Beer producers such as Heineken, SAB Miller and Bluetongue Brewery have partnered with Siemens, either directly or through an Original Equipment Manufacturer, to help manage their complex set of beer-making processes in a highly competitive market.
Using a process control system called Braumat, designed specifically to assist breweries to visualise, control and monitor beer production efficiently, these commercial breweries can manage their entire brewing process in a seamless and transparent way.
With so many variables affecting the taste, texture and colour of beer, an effective automation system is a must for any commercially viable brewery. These factors become even more complex when taking into account cost efficiency, market influences and environmental pressures as well.
After 30 years on the market, Braumat is undergoing another upgrade to enable greater functionalities in line with the growing technical needs of the modern brewery industry.
"The new Braumat version will incorporate modern functional features that will provide our customers with the assurance that they can continue to rely on Braumat in the future," says Gunther Walden, Head of Food and Beverages at Siemens.
Walden said that the proven control system, which operates in hundreds of breweries around the world, will see “an increase in the number of signals or parameters for processing which will mean substantially enhanced functional scope.”
Other features of Braumat 7.0 will include simplified engineering as well as more effective and additive functions for processes such as material management and automation in the cellar area.
The operation of Braumat will be simplified by a re-engineered graphic user interface and aligned with the needs of modern operators. At the same time, new functions will be implemented to address the growing security needs of modern automation technology.
Braumat 7.0 is scheduled to roll out worldwide in the first half of 2014.