Ziemann Holvrieka gains strength with raw material handling experts

Ziemann Holvrieka has expanded its capabilities for providing complete brewery solutions with the acquisition of Künzel Maschinenbau in Mainleus, Germany. Künzel is a leading manufacturer particularly known for its expertise in malt handling and grist mills, which are crucial components for breweries. Künzel has been a major player in the raw material handling sector since 1922.

This acquisition reflects Ziemann Holvrieka’s strong commitment to excellence in the brewery equipment industry. Künzel’s specialization in the upstream phase of brewing process aligns perfectly with our existing product portfolio. It enables us to enhance our range of products and turnkey solutions. Furthermore, we will harness Künzel’s expertise within our group of companies, including Ziemann Holvrieka, to explore new opportunities for Künzel in other sectors.

The site in Mainleus will continue to operate as it always has, with the same management team, with the same dedication to all its customers and with their committed employees. Künzel will retain its company name, brands, and organizational culture.

“We firmly believe that our group will gain from Künzel’s remarkable expertise. While Künzel will benefit from our global presence and research and development capabilities. We are eagerly anticipating a successful and close collaboration with the management team and all employees,” affirmed Klaus Gehrig, CEO of Ziemann Holvrieka GmbH.

“The priority of all our activities was, is and will be unconditional customer satisfaction. Künzel has always distinguished itself through excellent customer service and long-standing customer relationships, and this value will remain anchored in our corporate culture in the future.

This acquisition and the associated close collaboration with Ziemann gives us the possibility to combine our strengths and create synergies that allow us to expand into new markets as well as developing our product and service portfolio – for the benefit of all our current and future customers,” states Clemens Thüsing, Managing Director of Künzel Maschinenbau GmbH.

Andreas Marz is the new Head of Sales Americas at Ziemann Holvrieka GmbH. In this role, Marz will be in charge of North and Latin American sales for the company, which specializes in tank and process technology for the brewing, beverage and liquid food industries. In the future, Marz will coordinate the activities of all sales employees and locations in these regions from his base in Ludwigsburg. “We’re delighted to have found such a competent and highly motivated expert for our important markets. Andreas Marz is solution-oriented, and he analyzes our customers’ challenges in detail. As a result, he always creates tailor-made offers that perfectly match the customer’s requirements,” emphasizes Florian Schneider, Sales and Marketing Managing Director of Ziemann Holvrieka GmbH.

Andreas Marz is a qualified master brewer. After graduating as a master brewer in Weihenstephan, he spent more than ten years in sales positions, including sales manager for North and Central America for a global beverage plant engineering company and sales manager for a mid-sized bottling company. Andreas Marz on his new role with Ziemann Holvrieka: “I’m really looking forward to my new role. I’ve known many of my colleagues for a long time, and during my first days at Ziemann Holvrieka, I’ve got to know a corporate culture that has totally inspired me. I’ve never experienced this in such a positive way before.”

Axel Zügel is a trained industrial clerk. After completing his training, he worked for a plant manufacturer for several years before moving to Ziemann Holvrieka GmbH in 2004. After gaining a Master of Science degree in Strategic Management, he initially held the position of Purchasing Manager in the company. In this position, he was responsible for ensuring that the supply chain ran smoothly. As Director of Projects EPC, he was subsequently in charge of the order processing, project management, assembly and logistics divisions at the Ludwigsburg site. Commenting on his new position as COO, he said: “I’ll continue to be 100 percent committed to strengthening our global capabilities and expanding our worldwide connectivity. My many years of working with our company, employees and partners will contribute to our continued handling of high-quality projects and our punctual adherence to deadlines.”

