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11/08/2016

KHS gives craft breweries greater flexibility with its new keg system solutions

Efficient filling technology which grows with the company: at BrauBeviale KHS GmbH will be presenting its new module system for craft brewers.

• System with racking and washing elements can be expanded at will
• Optional combination with a flash pasteurizer
• Returnable and non-returnable containers doable

Dortmund/Nuremberg, November 8, 2016 – Efficient filling technology which grows with the company: at BrauBeviale KHS GmbH will be presenting its new module system for craft brewers. With the KHS Innokeg AF filler and AC washing modules and the Innopro BoxFlash flash pasteurizer, now tailored to meet kegging specifications, the systems supplier is extending its keg racking portfolio to specifically meet the demands of smaller breweries. The modular system for keg filling and washing can be expanded as and when required, thus giving craft breweries an especially high degree of flexibility. With its new keg modules KHS is offering the craft brewing scene a future-proof system. “When you grow, you can grow with KHS,” says Roger Daum, product manager at the KHS Keg Product Center. The KHS Innokeg AF module enables up to 50 kegs per hour to be processed. Should a positive company development call for filling capacities to be increased, breweries can easily boost their racking output using the modular system. “In this way craft brewers obtain maximum flexibility because they can specifically plan and configure the size of their system depending on the performance and range of equipment they require. The modular approach also keeps the initial level of investment low,” states Daum. Both returnable and non-returnable kegs can be racked on the Innokeg AF module. The filling system for returnable kegs can be combined with the washing module. With this KHS ensures a high standard of hygiene which meets craft brewers’ quality requirements. The racking module for one-way kegs can either be handled manually or, if required, processed automatically by robots.

The entire system grows with the client

Interfaces for expansions in conveying and keg handling also exist, enabling the entire system to grow as demand increases. KHS also fits its Innokeg AF module with the proven Direct Flow Control system. With this breweries can rack their kegs directly without having to use an indirect return gas control setup. This reduces the amount of gas used on site by up to 40%. Combined with the Innopro BoxFlash flash pasteurizer, also dimensioned to fit into a single container, KHS now provides a full keg racking, plug-and-produce system which fits into the smallest possible space. KHS has specially designed the Innopro BoxFlash for combined use with the Innokeg CombiKeg filler – right down to the preparation of media such as CO2 or compressed air which is managed jointly for both system components on the flash pasteurizer module. From the end of 2016 this system can also be fitted with the optional OnBoard CIP module. Thanks to this combination, after production both the Innopro BoxFlash and Innokeg CombiKeg filler can be internally cleaned without the need for an additional external CIP system. Two container parking stations and CIP media dosing pumps have been integrated into the flash pasteurizer for the supply of CIP media. These optimized processes and the compact design cut CIP times for the flash pasteurizer and filler down to a minimum.

More offers for big breweries

Once craft brewers have reached a certain filling volume, it is worth them switching over to a larger system which makes use of tried-and-tested KHS technology. The very successful Innokeg CombiKeg, a container-sized turnkey system with exterior and interior washing, a filling station and integrated weigher, is one such alternative. Up to 90 containers per hour can be processed fully automatically in the smallest of spaces. For established breweries KHS continues to offer its high-performance Innokeg Contikeg system which racks up to 1,500 kegs per hour fully automatically. For the medium capacity range of between 55 and 800 kegs an hour there is the Innokeg Transomat which was relaunched with an integrated tank system in the spring of 2016. KHS GmbH will be presenting its extended product portfolio for keg filling this week at Booth 5-147 in Hall 5 at BrauBeviale in Nuremberg, Germany.

About the KHS Group

The KHS Group is one of the leading manufacturers of filling and packaging systems for the beverage, food and non-food industries. The KHS Group includes the following companies, among others: KHS GmbH, KHS Corpoplast GmbH, KHS Plasmax GmbH and NMP Systems GmbH. KHS GmbH manufactures modern filling and packaging systems at its headquarters in Dortmund, Germany, and in Kleve, Bad Kreuznach and Worms. The KHS Group's PET expertise is pooled at KHS Corpoplast and KHS Plasmax in Hamburg, Germany, where light PET packaging and innovative coating systems are developed and produced. NMP Systems GmbH, a wholly-owned subsidiary of KHS GmbH based in Düsseldorf in Germany, designs and markets new, resource-saving packaging systems for PET bottles. The Group has an international production and service network. In 2015 KHS was awarded the Top 100 seal of approval for exceptional innovative power and outstanding innovative success among German SMEs. In 2015 the KHS Group and its 4,871 employees achieved a turnover of around €1.17 billion within the Salzgitter consolidation. The companies in the KHS Group are 100% subsidiaries of the MDAX-listed Salzgitter AG corporation.