Dry part: Stiegl Brewery relies on BMS expertise

Read on here for all major details regarding the planning, implementation and commissioning of the new dry part.

The Stiegl Brewery, based in Salzburg, Austria, stands like no other company for the highest level of brewing art. First documented in 1492, the brewery offers the full range of top and bottom- fermented beers, plus limited editions of special beer creations and its Brauwelt Experience venue.

The decision for the recent modernisation of its production facilities went once again in favour of BMS Maschinenfabrik. In just six weeks we were able to significantly increase the performance of the dry part – despite complicated restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In the following you can find out more about the history of the Stiegl brewery in Salzburg, the set goals of the latest project as well as the customised solutions delivered by BMS.

Despite Corona: The Stiegl Brewery in Salzburg implements dry part with the help of BMS

Regardless of whether trade, services or industry: the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 has had a massive impact on every segment of the economy. Yet there are still visionary companies like the Stiegl Brewery in Salzburg that are investing in a new dry part, in spite of the adverse conditions. This is where palletising and depalletising takes place, integrated in the bottling hall with the other plants and machines.

Solid portal-type technology implemented in a complete stainless steel design.

The BMS product range includes palletising and depalletising systems that can be designed for any performance figures or pack shapes. With our individual approach, which takes the customer’s interests and the specific on-site requirements into account, we are able to ensure a smooth implementation of the project.

We are proud that the Stiegl Brewery - the largest privately owned brewery in Austria - relies on BMS competence and expertise. The brewery accounts for approximately eleven percent of the Austrian market and sells premium beers in 28 countries across the globe, including the USA and Canada. Read on for details on the cooperation between BMS Maschinenfabrik and the Austrian premium beer manufacturer.

A brief portrait of the Stiegl Brewery in Salzburg: quality and tradition since 1492

Stiegl Brewery in Salzburg was first mentioned in 1492 as “Haus Bey der Stiegen“

It is definitely a sign of a very special brewing tradition that still stands today for premium beers “made in Austria”, despite all the changing conditions. The present-day Stiegl Brewery in Salzburg was first mentioned as “Haus Bey der Stiegen“ in a document that dates back to 1492. The name comes from the common word for steps “Stiege” (The House by the Steps), referring to the origin of the brewing water.

After becoming the leading brewhouse in Salzburg in the 17th century, Stiegl also started to expand. This led to the traditional company moving to new production facilities in Maxglan in 1863, where it is still based today.

Key data of the Austrian Stiegl Brewery:

• • Largest privately owned brewery in Austria
• • Annual output: 1,000,000 hectolitres of beer
• • Market share in Austria: eleven percent
• • Pack variety: 1/3 barrels, 50 percent bottles, 18 percent cans
• • Export share: eleven percent, including Italy, Canada and the USA
• • Range of products: selection of top and bottom-fermented beers (full range), beer mix drinks and non-alcoholic beverages, constantly extended with seasonal beer specialties and new products (also the production of pale ale since March 2020)
• • Most popular beer: Stiegl-Goldbräu (Märzen beer according to Austrian tradition)

The Stiegl Brewery has always been open to creative designs and ideas, this being underscored by the “Stiegl Brauwelt Experience” - an interactive world of beer. There is also a museum as well as a state-of-the-art microbrewery.

Special feature: Guests can choose between different specialty brews in limited editions. For this purpose there is a specially equipped tasting room (with beer specialties from all over the world). Once a year, there is also a market launch of special beers, matured in wooden casks in the brewery’s own barrel aging cellar. This overall concept is rounded off with the Wildshut estate near the city of Salzburg, which relies, among other things, on traditional grain varieties, its own malting and brewing using its own small brewing plant.

BMS Maschinenfabrik: A long-standing partner of the Stiegl Brewery in Salzburg

We are proud to support Stiegl - one of Austria’s most renowned premium manufacturers – in many key areas. We have already implemented a chamber pasteuriser and a high performance new glass sweep-off depalletiser, among other things. We are fully aware of the special requirements that have to be observed at all times in the light of Stiegl’s quality approach.

Marco Kaulas, head of filling and packaging at Stiegl recalls: „It was indeed a real prototype – a good opportunity to put their skills and the company to the test under tough real conditions. Everything went perfectly and the machine has been running to our fullest satisfaction ever since.“

The combination of previously implemented projects and the sound reliability of our equipment led to us rightly being chosen for the modernisation of the dry part of the bottling plant. There were several goals that hat had to be met as requirements for this investment:

• • Expansion of the production capacity
• • Automation of the control stations for empties and pallets
• • Greater flexibility and an increase in buffer capacity

The particular challenge: The space conditions remained the same despite the significant increase in the amount of equipment. It was therefore necessary to develop a customised solution in order to appropriately implement the respective higher volume of the overall plant. Read on to find out how we accomplished this.

Sought and found: Solid portal-type technology implemented in a complete stainless steel design

From our many years of practical experience we know precisely what is important when new systems have to be integrated in an existing building. The key features of the Stiegl order for modernisation of the dry part:

• • Assumption of all work stages, from the layout, production, assembly and automation up to commissioning and training of staff (turnkey project management)
• • Integration of a Unipack 103 packer as well as a Unipal 105 loader and unloader respectively
• • Integration of an external empty pack control including pallet securing system (mechanical/control-side)
• • Placement of two decorkers, a crate washer, a new glass sweep-off depalletiser as well as a full crate control (all taken from the old plant)

Most importantly: BMS Maschinenfabrik had just six weeks to complete the disassembly, floor and drainage rehabilitation as well as the final assembly and commissioning. Thanks to our high level of planning expertise we were able to get everything done within the set timeframe.

Here you can read the complete report on the Stiegl project for implementing a new dry part.

Published in: Getränkeindustrie / September 2020