Case Study

Case Study: Automating End-of-Line Processes in a Traditional
German Brewery$SSOLFDWLRQ3DOOHWL]LQJ
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Westheimer Brewery, founded in 1862, is a private breweryrooted in more than 150 years of tradition. From theirfactory in the Sauerland region of Germany, they produce
regional beer specialties and prepare them for distribution
both regionally and internationally. In order to remaincompetitive in an increasingly diversified market,
Westheimer installed a Kawasaki robot in August 2017, oneof the first to do so among their competitors. The ease,flexibility and efficiency of their automated system has
inspired them to automate additional processes in the future.

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station, and filled bottles onto a pallet for distribution
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product changes

Empty bottles are manually fed into an automatic sorting
machine at the entrance of the plant, where they are cleaned
and rinsed. After filling, the bottles are inspected and placedin crates.
From there, production takes place on two interconnectedlevels – empty bottles and the final product are processed on
the lower level, and bottles are filled on the upper level. In
the new system, a conveyor belt transports the bottles
between the two levels, which allows crates to be loaded and
XQORDGHGE\WKH.DZDVDNL&3/SDOOHWL]LQJURERWWestheimer Brewery is automating their processes after 150 years of business.

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Westheimer Brewery and the greater manufacturing industry.
The number of applicants in the region is continuouslydeclining, which can cause lapses in production. In addition,Westheimer wanted to reduce the physical strain onemployees that can be caused by end-of-line work.
The brewery’s previous, older palletizing machinery would
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modernization. "The modernization and automation of theplant must begin here. In the long term, the entire
infrastructure of the bottling plant will be renewed andoptimized,” said Master Brewer Jörg Tolzmann.
The production volume of the Westheimer Brewery hasremained at a constant level for years, but the increasing
product diversification was another factor the company had
to consider when building their new system. It had to beflexible and adaptable to new products.

A Kawasaki CP500L robot is used in the brewery’s dual-level bottling process.

Flexibility achieved
The new palletizing system is flexible and adaptable to new
or different products. A tool changing station is connected tothe magazine, where the right gripping tools are readily
available for the robot to change based on product type. This
flexibility not only saves time, but also enables significantly
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was simple: barrel or bottle?” Tolzmann said. “Today, wechange production four times a day on average - precise
planning and flexibility are essential."

Case Study

The palletizing robot places crated bottles on a pallet.

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1,200 crates per hour - and there is even more potential,says Tolzmann. "For optimum coordination with our oldermachines, we are not yet able to cope with the speed ofthe robot. After the modernization of our conveyor system,
the robot will be up to 25% faster."Thanks to its integrated control system, the robot enables
effective crate handling utilizing a single machine in aVPDOOVSDFH7KH&XELF6EDVHGVDIHW\V\VWHPDOVR
functions reliably and easily: As soon as the door to therobotic cell is opened, the power is switched off andemployees can enter the system without hesitation.

The robot palletizes cartons of empty bottles, which are fed by a conveyor.
These bottles will go to the upper level, where they are filled.

The brewery’s robotic palletizing system simultaneously
helps them combat an industry-wide labor shortage whileallowing them to redeploy their existing employees tomore human-friendly roles better suited for their skills.
Blazing a trail

High performance robot & safety software
To meet their goals, the brewery needed a workhorse witha high payload that could fit in their space. The Kawasaki&3/URERWFKHFNHGDOORIWKHER[HVWKHFRPSDFW
palletizing robot has a payload of 500 kg and a maximum
speed of 900 cycles per hour. With a reach of 3,255 mm, apalletizing height of 2,200 mm and a net weight of only
1,650 kg, it is the most powerful robot in its class.
In addition to the speed, precision and compact design ofthe robot, the independent loading of the machine and.DZDVDNLäV&XELF6VDIHW\V\VWHPZHUHDOVRNH\VHOOLQJ
points. A new chain gripper for the same purpose would
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susceptible to faults.
After a few weeks of fine-tuning and a comprehensive
safety check, the plant went into operation in August 2017.
When the installation was completed, Tolzmann waspleasantly surprised with the seamless transition. "I know
from other companies that comparable plants were notready to start even after eight months,” Tolzmann said.
“Here, everything was ready in less than two months. We
were also able to remain within our budget without any
problems.”

RESULTSë5RERWSDOOHWL]HVDWDUDWHRIFUDWHVSHUKRXUZLWKpotential to go 25% faster

From Tolzmann's experience, the automation of thebrewery market is still at an early stage - despite somepioneers. Although trade fairs show a clear trend towards
URERWVHTXLSPHQWVXFKDVOLJKWEDUULHUVSQHXPDWLFPRWRUVand mechanical solutions are really the closest mostbreweries get to automation. In addition, many ofWestheimer Brewery's suppliers do not yet rely on
robot-based automation. “The companies know their oldmachines and the necessary maintenance,” Tolzmann said.
“But we know from our own experience that thinking
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Westheim Brewery. In the long term, the company plans toreplace more machines robots and automate numerous
steps in their process. Jörg Tolzmann and his team plan tocontinue combining traditional brewing art with modern
bottling and production processes.

“The companies know their old machines
achines and thenecessary maintenance,” Tolzmannn said. “But we know
from our own experience that thinking
nking outside the box
quickly pays off.”- Westheimer Master Brewer, Jörg Tolzm
Tolzmannmannë(PSOR\HHVUHGHSOR\HGWRPRUHVXLWDEOHUROHVë1XPEHURIRSHUDWRUVUHGXFHG
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processes

Kawasaki Robotics (USA), Inc.
Corporate Headquarters for Americas
28140 Lakeview Drive, Wixom, MI 48393, U.S.A.
Phone: +1-248-446-4100 Fax: +1-248-446-4200

KawasakiRobotics.com