Brauerei Faust has always had its finger on the pulse and continually developed its beers and production areas. Numerous commendations for its brewing expertise, as well as the quality and taste of its beer, all speak for themselves. To ensure that the consumer could continue to supply a perfect product, the board of management decided to invest in a new labeller. As a Gernep customer of many years, they remained loyal to the Bavarian machine manufacturer and volunteered their services for the brand new Gernep range of labellers. 

Colourful variety equipped with the latest technology 
Last year at the drinktec 2022 – the world’s leading exhibition for beverage technology – Gernep introduced its new generation of labellers to the delight of the industry. In addition to a comprehensive combination machine, the visitors were also introduced to the wet-glue labeller contracted by Brauerei Faust. Just a short time after the exhibition, the first new-generation labeller left the plant in Barbing following successful factory acceptance and was installed in Miltenberg for use in beer production. Equipped with modern technology, the conventional labeller for brewery requirements shines with a new hygienic design and is now labelling the Brauerei Faust range.
The product range is extensive and comprises sixteen standard beers, as well as five seasonal beers. They are filled in three different bottle types, all of which are handled on the Gernep Labetta 4/4/12 720 2A: 0.33 l small bottle, 0.5 l Euro bottle and 0.5 l swing-top bottle. Each bottle is decorated with a body, back, shoulder and swing-top label. To ensure that the production process ran smoothly, Gernep engineers were on site for the start-up and explained the technical innovations to the experienced brewmasters. 

The optimised ease of use was immediately apparent. Compared to the 15-years-older predecessor, the current machine generation makes the Faust staff’s working day considerably easier. Whereas in the past buttons needed to be pressed all around the labeller to perform adjustment, nowadays the speeds, times, clock pulses and formats can be easily set on the newly designed touch-screen. Also brand new is the pre-modular labelling station suspension that not only immediately catches the eye but also offers quite a few technical benefits. The orientation and pivoting of the glue pallets are precisely adjustable with a handwheel on the side of the housing. Thanks to the closed housing surrounding the labelling station, all cables are also securely stored away and the outside of the labelling station is easy to clean. A further major benefit when it comes to the operation of the new labelling station suspension is the fact that the cold-glue labelling station is no longer installed inside the machine. As a result, the automatic gluing system can also be adjusted while the machine is in operation. The Brauerei Faust labeller is equipped with a total of two wet-glue labelling stations of the new 207 generation which ensures the highest labelling accuracy thanks to its unique simulated cam control. The cam calculation was developed back in 2019 in a collaboration between Krones AG and Gernep. 

If the customer requests it - as was the case here - a broken-container detection unit can be integrated in brewery machines as standard. If a bottle breaks in the machine carrousel, production is stopped automatically so that the machine can be cleaned and protected against damage. In the new machine series, the cleaning and maintenance work are also made easier by the newly designed SecureLift lift-guard. Thanks to the Gernep hoist system, it can be easily opened and closed with just one hand. The accessibility to the machine carrousel has therefore never been so simple. 
For 40 years, continuous development has been Gernep’s drive to meet continually changing market conditions and customer requirements. In 2022, the time had come and it was finally possible to realise the pilot project for the introduction of the new labeller generation with the oldest, very renowned brewery in the Rhein-Main region. In the new machine series too, the focus was on being able to meet customer requirements with an aim to covering the wide product range on the market. 

Well-equipped for the future
A flexible output range was particularly important for Brauerei Faust. With this in mind, the Bavarian machine manufacturer set the labeller to a variable range of between 2,000 and 18,000 containers per hour. Usually an average of approximately 10,000 swing-stop bottles and 18,000 Euro bottles per hour are precisely labelled. The traditional brewery also operates on a two-shift model so that the labeller runs from Monday to Friday for twelve hours a day at high speed. The output is quite impressive: in 2022, Brauerei Faust produced 20,000 hectolitres of beer in swing-top bottles, 20,500 hectolitres in 0.5 l Euro bottles and 14,500 hectolitres in 0.33 l small bottles. Preparations have already been made for a future modernisation of the production line. “The labeller is designed to allow us to expand the output range in a few years’ time and generate a greater bottle through-passage,” explained Michael Hannig, the second brewmaster. This is not yet possible as upstream machines, such as the filler, cannot produce a higher fill quantity. To guarantee a smooth production sequence, the wet-glue labeller communicates with the machines in the entire production line by a common signal exchange. If a malfunction occurs in the initial production steps, the labeller at the end of the line also stops automatically. Brauerei Faust is thus well equipped for the future and well positioned for a long-term use of their new labeller. 

Optimum Gernep service for almost 20 years 
Starting up a machine that is being supplied for the first time is always bound to involve a certain risk. However, the installation in Miltenberg ran smoothly and was successfully completed in just a few days, including the tests for all the container sizes. One reason for this was, besides the deployment of trained and experienced service engineers, most likely also because Gernep employees had already been looking after Brauerei Faust since 2007. Thus, they were entirely familiar with the machine personnel and production plant. The long-standing partnership between Brauerei Faust and the Bavarian machine manufacturer already began 15 years ago when Gernep supplied a labeller to Miltenberg for the first time. Since then, the brewery relies on annual professional maintenance and overhauling by trained service engineers. “We have always been happy with the service provided by Gernep. Both the annual check-up and the acquisition of spare parts were performed quickly and efficiently,” were the words of Stefan Falk, first brewmaster at Faust. Since the company was founded, Gernep has focussed on quality and the installation of high-quality materials. “We are pleased that the long-standing, successful collaboration meant that we had trust in the brewery, thus allowing us to work together on the pilot project,” said Martin Hammerschmid, Managing Director of Gernep GmbH. The new labeller generation from Gernep means that yet another piece of modern technology has arrived at the traditional brewery. The new generation of this conventional brewery labeller is at the cutting edge of technology and stands out visually thanks to its new hygienic design. The pilot project has been a resounding success for both sides.