activities. Both cans and beer in PET have profited from this, the latter container accounting for 8% of our sales in the meantime. Glass bottles currently account for 38%." The main emphasis is on the can, however, the dynamic market development of which Plzensky Prazdroj wishes to actively exploit to generate further growth, especially where the fast turnover of beer and mixed beer beverages is concerned.

This is no problem with the future-oriented Innofill Can DVD generation of can fillers.

Equipped with 124 filling stations the Innofill Can DVD processes up to 60,000 cans per hour. Hamara is pleased. "Thanks to the very positive experience we've had with KHS as a systems supplier, especially regarding our old KHS canning equipment and our KHS keg lines, the decision was relatively quick and easy and made even before we traveled to drinktec.  We were simply convinced that this can filler would set new standards in its segment and that we would profit from being a pioneer. And this is exactly what happened."

The following illustrates just why the Innofill Can DVD is setting a new benchmark in can filling. 

The pioneering hygienic design developed for the predecessor of the Innofill Can DVD has been improved by adding three important new features:

1. The entire machine concept has no front table and is cleaned fully automatically. The conveyor and feed screw, transfer star, filler and seamer are driven by separate servomotors which are encased in stainless steel or located in protective star columns outside the hygiene area. Flange-free cross pipes in which all cables and lines are laid connect the filler carousel and the star columns. Hygienically designed sealing systems fully protect the system towards the outside.
2. The can infeed and discharge conveyors are open and perfectly accessible for cleaning and disinfection.
3. Filling valves can be easily fitted to or removed from the valve support. During fitting all pneumatic connections for both the beverage and process gases are made automatically; they are also disconnected automatically when removed. There are no more hoses or cables in the hygiene zone. This gives KHS fillers a clear competitive edge, as much less machine downtime is needed for maintenance. All of the solenoid valves needed to control the filling process are located outside the hygiene and filling area on the filler carousel where they are safely encapsulated. Media is supplied through connecting tubes in the form of scissor joints, into which aseptic sealing systems have been integrated. 
4. In the patented KHS sanitary room concept the interior area of the filler carousel with its many supply and control units is outside the actual hygiene area. It is accessible from above for maintenance yet does not allow contact with the hygienically critical sections of the machine.

The cans are purged with CO2 at a pressure close to atmospheric pressure. By reducing the gas density an up to 30% reduction in the CO2 consumption or an up to 50% lower residual oxygen content in the filled cans can be achieved. A reduction in both values is also feasible, adjusted according to the beverage to be filled. Hamara explains, "At first we weren't entirely convinced that such major improvements could be achieved. However, we've since even managed to top some of the values KHS predicted!" Maximum filling accuracy is provided by using electromagnetic inductive flow metering. Twin-valve control of the filling valves is standard for the Innofill Can DVD, thus considerably reducing the associated maintenance effort.

All beverages Pilsner Urquell wishes to process on this can filler in the future are subject to maximum quality and thus consumer protection. "The new use of an expansion joint at the filling valve ensures that the can opening is aseptically sealed during the filling process. This component also no longer needs any water lubrication and can be included in the CIP sanitizing and sterilizing process. This means that for the first time we can do away with permanent, microbiologically critical filling valve water spraying which all can fillers required to date," says Hamara enthusiastically. Here, Plzensky Prazdroj went for the automatic CIP plates option. Here, integrated spray nozzles ensure that all product and process gas-conducting passages and the outsides of the filling valves and CIP plates are reliably cleaned. The filler thus creates good prospective conditions for an ultraclean environment. In doing so, the company is not only exemplary in satisfying its own high standards of hygiene but also in meeting those of its parent company SABMiller.

Of great importance for Pilsner Urquell – particularly in light of the wide variety of beer and beverage styles to be filled – is that seals and membranes are all made of flavor-resistant materials. When changing over to another product, there is no flavor transfer after the cleaning process. Hamara claims, "We thus don't have to worry if, for example, Gambrinus flavored beers are on our filling agenda directly after wheat beer."

Another decisive advantage of this machine is the high flexibility of the dry valve. Here, an expansion individually regulates the force with which the bell guide is pressed against the can mouth and is geared entirely towards the type of can to be processed.

This means that very different formats for steel, aluminum (also lightweight) and even PET cans, with diameters ranging from 53 to 73 mm, can be set in the shortest time by the centrally configurable recipe management system without the need for mechanical changeovers – unlike the standard filling systems common to the market. The advantages are maximum line availability and savings for additional format parts, as format changeovers are now a thing of the past.

  

Unlike the previous generation of can fillers the aforementioned new and further developments have not only enabled significant savings in cleaning media and consumables to be made; using considerably lower wear components has also resulted in longer maintenance intervals. To date, once a year the filling machine had to be subjected to a full maintenance program which took several days. It now only needs to be serviced within the space of two years. This means that in usual three-shift operation alone considerable annual savings potentials are a given, as is a much high line availability.

At higher line capacities empty cans can cause the seamer to crash and thus considerably reduce the level of line efficiency, as downtimes of 4–5 minutes per crash are not uncommon. To prevent this happening empty cans between the filler and seamer have to be rejected. The Innofill Can DVD has an automatic empty can detector which, on pinpointing an empty, sends a corresponding signal to the non-pneumatic, high-speed Innocheck VRS (Vario Reject System) pusher which then reliably discharges the can before it reaches the seamer.

Says Hamara, "This inspection system again significantly boosts our line efficiency. Because of this, we now hardly ever have to remove improperly filled cans by hand."

All of the new and further developments made to the can filler thus increase the future viability of the brewery through sustainable systems and a higher line availability. "This is of particular importance to us precisely because of the future high growth rates predicted for cans," Hamara summarizes, giving a satisfied smile. 

All told, the mood is positive at Pilsner Urquell. "Our increasing export activities of course very much benefit our cans in particular," says Krasova. Enthusiasm for Plzensky Prazdroj beers is generally increasing abroad, as also shown by the increasing number of visitors to the brewery in Pilsen. During the first three quarters of 2014, the total number of people who visited the brewery hit the 600,000 mark. "This is a record," claims Krasova.  "We present our visitors with a unique pilsner and brewing culture which successfully combines innovation with tradition. This is also reflected in our investing in the Innofill Can DVD. Ultimately, we believe that you can only stay market leader if you're open to innovation – and grab the competitive advantage by exploiting the advantages of these innovations."

KHS GmbH is one of the leading manufacturers of filling and packaging systems for the beverage, food and non-food industries. Headquartered in Dortmund, Germany, the company has an international production network with over 4,500 employees worldwide. In 2014 KHS was presented with the Innovation through Research seal. With this the Stifterverband, a nationwide German patron of education and science, honors companies' outstanding commitment to research and development and their particular responsibility to state and society.

KHS GmbH is a wholly owned subsidiary of Salzgitter AG. With around 25,000 employees throughout the globe the German steel and technology group achieved a turnover of over €9 billion in the 2014 business year. Within the Salzgitter Group the KHS Group and two other special machine manufacturers make up the Technology Division and are part of the core business of the MDAX-listed corporation.