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Gernep labels colourful variety with the latest technology

When it came to purchasing a new labeller, the Faust brewery remained loyal to the Bavarian machine manufacturer Gernep and also made itself available as a partner for the pilot project for the new Gernep labeller series.

Last year, the oldest brewery still in operation in the Rhine-Main region was due to purchase a new labelling machine. When making the investment decision, the Faust brewery remained loyal to the Bavarian machine manufacturer Gernep and also made itself available as a partner for the pilot project for the brand new Gernep labelling machine series.

At last year's drinktec, Gernep presented a new generation of its labelling machines, including the wet glue labeller commissioned for the Faust brewery. Shortly afterwards, after successfully passing the factory acceptance test, the first labeller of the new generation left the factory in Barbing and was installed in Miltenberg for beer production. Equipped with modern technology and featuring a new hygienic design, the classic labeller for brewery requirements now labels the Faust brewery's product range.

Their product portfolio is extensive and includes 16 standard beers and five seasonal beers. These are bottled in three different types of bottle, all of which are processed on the Gernep Labetta 4/4/12 720 2A: 0.33-litre Giesinger bottle, 0.5-litre Euro bottle and 0.5-litre swing-top bottle. Each bottle is with torso, back and chest label or iron-on label provided.

Optimised user-friendliness

Compared to the 15-year-old predecessor machine the current generation of machines makes everyday work easier for the Faust staff. Where previously buttons had to be pressed around the labeller to make settings, speeds, times, cycles and formats can now be easily set on the newly designed touch panel.

Display

Brand new is also the pre-modular unit suspension, which has a number of technical advantages. The alignment and swivelling of the glue pallets can be precisely adjusted using a handwheel on the side of the housing. The enclosed housing of the unit suspension also means that all cables are safely stowed away and the outside of the unit is easy to clean. Another advantage for the operation of the new unit suspension is that the wet glue unit is no longer installed inside the machine. This means that Automatic gluing can also be set during operation. The labeller at Faust Brewery is equipped with a total of two wet-glue stations of the new 207 generation, which ensure maximum labelling accuracy thanks to simulated curve control. The curve calculation was developed in 2019 by Krones AG in collaboration with Gladlyp has been developed.

The new machine series from Gernep in practical tests at the Faust brewery.
The new machine series is undergoing practical tests at the Faust brewery. (Image: Gernep)

A breakage detection system can be integrated into brewery machines as standard - as in this case - at the customer's request. If a bottle breaks in the machine carousel, operation stops automatically so that the machine can be cleaned and protected from damage. Cleaning and maintenance work is also minimised with the new machine series. facilitated by the newly designed SecureLift lifting protection. This is easy to open and close with just one hand thanks to the Gernep pull system. This makes access to the machine carousel easier than ever before.

Well prepared for the future

The first beer was brewed in the Miltenberg brewery more than 350 years ago, and it is currently the oldest brewery still in operation in the Rhine-Main region. Two centuries after it was founded, the Faust family, which today gives the brewery its name, took over the traditional company. A flexible performance range is particularly important to them. This is why the Bavarian machine manufacturer developed the labelling machine to a variable range of 2,000 to 18,000 containers per hour. On average, around 10,000 swing-top bottles and 18,000 Euro bottles are labelled precisely every hour. The traditional brewery also works in two shifts, meaning that the labelling machine runs at full speed twelve hours a day from Monday to Friday.

The new labelling machine series was presented for the first time at drinktec 2022. (Image: Gernep)

The output is certainly impressive: In 2022, the Faust brewery produced 20,000 hectolitres of beer in swing-top bottles, 20,500 hectolitres in 0.5-litre Euro bottles and 14,500 hectolitres in 0.33-litre Giesinger bottles. Provision has already been made for future modernisation of the production line.

„The labeller is designed in such a way that we will be able to expand the output range in a few years“ time and produce a higher bottle throughput."

Michael Hannig, second master brewer

To ensure a smooth production process, the wet-glue labeller communicates with machines throughout the production line by exchanging signals. In the event of a malfunction in the first production steps, the labeller at the end of the line also stops automatically.

Labelling - More news