The classic glass beer bottle offers numerous advantages for producers and consumers compared to other types of containers. In addition to a fresh taste and protection from external contaminants, the bottle design communicates the brand image and contributes to the enjoyment of the beverage. With this in mind, it’s no coincidence that in Germany alone, there are currently several billion glass bottles from various breweries in circulation.
In order to preserve these benefits, specific technical considerations must be taken into account when filling glass bottles, as beer is especially sensitive to oxygen. If too much oxygen enters the bottle during the filling process, adverse chemical reaction can occur.
“Until recently, liquid ring vacuum pumps were the standard solution for beer filling,” explained Leybold’s Market Sector Manager, Pierre Lantheaume. “However, this type of pump offers technical and economical disadvantages. In addition to excessive water and energy consumption, brewers also risk waste-water contamination and downtime due to cavitation phenomena.”
However, these undesirable effects are now a thing of the past, as Leybold has developed a sustainable vacuum system which, depending on bottle size, can support filling lines with outputs of up to 60,000 bottles per hour.
The BBVS (Beer Bottling Vacuum System) comes as an all-in-one turnkey solution to replace the old liquid ring pump technology. It includes a separator tank with an automatic operated draining vessel to stop foam and liquid carried over from the filler via the gas flow. The DRYVAC dry screw vacuum pump provides deep constant vacuum levels, while an electrical cabinet with PLC controls the entire system. The equipment can be interfaced with the filler via digital I/Os or a fieldbus for remote control and can also operate as a stand-alone system via push buttons.
The water-cooled DRYVAC models, the DV 650 FP-r and DV 800 FP-r, are the stars of the complete solution. Through them, Leybold offers a tried and true screw vacuum pump designed for harsh industrial processes. One main feature is its quiet operation. At ultimate pressures, the DV 650 FP-r generates a noise level of just 67 dB(A), while the DV 800 FP-r generates 70 dB(A). These low levels allow the pumps to be installed in the immediate vicinity of the filling systems. It’s also worth noting that DRYVAC models generate and emit very little heat.