On January 1, 2023, Axel Zügel took over the management of the operational areas of Ziemann Holvrieka GmbH as COO. In his new function, he relieves Klaus Gehrig, who was both CEO and COO of the company until the end of 2022. As COO, Axel Zügel is responsible for the operational business areas of order processing, purchasing, project management, assembly, logistics and engineering at the Ludwigsburg site. “We’re delighted that Axel Zügel has taken over this important position,” says CEO Klaus Gehrig. “He’s the right man for the job too, because he’s ‘lived’ Ziemann Holvrieka for the past nineteen years,” he adds. Thanks to his long affiliation with the company, Axel Zügel has acquired comprehensive know-how in the brewing, beverages and liquid foods industry – and that knowledge will make it easier for the new COO to continue optimizing internal processes and act as a competent contact person for customers.

In the maritime industry, innovation is often achieved through conversion and this is what happened in the development of MV Citrus Vita Brasil: The container ship MV Hermes Arrow, was converted into a combined juice tanker for not-from-concentrate (NFC) and for concentrate orange juice (FCOJ). Eight tanks are for dedicated solely to NFC and seven double-purpose tanks used for loading NFC and FCOJ. The new juice tanker, which is the length of two football fields, is capable of holding 7 million gallons of juice, equivalent to a capacity of 27,000 m³. The ship was a former container ship without cooling system. The old construction, used for accomodating containers, had to be removed along with the hatch covers. After inserting the new vertical stainless steel tanks into the insulated holds, an additional double bottom and new shelter deck were fitted and a new cooling system  was installed.

Perfected Aseptic Tank Engineering

The stainless steel used for the tanks complies with the highest DIN standards. Moreover, the inner surface, meaning the complete inner tank welding, strictly conforms to ASME standards: 0.8 μm R_a and zero indication.

The ship’s cargo tanks are cylindrical units with vertical axes. The bottom of each tank slopes to a definite lower point; while the top is slightly conical. The pipework is connected to the lowest point to facilitate complete draining of the tanks. Propeller-type tank agitators ensure circulation of the tank contents when NFC orange juice is being carried.

Cargo pumps are installed at the bottom of the cargo hold between the cargo tanks. Frequency-controlled, electrically driven centrifugal pumps are used to handle the NFC orange juice, while a wider pipework system and a series of frequency-controlled, electrically driven positive displacement pumps support the FCOJ process. Radar level gauges determine how much product is in the tanks, and nitrogen pipes deliver nitrogen to fill the headspace in the tanks. Temperature sensors are used to monitor the cooling system.

A protective atmosphere of nitrogen is used in all tanks and pipework systems to assure the juice quality. The ship has an on-board nitrogen tank to provide a suitable buffer for maintaining appropriate levels in the tanks and pipework while at sea. Nitrogen is pumped into the tanks from a ship-based source when juice is discharged at the port.

Special diaphragm and sealing solutions are integrated into valves to ensure sterility. Larger valves which cannot be sealed with diaphragms are equipped with valve rod seals fit with alcohol reservoirs to support volume changes and wiping action on exposed sections of the valve. Flanges are designed according to the highest aseptic standards to eliminate cavities where bacteria could form. “This guarantees that the juice is not contaminated by harmful microorganisms”, explains Jurgen Stuijts, International Sales Manager Juice & Beverages at Ziemann Holvrieka.

Customized tank cleaning systems ensure aseptic conditions during cleaning and disinfection of the large tanks. Fresh water for cleaning and rinsing of the tanks is supplied via a separate fresh water tank installed in the forward part of the vessel. After cleaning, the empty tanks are filled with nitrogen to ensure sterility.

Customized Process Technology

All calculations and layouts were approved and released in advance by an independent classification society. This ensures that all components meet the high standards required for transport vessels in the juice industry. Only when a ship meets all specifications at the time of completion, it receives complete certification. Without it is not permitted to sail. Jurgen Stuijts describes the particular challenge posed during installation of the tanks: “Every ship is built differently, so the arrangement of load points varies. The tanks stand on a foundation which must be mounted exactly on these load points. The installation is therefore a tailored solution.”

