Vacuum Pumps in the Beer Bottling Industry

Enhancing efficiency, maintaining quality and hygiene.

Beer! It’s refreshing, it’s cultural, it is diverse, it has legions of enthusiasts worldwide and is certainly one of the most popular drinks in the world.

But the beer brewing and bottling process is also precise and complex, a fine art you might say. Before you get that perfect pour of a pint, a series of steps need to be achieved using sophisticated equipment, ensuring your preferred beer has the perfect taste and quality. The entire production and supply chain process of beer requires precise control and attention to detail. One of the many types of equipment used in this chain are vacuum pumps.

Oil-sealed screw vacuum pumps, dry claw vacuum pumps and liquid ring vacuum pumps from Atlas Copco play a crucial role in the beer industry by enabling efficient, hygienic, and seamless operations. From creating vacuum within the bottles to assist in filling them with beer, forming and labelling bottles or transporting cans, our vacuum pumps contribute significantly to maintaining quality, shelf life, and ultimately, customer satisfaction.

Vacuum processes for beer bottling and filling

Bottle Cleaning and Sterilization

The sunset gold hue of many beers would be affected by contaminants and impurities found in beer bottles. In commercial operations before beer can be filled into bottles, vacuum pumps are used to sterilize and clean them. Bottle cleaning machines equipped with vacuum pumps help remove debris, dust, and any impurities prior to filling. This step is vital to maintain the quality and taste of the beer.

Bottle Filling

During the bottle filling process, vacuum pumps such as the GHS VSD⁺ rotary screw vacuum pump are used to create a vacuum environment within the bottles and flush them with CO₂ before they are filled. By evacuating the air and creating a controlled vacuum environment, the risk of oxidation and beer spoilage is significantly reduced. Vacuum also helps to eliminate residual air bubbles or trapped gases, ensuring a consistent and uniform fill level. Overall, vacuum pumps from Atlas Copco help enhance the beer's quality, extend shelf life, and maintain hygienic standards. For the end-consumer the beer remains safe to drink and tastes great.

Atlas Copco beer foam separator system

A stable and consistent vacuum is vital for high-speed filling machines in the beer industry. A high amount of foam is generated at the end of the filling process and enters in the vacuum line. This can compromise the vacuum pump leading to poor quality or disruption of the filling operation.

The Atlas Copco beer foam separator combined with our state-of-the-art GHS VSD⁺ screw vacuum pump solves this issue while saving energy and water costs. Fabricated from 304 stainless steel with auto-draining tank and associated logic control system, our beer foam separator system provides full protection to the vacuum pump.

The excess foam that enters the vacuum system is effectively collapsed in the foam separator by a calming section with a large diameter for foam settling. The rising liquid level is detected by appropriate sensors and an automatic separation process is initiated by an air lock consisting of electro-pneumatic actuators and a receiver tank to enable drain in continuous operation.

The separator is clean-in-place (CIP) - capable and a shower ball mechanism ensures reach of all internal parts granting compliance to required hygienic standards.

No water wastage

The system requires zero water consumption as compared to other technologies.

Auto-drain function

There are control valves to automatically drain, vent, and isolate system components.

Robust design

The stainless-steel construction ensures it is more resistant to corrosion and contamination.

Energy savings

Coupled with GHS VSD⁺ efficient technology, this system delivers up to 40% energy savings.

Easy maintenance

The system’s integrated cleaning cycle makes onsite cleaning easier.

Reliable sensors

Level sensors measure beer collected in the drain tank and radar type sensor to measure foam level.

Download our brochure

Beer foam separator brochure 3.2 MB, PDF

Bottle Sealing

After the bottles are filled, vacuum pumps such as the energy-efficient Atlas Copco GHS VSD⁺ oil-sealed screw vacuum pumps are utilized to cap and seal them. Vacuum pumps help to secure tightness, preventing leakage or potential oxidation. This airtight seal is crucial for maintaining the freshness and carbonation levels.

Labeling and Packaging

While you should never judge a beer by its cover, first appearances matter – especially when you are discovering a new beer. In the final stages of the bottling process, vacuum plays an important role in labelling and packaging operations. Vacuum-enabled labelling machines help affix labels to beer bottles with precision and accuracy, ensuring that they adhere correctly and remain intact throughout packaging, storage, and transportation. This is where Atlas Copco pumps such as the DZS dry claw series are used in packaging manufacturing and processes.

Choosing Atlas Copco’s vacuum pumps for beer bottling processes

Energy-efficient

Atlas Copco’s energy efficient vacuum pumps play a crucial role in the beer bottling industry, ensuring efficient, hygienic, and high-quality production processes. Every vacuum pump we build and vacuum solution we deliver is optimized to deliver maximum energy savings and low lifecycle costs. Used across the entire beer bottling process our vacuum pumps contribute to maintaining the integrity and freshness of the beer.

Low lifecycle costs

Atlas Copco vacuum pumps help improve efficiency and are indispensable in the beer bottling industry, and support major beer producers and smaller craft breweries in delivering excellent beer to consumers worldwide.

A global and reliable service network

Atlas Copco’s global service network that helps you to maintain your vacuum pumps and systems investment. Our proactive maintenance programs and after-market support allows you to keep your process operational with no to minimal downtime.

Atlas Copco range of vacuum pumps and accessories for beer bottling

GHS VSD⁺ vacuum pumps with HEX@™

Next-generation GHS VSD⁺ range of variable speed driven oil-injected screw vacuum pumps with revolutionary vacuum pump control and connectivity.

Intelligent Liquid Ring Vacuum Pump

The next big step in Liquid Ring technology the LRP 700-1000 VSD⁺ series perfectly suited to wet, humid and dirty applications with high temperatures, extreme vapor loads and even liquid and solid carryover from the process.

Dry Claw Vacuum Pumps

The simplicity, robustness, efficiency and contaminant handling capability of the DZS design pumps make them the smart choice for your application. Built to your exact standards and quality, the new dry claw pump provides you with a trouble-free and cost-effective solution.

GVS VSD⁺ rotary vane pump

The GVS 80-400 VSD⁺ are a range of a robust and highly regarded series of compact direct-driven rotary vane vacuum pumps that are single stage, oil sealed, air cooled and have the VSD⁺ inverter-drive technology built in.