PERISTALTIC PUMP QUENCHES BREWERY”S THIRST FOR TOP QUALITY

When conventional piston pumps were threatening quality at one of the most productive breweries in Europe, the solution arrived in the form of an SPX25 direct-coupled peristaltic hose pump supplied by Watson-Marlow Pumps Group.

Such was the success of the SPX25 that Anheuser-Busch InBev UK”s Magor Brewery in Monmouthshire, South Wales now has a total of six such models on site.

Kieselguhr, a sedimentary rock/mineral, is used by brewers as part of the critical beer filtration process. Here, a pump is deployed to dose kieselguhr in slurry form into the filter so it forms a “bed” on a plate and frame filter. However, the unreliability of the piston pumps being used can lead to significant opportunity to introduce dissolved oxygen (DO) into the beer. 

“Even the slightest traces of DO in beer can change its flavour, making it taste stale,” explains Paul Evans, Tech Services First Line Manager at Anheuser-Busch InBev”s Magor Brewery. “This can be catastrophic for both our reputation and sales.”

Anheuser-Busch InBev”s reputation is certainly worth protecting. A list of its UK top sellers reads like a “who”s who?” of the nation”s best-loved brands. Stella Artois and Boddingtons are both brewed at Magor.  Other Anheuser-Busch InBev brands available in the UK include Beck”s, Budweiser, Brahma and Bass.

“It is critical for us to monitor the ingress of DO into our beers – we strive to achieve levels of less than 10 ppb (parts per billion), which is incredibly difficult over the entire brewing process where the potential for exposure to oxygen is high,” says Mr Evans. “Unfortunately the stainless steel non-return valves on the discharge side of our piston pumps began to stick due to the corrosive nature of the kieselghur slurry. As a result we would end up maintaining or replacing the pumps, which would inevitably expose the beer to the atmosphere.”

With three filter mains on site at the Magor Brewery, InBev decided to trial an SPX25 peristaltic pump supplied by Watson-Marlow Pumps Group.

“The peristaltic operating principle intrigued us because it seemed there would be no way to introduce oxygen into our process,” says Mr Evans.
“However, the proof is in the pudding so we introduced an SPX25 model to one of our filter mains.”

Described as the world”s fastest growing pump type, peristaltic pumps have no valves, seals or glands, and the fluid contacts only the bore of the hose or tube, eliminating the risk of the pump contaminating the fluid, or the fluid contaminating the pump. At the Magor Brewery, extensive trials were completed with flying colours, an outcome that led to the acquisition of the pump, along with two further models for the other filter mains.

“Furthermore, the pumps are linked via an inverter to our PLC using a SCADA interface so that we can ramp the speed up and down as required,” explains Mr Evans. “We also find the running signal to be extremely useful so that if we come anywhere close to the 2000 hours recommended by Watson-Marlow, we can change the hose as part of a planned and preventative maintenance schedule.”

The SPX25, which features a rugged hub with twin-bearing rotor at its core, combines the advantages of bare-shaft construction with those of a close-coupled pump. The pump bearings absorb the forces occurring in the pump centrally, placing no load on the gearbox bearings, which means no coupling, no alignment and no heavy-duty base plate – resulting in less installation time, less maintenance and lower costs.

Such has been the success of the filter mains project at Anheuser-Busch InBev”s Magor Brewery that the company has since acquired a further three
SPX25 peristaltic pumps for use in a different operation on a similar application.

“What price do you put on quality?” concludes Mr Evans. “You can”t put a figure on the value of brand reputation and customer satisfaction. The Watson-Marlow peristaltic pumps have provided the ideal solution to a guaranteeing the quality our customers and consumers expect from Anheuser-Busch InBev.”

Anheuser-Busch InBev is one of the world”s top five consumer products companies. The business spans 30 countries to achieve combined annual revenue exceeding $36 billion. Over 120,000 direct employees help supply the market with four of the world”s top 10 selling beers.

For further information please contact;

Heather Beale                              
WATSON-MARLOW PUMPS                  
T: 01326 370370