Electrically driven refrigerant compressors were installed in the deckhouse. Brine from the evaporator room circulates through the heat exchangers in each hold, with large fans providing air to all parts of the insulated holds through strategically placed ductwork. Juice is loaded at the required temperature, and the refrigerating system has the capacity to maintain this temperature, no matter what ambient conditions are encountered during the voyage. The cooling capability of the equipment is 5° C to -10° C. The ship is also equipped with an emergency generator, designed to protect the cargo in the event of a electrical failure.

Additionally, state-of-the-art measuring and control technology, circulation pumps and discharge pumps were installed, along with a nitrogen system to provide a nitrogen gas cushion in the filled tanks above the cargo. A stand-alone CIP system was included in the process installation. A double piping system was installed for the combined transportation of NFC and FC orange juice.

In case of MV Citrus Vita Brasil, an additional request was for a development and construction timeframe of 10 months – and this target was met by Ziemann Holvrieka.

Reliable Support that Leads to Success

“Crew members receive a detailed training in advance to ensure that everything runs smoothly during filling, emptying and cleaning”, explains Jurgen Stuijts. Extremely specialized equipment must be operated properly and maintained to ensure that the product remains sterile. Any breakdown of processes or equipment could lead to contamination of the juice.

The automation of MV Citrus Vita Brasil is cutting edge to ensure correct processes and the required asepticism. Human error can be eliminated as a result of this automation system. In particular, electronically controlled processes for filling and emptying of the tanks have been improved to ensure the sterility of the end product.

The cargo system of the fruit juice carrier is equipped with clean-in-place and sterilize-in-place installations. Stainless steel pipe manifolds are used on board and on shore during loading and unloading of the ship. Food grade hoses connect the two manifolds. However, the piping manifolds and hoses must be sterilized before the product is pumped through them. Ziemann Holvrieka provides training for the crew to reduce the risk of contamination with microorganisms when sterilization is not realized properly.

Smooth Cooperation with a Happy End

“This was a unique project for us. Citrosuco’s experience in ship management combined with our know-how in the construction of special tanks ensures high quality,” explains Jurgen Stuijts. “Citrus Vita Brasil will provide greater transport capacity and greater flexibility in the distribution of orange juice to our customers to meet the demand of different markets,” said Mário Bavaresco Júnior, President of Citrosuco, in a statement.

After Klaus Wasmuht went into his well-deserved retirement, Ziemann Holvrieka GmbH has realigned the Engineering and Technology/R&D departments in terms of personnel and structure. In the course of this realignment, Tobias Becher was appointed Head of Technology, Research and Development. Recognising the importance of the assigned field of activity and the associated responsibility, Tobias Becher was also granted power of attorney. He now reports to Dr. Elmar Pongratz, who joined Ziemann Holvrieka in April 2016 and has been Head of the Engineering department (EPC) since then. Until now, this division included the Process Engineering, Process Automation including hardware planning, Technical Product Management and Quality Management. With the restructuring, the Technology, Research and Development department was integrated into this division and thus placed under the management of Dr. Pongratz as Director Engineering & Technology/R&D EPC. Klaus Gehrig, Managing Director of Ziemann Holvrieka GmbH, stated the following: “With this new alignment, we are able to link the very successful work of our technological research and development even more closely with the adjacent divisions. We are already considered an innovation leader in the market, and we will continue our work in the future.”

Tobias Becher (on the right in the picture) studied brewing and beverage technology at the Technical University of Munich / Freising-Weihenstephan, graduating with a degree in engineering. Prior to this, Tobias Becher had completed a training as brewer and maltster. Since 2005, Tobias Becher works at Ziemann Holvrieka as an expert in process and brewing technology.

Dr.-Ing. Elmar Pongratz studied chemical engineering at the Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nuremberg and received his doctorate there. After many years in leading positions at international machine and plant engineering companies, Dr. Pongratz started working for Ziemann Holvrieka in 2016.

With the new brewhouse the brewery will be able to produce up to 12 brews per day, each with 500 hl of cold wort. „We are very pleased about this renewed sign of confidence from one of the world’s best-known craft brewers. This once again proves the attractiveness of our solutions, especially in this demanding market segment”, says Florian Schneider, Managing Director Sales and Marketing at Ziemann Holvrieka GmbH.

