The family business is now run by its seventh generation, Steffi and Peter Klöckner, and their two sons Lukas and Jonas Klöckner (eighth generation), and has become a true experience distillery with distillery tours, tastings and a variety of workshops. However, the consistently high standards placed on the quality of their distillates transcend generations as Jonas Klöckner, the master distiller of Birkenhof-Brennerei, emphasizes: “Distilling is a craft. Crucial processes in the company are and will therefore remain handmade, but when it comes to bottling, we rely on the latest technology.” As soon as the maturing process is complete, the calm and serenity required for its success gives way to well-organised activity in the modern production facility. Most of the product range runs through the automated filling, labelling and packaging process. Only very small batches or special one-off productions such as their FADING HILL whiskies are still bottled and labelled by hand today.

Extensive range of bottle and label designs
Birkenhof-Brennerei has continually expanded its range of products. They conquer the market with unusual bottles and appealing label designs. In addition to standard spirits bottles, their range includes conical formats, swing-stopper bottles, clay jugs and clear, frosted and fluted glass bottles. The distillery also offers a wide range in terms of volume, from small bottles to 1.0 litre bottles. All these variants require production machinery that can be flexibly adapted to the respective formats. The labeller in particular is faced with the challenge of processing different label and bottle sizes.
 
In order to meet the growing range and changing market requirements, the decision was made to replace the labeller. Birkenhof-Brennerei remained loyal to its existing supplier and opted for another labeller from Gernep GmbH. The Bavarian labeller specialist has been developing and producing labellers with wet-glue, self-adhesive and hotmelt technology for 40 years. Gernep and Birkenhof-Brennerei can already look back on 27 years of successful collaboration. The family business ordered its first labeller from the machine manufacturer back in 1998. Martin Hammerschmid, Managing Director of Gernep GmbH, is delighted with the ongoing partnership: “It is a great feeling to accompany our customers over decades and to work alongside them in  continuously modernising their machinery. Birkenhof-Brennerei has grown to become a modern distillery with a wide range of experiences for visitors.” 

Maximum flexibility thanks to the new labeller
The investment in a new, highly flexible labeller is allowing the distillery to reduce the two labellers previously used to just one. This move was facilitated by a switch from wet-glue to self-adhesive labels, meaning that clay jugs can also be labelled. Self-adhesive labels are more flexible when it comes to the choice of label materials and shapes used, thus making it possible to create more unusual designs. Lukas Klöckner, Technical Operations Manager, is delighted with the label change-over and the new labeller: “The label gives our bottle its identity. It is therefore all the more important that it be applied with precision.” 
 
With the Gernep Soluta 8-960 3SK SD, Birkenhof-Brennerei is focusing on maximum flexibility in its product range. 17 bottle formats from 0.1 l to 1.0 l can be handled on the labeller. This corresponds to 83 spirits from the distillery's range, which are labelled with the help of the Gernep Soluta. Three modern self-adhesive dispensers apply up to three labels per bottle. Most products are decorated with a body and back label or a partial wrap-around label. The fine spirits in the swing-stopper bottle also have an L-shaped seal label applied at the top.    

For an even more perfect result in swing-stopper bottle labelling, Birkenhof-Brennerei switched from a mechanical swing-stopper alignment to an optical camera alignment on the new self-adhesive labeller. Two high-tech cameras for rough and fine alignment were integrated into the labeller for this purpose. The first camera creates images during a 360° rotation of the bottle, on which it is scanned to search for a predefined feature. This then allows the bottle to be aligned again with millimetre precision using the second camera just before label transfer, thus enabling the label to be applied centrally over the swing stopper. Servomotor-controlled bottle plates were installed because of the integrated camera control. These have the advantage of guiding all the bottle types through the machine in the correct position and according to their type. 

Compared to the previous machine, the new labeller has reduced change-over times during production. This is ensured, among other things, by integrated multi-format clamping starwheels which are used for the majority of the 17 cylindrical bottle formats and no longer require the handling parts to be changed. In addition, it was possible to use larger label reels on the Gernep Soluta 8-960 3SK SD, with one reel containing approx. 25% more self-adhesive labels. Production downtimes created through the changing of empty label reels were also minimised.
 
Best equipped for the future
Bottle and label trends are in a state of constant change. To ensure a flawless product, the machinery must be continuously modernised if it is to react to changing market conditions. The Gernep Soluta is ideally equipped for the future and can be adapted to upcoming changes in just a few simple steps. The labeller can be flexibly retrofitted if products are to have a neck ring label in the future. The labeller can also be used to attach “award coin” labels to the neck of the bottle. In addition, the Gernep Soluta, with its integrated camera system, is so flexible that other bottle shapes can be aligned after embossing, which plays an important role in the high-quality spirits sector.
Company owner Peter Klöckner stresses: “We are proud of our craft – it has made us what we are today: A modern gourmet taste distillery with its roots in tradition and enormous potential for the future.” Over the decades, Birkenhof-Brennerei has not only expanded its product portfolio multiple times, but has also created a modern company through consistent investment in machinery.