ST. LOUIS — March 9, 2017 — Cans or bottles? It’s a question brewers are asking themselves as more and more of the record-high 5,000 breweries in the U.S. enter the world of distribution.
No matter the container, when it comes to packaging solutions for breweries –palletizing, de-palletizing, conveyers, seamers, fillers, labeling, cartoners and so much more throughout the line – Barry-Wehmiller (BW) draws upon more than 130 years of experience. And four of the twelve companies under its banner – Accraply, BW Container Systems, Pneumatic Scale Angelus and Thiele Technologies – are uniquely positioned to provide a wide breadth of knowledge, technology and service for the beer industry.
In Booth 3508 at this year’s Craft Brewers Conference and BrewExpo America ®, April 10-13 in Washington D.C., the company will showcase their experience as they spotlight innovative offerings for the craft beer packaging market, especially for canning.
According to a recent report by the Brewers Association, while bottling is still the preferred method of packaging for beer distribution, canning has more than doubled since 2013. Consumers are buying more cans because of convenience and portability. Brewers are canning more beer because of the demand, but also because it’s good for their business. Cans are lighter and take up less space than bottles, which saves on transportation costs. Cans are more recyclable than bottles and many experts believe cans are a better container for beer, protecting it and keeping it fresh on the shelf.
“Shelf appeal and short runs define the craft beer labeling race,” said Séamus Lafferty, President of Accraply. “Breweries know that new flavors, unique names and eye-catching graphics are what set their product apart from the competition. But, without funds or space to stock pre-printed cans, the craft beer market is turning to shrink sleeve labeling for the solution to their inventory challenges.”
Pneumatic Scale Angelus’ new CB50 can seamer, based off their well-established high speed seamer design for larger scale operations, will also be on display. The CB50 will seam up to 50 cans per minute and can be paired with a PSA filling option or any carbonated beverage filler of the customer’s choice. Other filling and seaming systems can be retrofitted with the CB50 seamer.
Pneumatic Scale Angelus has installed 16,000 can seamers in 132 countries, said Adam Brandt, Vice President of Sales for Pneumatic Scale Angelus.
“High performance can seaming is not something learned or developed overnight,” Brandt said. “Angelus can seamers bring 100 years of canning expertise to the craft brewer. We are the world leader in can seaming.”
Barry-Wehmiller companies also offer solutions for the front and end of the packaging line – for canning or bottling.
Thiele Technologies can provide automatic cartoners, case packers, case erectors, loaders and wrappers that are perfect for packaging brewery products and beer in a variety of case sizes and types.
BW Container Systems offers palletizing, de-palletizing, conveying, pasteurizing, and robotic solutions to breweries of all sizes. Oscar Blues Brewery recently added BW Container Systems palletizers to their Colorado and North Carolina facilities, which also uses Pneumatic Scale Angelus can seamers.
“Scott Smith, Director of Global Business Development and Strategic Marketing for BW Container Systems summed up Barry-Wehmiller’s beer capabilities: “We’ve taken the technologies that we’ve provided for the brewing industry for 50 years and put them in a format that makes sense for craft brewers.”