Successful cooperation since 2014

In its first year, BrewDog brewed 1,050 hl, and by 2014 the brewery had already brewed 90,000 hl. With these seven-league boots the success story continued in the last few years. In order to be able to adequately follow its marketing and sales talent in terms of brewing technology, BrewDog has consistently relied on the cooperation with Ziemann Holvrieka since 2014. A real milestone was reached in 2016, when the two partners built a state-of-the-art brewery in Ellon, in the north-east of Scotland. In this project, Ziemann Holvrieka was responsible for the production, delivery, installation, automation and commissioning of the complete process technology – from the milling plant up to the connection to the bottling plant.

Cold block: complex piping and elaborate automation system

Since then, orders for new tanks or an additional lauter tun have been placed at regular intervals. With the current order, BrewDog adds another chapter to its success story. The new brewhouse will be installed next to the brewery in Ellon and connected to its cold block. Here, Ziemann Holvrieka will expand the existing filtration and implement two completely new filtration and separation lines. In addition, the yeast and bright beer tank cellar will be technically and mechanically adapted to the new filtration process. The central challenges in this sub-project are the complex piping and the elaborate automation system. The complete package of new brewhouse and cold block expansion is again being handled by Ziemann Holvrieka on a turnkey basis, this means including engineering, project management, assembly, automation, commissioning and training.

Ziemann Holvrieka GmbH will use the parallel event “BrewExpo America” to provide information about its complex range of products and services, which is particularly interesting for the framework conditions of North American craft brewers. The focus of the trade fair presentation at booth 5705 will be on mashing and tank construction. Furthermore, DME Process Systems Ltd, Canada, which belongs to the same group of companies, will be presenting itself at the booth, rounding off the portfolio with standard solutions also for small brew sizes.

Focus on mashing and tank construction

Ziemann Holvrieka’s range of products in the field of wort preparation extends from the malt intake via grist mills, mash vessels, all currently relevant lautering systems, wort kettles, whirlpools up to wort cooling systems. At the „BrewExpo America“ Ziemann Holvrieka will be presenting the mash agitator COLIBRI by ZIEMANN.

This mash agitator primarily is a combination of the advantages of several mixer geometries. A perforated plate above the bottom heating zones ensures the required flow and mixing. At the end of the perforated plate, two solid bearers bypass the shell heating zone like an anchor agitator. The bearers have a spiral, which passes through the mash with its wing-like profiles. The homogenizing effect of the COLIBRI is further intensified by an inclined transverse bracing. Overall, the COLIBRI ensures the requested turbulences at the boundary layers of all heating zones as well as the horizontal and vertical homogenization of temperature and concentration.

With this design, COLIBRI offers many advantages, especially for craft breweries. These include: ideal heat transfer into the mash and a self-cleaning effect on all heating zones, which prevents fouling, the highest possible mash concentration, maximum flexibility regarding the use of raw materials, low shear forces, high enzymatic conversion rates.

The second trade fair focus – tank construction – is another proven core competence of Ziemann Holvrieka.

As one of the largest tank manufacturers worldwide, Ziemann Holvrieka covers this area with all types of fermentation and storage tanks, bright beer tanks, yeast tanks and all necessary CIP tanks. These are preferably delivered in one piece. If a one-piece delivery is not possible, the assembly is carried out with own technologies on construction sites all over the world.

The know-how and extraordinary vertical range of manufacture including the in-house production of tank bottoms and tops, guarantees highest quality as well as adherence to dates and deadlines – all this with shortest delivery times thanks to corresponding capacities. With the high-quality hygienic design, a maximum of biological product safety can be achieved.

