Drinktec 2022: Bühler’s MontBlanc digital system slashes emissions in kilns

13 Sep 2022 --- Swiss equipment manufacturer Bühler is showcasing its latest digital service, branded MontBlanc, which measures and recommends to beer producers the appropriate fan speed for kilning their barley. The technology is on display now at the Drinktec trade show in Munich, Germany. 

Speaking to PackagingInsights live from the show, Mark Helmers, the company’s product manager for malting and brewing, says, “This is a unique digital service for the malting plants that recommends the perfect fan speed for the kiln fan. Each batch requires a different fan speed, and MontBlanc recommends this each time in the perfect way.” 

The company says that reducing the kiln fan speed can generate savings of up to 25% during the withering phase, significantly cutting CO2 emissions. 

“Basically, by the way, we reduce the electrical output by lowering fan speeds, and this helps cut emissions,” continues Helmers. “MontBlanc is capable of being installed in any plant. It’s easy to be installed.”

The mini brewery on display at Drinktec 2022.Modular brewing 
Also on display at Drinktec is Bühler’s mini brewery, which shows the company’s latest technology, as well as a modular brewery, which allows brewers to extend and adapt their capacity according to each customer’s demands. 

The company’s standardized modular malting plant, branded RimoMalt, has an annual throughput of between 1,000 tons and 17,000 tons of malt. It is suitable for breweries up to 1.1 million hectoliters and distilleries up to 10 million liters. 

RimoMalt can also easily be extended, providing batch sizes between 16 and 56 tons. The batch sizes of both the cylindroconical steeps and germination-kilning units can be increased, explains Helmers. In addition, it is possible to put several process boxes next to each other to create a full 24-hour batch cycle.

“We see there is a premiumization of beer trends and trends to produce in a more sustainable way, and this is where we take the solutions like MontBlanc and RimoMalt from big batch sizes to low energy output,” says Helmers. 

“We also service smaller batch sizes and more local production sites and produce digital solutions that make sure we can run any plant more efficiently and bring down energy consumption overall.”

Bühler on the rise 
In 2019, Bühler and Premier Tech from Canada began to build a design and manufacturing center in China focusing on industrial flexible packaging solutions. 

This strategic cooperation is planned to result in a joint venture for design and manufacturing during 2020, with Bühler focusing on sales of turnkey plants worldwide and Premier Tech on packaging systems in China. 

In 2020, Bühler and Canada-based Premier Tech started evolving their joint venture in China into a new global partnership for bulk food packaging. 

The partnership will allow Bühler to either access PT’s bagging and palletizing technologies through the joint venture or directly through the latter’s facilities for the high-end food feed and grain markets worldwide.

By Louis Gore-Langton, with additional reporting from Joshua Poole