EKB

Stadskasteel Oudaen, a historic café-brewery in Utrecht, Netherlands, was running a semi-automatic brewing control system that was over 20 years old — complete with an obsolete controller, degraded cabling, and ageing components. Brewing is a precision discipline where repeatability directly determines product quality, and the aging infrastructure made consistent results difficult. The owner also faced a regulatory burden: the local customs tax office required precise tracking of raw material usage and brewing output to calculate duty. Inventory was managed manually in Excel, creating reporting risk. Upgrading was essential, but budget constraints ruled out a full enterprise-class solution.

EKB, a Rockwell Automation Recognised System Integrator, partnered with Hogeschool Utrecht University's engineering faculty to design and implement a modern process control solution within a tight budget. Students competed in three groups to produce a functional design; the winning concept was built by EKB using Rockwell Automation's PlantPAx distributed control system. Rather than deploying the full server-based batch engine, EKB implemented controller-based sequencer routines programmed in continuous function chart (CFC) to give bar staff an intuitive interface for controlling brewing sequences — flush, pump, boil, and others. A SQL database with a .NET front end was integrated directly into the PlantPAx operator stations to handle inventory management, stock corrections, recipe booking, and automated customs tax calculations. Allen-Bradley PowerFlex variable-speed drives were added for precise speed control of pumps, the mixer, and the filtration tank scraper.

The brewery achieved full automation, eliminating the need for operators to manually monitor and trigger brewing steps — previously managed with alarm clocks. Key outcomes include:

• Consistent beer quality: Integrated recipe control reduced batch-to-batch variation, directly contributing to a competition win at the 35th PINT Bokbierfestival against more than 100 other breweries
• Simplified compliance: The automated raw-materials management system satisfied the local customs tax office, which described the solution as giving them "a good feeling that we have everything under control"
• Operational accessibility: The system can now be operated by bar staff with basic training, removing dependency on specialist brewing knowledge
• Streamlined reporting: Customs and inventory reporting shifted from manual Excel to fully automated workflows

• Match solution scope to budget: Deploying controller-based sequencers rather than a full batch engine delivered the required automation at a fraction of the cost — pragmatic scoping is often the right call for SMEs
• Integrate compliance from the start: Building customs tax calculations and inventory tracking directly into the operator interface eliminated a parallel manual process and reduced regulatory risk
• Open architecture pays dividends: CFC programming and off-the-shelf controller technology made the system future-proof and maintainable without specialist vendor lock-in
• Academic partnerships can bridge resource gaps: Involving university students in the design phase delivered rigorous functional analysis within budget constraints