By replacing the old stainless steel gateways, many IIoT benefits can be taken advantage of. This is an important reason for being awarded this airport project, in which several hundred gateways are in use. Precise positioning and 100 % reliable detection via RFID lay additional foundations for success. The gateway, which is only 38 mm wide, boasts a compact design and cost efficiency with a high-resolution external color display. Bridged spring terminals enable UL-compliant installation, even up to 2 x 8 A on the dual gateway. The highlight, however, is the parallel diagnostics function via the REST API protocol.


Picture @Spendrups Bryggeri AB

Spendrups Bryggeri AB is the leading brewery and beverage company in Sweden. The family-owned business was founded in 1897 and developed into one of Sweden’s largest and best-known independent breweries. Today, the fourth generation of family members manages the company, which has about 1,100 employees and breweries in Grängesberg, Hällefors, Visby, and Stockholm.

Spendrups Bryggeri AB produces about 400 million liters of beverages annually. The most popular beer brands include Norrlands Guld and Mariestatds Exports. In addition to these beer brands, the company also sells Loka, a carbonated water in various flavors, Cuba Cola, a caffeinated soft drink, and Trocadero, an iconic soft drink with lemonade and fruit flavors. Through its collaboration with Heinecken, Spendrups Bryggeri AB is internationally presented.

Spendrups Bryggeri AB stands for quality and innovation

Spendrups Bryggeri AB, Sweden's leading brewery and beverage company, strives for sustainability and is committed to quality and innovation. The brewery consistently automated the brewing process to ensure reliable, high-quality beverages, especially beers. AS-Interface is part of the brewery’s innovative automation.

“AS-Interface is one of the main automation systems in this brewery,” explains Johan Persson, head of automation at Spendrups Bryggeri AB.

From the malt silo, grist mill, mash kettle, lauter tuns, wort boiler, whirlpool, wort cooler, fermentation and storage tanks, and beer filter to kegging and bottling with labeling, and subsequent shipping, this continuous brewing and bottling process is highly automated. The number of installed sensors and actuators and the resulting process data are extensive.  Specifically, devices involved in the brewing process and valves in the water, cleaning, and filter systems communicate via AS-Interface. “Because only a precise, reliable process guarantees a consistently high beer quality,” Johan Persson states.

Picture @Spendrups Bryggeri AB

AS-Interface impresses through its electromagnetic advantages, such as the intuitive yellow profile cable with piercing technology. “We use this advantage throughout the brewery and filling and packaging systems,” Persson continues. The ingenious connection system enables easy connecting, replacing, moving, or adding devices – safely, quickly, and cost-effectively. The yellow cable comes off a reel and can be cut to the exact length required for the application, therefore omitting unnecessary cable runs. Currently, there is no more straightforward, space-saving, flexible, and safer way to wire a brewery. “We used an estimated nine to ten kilometers of AS-Interface cable,” Persson continues. Simple and reliable connectivity optimizes the processes and reduces the workload and costs, supporting decentralized installations.

AS-Interface’s intuitive wiring technology and topology-free structure minimize errors and simplify network design. “These advantages entail the smooth and safe operational process we focus on,” Persson resumes.

AS-Interface is often used for retrofitting, i.e., modernizing existing systems. “By using AS-Interface, the brewery’s existing system can quickly be equipped with state-of-the-art technology,” Persson informs. “AS-Interface properties lead to a short downtime due to a quick installation.”                  

These advantages establish AS-Interface as the network's leading standard in numerous applications.

Spendrups Bryggeri AB – the full-range beverage supplier

Spendrups Bryggeri AB is a full-range beverage supplier, i.e., in addition to beer, other beverages are produced in this brewery. The range of beverages includes carbonated and non-carbonated water, flavored water, cider, soft drinks, and soda water. The company operates nine filling systems, filling glass and plastic bottles, cans in various sizes, bag-in-boxes, and kegs. Also in use is the so-called Beerdrive, a filling system for truck tanks to deliver beer to restaurants. All systems are connected through pipelines using AS-Interface sensors and actuators. “AS-Interface is the perfect automation solution for our filling systems since package lines are relatively long, but the design of the AS-Interface network keeps the cable requirements to a minimum,” Persson explains. In this automation environment, data and signals are combined in one network. AS-Interface was the perfect network at the brewery’s field level since it perfectly combines and implements data collection with modern communication. A central control station controls and monitors the entire brewery. Remote monitoring is also possible. The systems at Spendrups Bryggeri AB are future-proof.

“AS-Interface enables us to implement automation projects quickly and cost-effectively,” Persson continues. “Operating AS-Interface is easy, fast, and flexible. Therefore, this technology is an essential part of our automation strategy.”

Advantages of AS-Interface for automation systems in the brewing industry:

1. Increased efficiency: Breweries can design production processes more efficiently by connecting sensors and actuators on the field level with the higher-level control system.
   
   
2. Real-time data: AS-Interface provides access to real-time data on brewery processes, enabling more effective monitoring and control.
   
   
3. Performance comparison: Cross-plant performance comparison helps breweries identify bottlenecks and increase productivity.
   
   
4. Energy management: The system supports energy consumption management to understand energy impacts and increase energy efficiency, potentially lowering costs.
5. Scalability: AS-Interface enables rapid production scalability to respond to market demands flexibly.
   
   

In conclusion, AS-Interface facilitates easier, faster, and more reliable brewery automation. The internationally standardized AS-Interface technology advantages stand out: simple decentralized installation, reduced wiring effort, high flexibility, simple troubleshooting, simple system expansion, and fast transmission of large amounts of data at low cost. AS-Interface is the best choice, both technically and economically.