USA beer brewing industry is worth over 108 billion dollars a year (of which 23.5 billion is generated by the emerging craft beer segment). In order to grow its market share in this sector, Sacmi took part in the 35th edition of Craft Brewers Conference & Brewexpo America, which was held in Nashville, Tennessee from 30 April to 3 May 2018.
Sacmi had a 200 m2 exhibition area (booth 2715) where it featured its latest technology, including it integrated labelling and labelled bottle inspection range. After winning over producers worldwide (especially in the wine and beer sectors) with the new Sacmi KUBE modular labellers, the company has now launched the LabelCheck-360, the latest model to join the all-round labelled bottle inspection range.
Developed by the Sacmi Automation & Inspection Systems Division, this solution features a renewed framework (lightweight alloy instead of the traditional stainless steel). Moreover, it allows, thanks to tried and tested CVS360-3D software, total quality control of both the label (presence-absence, positioning, incorrect or mixed applications, colouring, etc.) and the entire bottle body, cap included. The system's ability to identify all and any defects and operate smoothly on the line together with the labelling machine means that the Sacmi solution provides the perfect response to the needs of manufacturers, who are always on the look-out for new solutions that combine versatility, efficiency and total quality control.
On the US market, the expansion of the craft brewer sector is arousing considerable interest. It has, in fact, grown by over 10% since 2015 and the number of brewers recently passed the 5,200 mark (in 2011 there were less than 2,000). Beer enjoys stable popularity among US consumers (a recent GALLUP poll showed that 40% of interviewees indicated beer as a favourite in the alcohol and spirits category); craft beer continues to have the highest development potential and has now reached and surpassed a yearly production/sales volume of 3 million litres.
Alongside the labellers and inspection systems, the Sacmi Group provides a complete range of filling solutions. For example, we recently introduced a combined filling system for bottles (glass or aluminium) and cans, specifically designed for Craft Breweries. This monobloc solution consists of a rinser and a filler which, thanks to a fast size changeover system, can handle both bottles and cans. These units are followed by a capping unit for bottles and a standard seaming machine for cans.
Two-in-one filling has been made possible thanks to an innovative four-in-one machine block (rinser + filler + capper + seamer). The system (patent pending) has a range of fillers featuring from 12 to 50 filling valves and can provide output rates from 10,000 to 24,000 bph/cph (33 cl format). Equipped with every possible device and process needed to ensure perfect beer quality – such as flushing and pre-evacuation – the system is electronically controlled by flow meters; consequently, it offers outstanding hygiene, flexibility and user-friendliness. In keeping with Sacmi tradition the monobloc is hard-wearing and easy to maintain. It is, moreover, compatible with the seamers produced by all the leading constructors.
Developed to provide the perfect response to the needs of the typical Craft Brewery, this solution stands alongside the comprehensive range of traditional Sacmi fillers for bottled or canned beer and wine; the latter come with both electronic control (flow meter filling) and electro-pneumatic control (level filling). In this area, Sacmi has recently acquired new orders. For example, a key customer in Oregon, near Portland, has decided on the purchase of a can filler for still and sparkling wine; this is a 24-valve unit, with a 141 mm centre-to-centre, coupled with a 4-spindle seaming machine. It has a guaranteed output rate of 200 cpm with sparkling and/or still wines when used on 375 ml and/or 12 oz cans.