Craft Brewing System

Microbreweries face a fundamental tension between artisanal identity and operational consistency. Smart Machine Technologies (SMT), a custom machinery supplier with nearly 40 years of experience, observed that successful craft brewers quickly outgrow manual and semi-automated systems — but lacked a scalable, technology-forward control solution designed specifically for the brewing environment. The challenge was to engineer a fully automated platform flexible enough to accommodate unique brewery layouts and production parameters, while incorporating modern touchscreen and mobile interfaces. Without such a system, brewers operating multiple sites had no reliable way to monitor or control processes remotely, and recipe repeatability remained dependent on operator skill rather than automated sequencing.

SMT collaborated with Rockwell Automation's Global OEM Technical Consultants to develop a standardized yet customizable automation platform for craft breweries. The core control system runs on an Allen-Bradley CompactLogix PAC, with Allen-Bradley PowerFlex AC drives handling variable speed control across brewhouse and cellar applications. Local monitoring is provided via Allen-Bradley PanelView Plus 7 graphic terminals, while an Allen-Bradley 6181P integrated display computer delivers supervisory-level visualization. The network backbone uses an Allen-Bradley Stratix managed Ethernet switch with a wireless access point, all integrated over an EtherNet/IP network. FactoryTalk ViewPoint software extends the HMI to mobile devices via a secure web browser interface, enabling remote access to graphics, trending, and alarming from any location — critical for operators managing multiple brewery sites.

The first full deployment at Schulz Bräu Brewing Company demonstrated the platform's practical value across both their Kentucky and Tennessee facilities. Key outcomes included:

• Recipe repeatability: Automated sequencing allows brewers to save recipes and reproduce the same fermentation process run-to-run, directly improving product consistency.
• Remote operational control: The owner confirmed full control of one brewery location from a smartphone while physically present at another, eliminating the need for on-site staff to manage routine monitoring.
• Expandable architecture: The platform is designed to scale — SMT is already planning optional pasteurization system integration for brewers targeting broader distribution.

Qualitatively, the project validated a repeatable OEM deployment model that SMT can apply to future microbrewery clients.

• Standardized application code on proven hardware accelerates OEM deployments — SMT leveraged Rockwell Automation's existing brewing application code rather than building from scratch, reducing development time.
• Mobile access is table stakes for multi-site operators — remote monitoring via FactoryTalk ViewPoint was not a convenience feature but an operational necessity for the customer.
• Design for expansion from day one — craft brewers typically start small; building a modular, EtherNet/IP-based architecture meant the system could grow with production demand.
• OEM-vendor co-development reduces integration risk — early collaboration with Rockwell Automation's GOTC team streamlined hardware selection and system validation.