Precise dosing technology for hard seltzer systems in the beverage industry

The Challenge

Beverage manufacturers and plant engineers faced the challenge of designing new hard seltzer production lines that could precisely, safely, and hygienically dose high-proof alcohol as well as flavors and colorants. The systems must accommodate a variety of products and production rates, resulting in widely fluctuating dosing volumes at individual dosing points. At the same time, the use of alcohol imposes increased requirements for explosion protection and operational safety. Additionally, the entire system must be fully CIP-cleanable to ensure product changeovers and hygienic production. Without suitable dosing technology, consistent product quality and stable plant operation could not be reliably achieved.

The sera solution

sera supplied hygienic pumps for dosing dyes, as well as multi-stage diaphragm pumps for dosing high-proof alcohols—some compliant with NEMA Class 1 Division 2—for several hard seltzer production lines. To cover wide dosing ranges with consistent accuracy, individual dosing points were designed with two pumps each. All pumps used are CIP-capable and designed for use in food processing plants. For plant cleaning, additional sera dosing systems are used for the preparation and dosing of cleaning chemicals, including CVD-type compact dosing systems and caustic soda preparation stations. The overall concept ensures that production and cleaning are carried out with the same operational reliability and reproducibility.

Customer Benefits

• Precise and safe dosing of alcohol, flavors, and colorants in hazardous areas
• Consistent product quality despite widely varying dosing volumes
• Fully CIP-cleanable production and dosing technology for quick product changeovers
• Reliable system operation in hard seltzer lines at international beverage manufacturers

Summary

The project demonstrates how new beverage formats such as hard seltzer can only be reliably integrated into industrial production using precise, hygienic, and explosion-proof dosing technology.