Ziemann Holvrieka partnered with Mark Anthony Brewing to engineer and design this state of the art, purpose-built brewery. Ziemann Holvrieka will lead the turnkey installation, commissioning and training as the plant comes on-line in the fall of 2021. The implementation has already started, and the first large hard seltzer fermentation & storage tanks have been installed recently. Mark Anthony Brewing (MAB) is the market leader in the fast-growing hard seltzer and flavored malt beverage segment. The new production facility will be one of the largest breweries built in the United States in the last 25 years. This facility will provide MAB with additional capacities to serve consumer demands in the United States.

“We are very delighted that Mark Anthony Brewing has entrusted us with this very significant project, especially as this is our first partnering up, and then immediately a project of this magnitude. This underlines the great reputation our performance enjoys in the market, especially for turnkey projects with a high integration part beside our OEM equipment”, said Mr. Florian Schneider, Director Sales Process Technology of Ziemann Holvrieka GmbH.

“Once complete, this new state-of-the-art facility will be a center of excellence for our patented PureBrew process which allows White Claw, Mike’s and our growing portfolio of market-leading beverages to taste like no other”, said Mark Anthony Brewing President John Sacksteder.

About us
The three sister companies Ziemann Holvrieka, BRIGGS OF BURTON and DME PROCESS SYSTEMS have a wealth of experience in the development, design and construction of brewery plants and complete turnkey production facilities, which has resulted in several major global projects in the hard seltzer market. The profound knowledge of the hard seltzer production process enables the group to implement projects – from craft breweries through to large turnkey projects.

More about Hard Seltzer

Contact us now: hardseltzer@ziemann-holvrieka.com

In cooperation with the City of Hamburg, Carlsberg commenced the search in 2013 for a new location suitable for its brewing business. An ideal site was found on the opposite bank of the Elbe in Heykenaukamp, an industrial zone in the Hausbruch quarter close to the A7 freeway. “This location gave us the chance to build a brewery incorporating the latest features and state-of-the-art technology”, explains Holsten’s Manufacturing Manager Malte Groth in retrospect. The autobahn link is also ideal, but the main advantage is that the brewery is now no longer located in a residential area, so any conflicts with local residents are avoided.

Years of cooperation in research and development

Carlsberg awarded the contract for the complete brewhouse to Ziemann Holvrieka GmbH for one simple reason. Both partners have worked closely together for many years in researching and developing cutting edge brewing plant and technology.

“We were, therefore, familiar with the performance capability of the company and its innovative products. The decision was a pretty easy one to make”, concludes Groth. The contract awarded involved a lauter tun brewhouse designed for a maximum of 12 brews a day, each with casting volume of 265 bbl of hot wort.

The specific plant ordered encompassed two Colibri mashers with a diameter of 3.20 m, a Lotus lauter tun with a diameter of 7.20 m, a Shark wort internal boiler with a diameter of 3.80 m and a hop dosing system with two vessels. Added to this were a biological acidification plant, a whirlpool with a diameter of 4.40 m, the wort cooling and aeration system and a CIP system with all required tanks and utilities. A turnkey project was transacted, including engineering, project management, installation, automation with ProLeiT brewmaxx, commissioning and training of operating personnel.

First brew on July 30th 2019

The groundbreaking ceremony was held in Hausbruch in October 2017, with installation of the brewhouse commencing in July 2018. This first involved positioning of the vessels and, subsequently, completion of the building around these. This approach was adopted because installation of the brewing vessels would otherwise have been impossible, or at least extremely complicated.

Completion of construction was followed by successive installation, piping, automation and commissioning of the brewhouse. Holsten’s initial test wort casting then occurred on July 30th, 2019. Downstream departments were then activated consecutively until everything was ready on November 4th, 2019. The new Holsten Brewery was dedicated in a festive ceremony. An impressive industrial building measuring up to 15 meters in height and covering 25,000 m2, all on a site encompassing 67,000 m² and equipped with the very latest production, filling, packaging and storage technology. From now on, up to one million hectoliters of beer will be produced and delivered here from Monday to Friday in three shifts. Capacities for three million hectoliters were available in Altona, but these had not been fully exploited for years.