Craft Brewer Taps into Cost Savings with Switch-Rated Plugs
Bells Brewery, Inc., a craft brewery that produces a full line of ales, beers, and stouts, has specified for its construction expansion projects Meltric DecontactorTM?Series switch-rated plugs and receptacles. They will be used to connect and disconnect equipment as varied as grain handlers, conveyor motors, portable pump carts, and keg washers in order to obtain installation cost savings, simplified lockout-tagout safety, and production efficiencies during maintenance and equipment changeouts. The company has been using Meltric plugs and receptacles since 2005 and is satisfied that Meltric switch-rated devices are the ideal solution for connecting and disconnecting a wide range of brewery production equipment at a cost-effective price.
Rapid Growth Drives Cost-Effective Purchasing Decisions
Bells Brewery, Inc. is a multiple-site production operation located in Kalamazoo, MI. It brews more than 20 beers for distribution across a 19-state area, Puerto Rico, and Washington DC through a network of over 80 wholesalers. As the demand for craft beer has been on the rise in the U.S., according to the Brewers Association - with an industry growth of 15% by volume and 17% by dollars in 2012 compared to 13% by volume and 15% by dollars in 2011 - Bells Brewery expects to see a corresponding growth for its products. In 2012, the brewery produced over 216,000 barrels; the goal for 2013 is over 250,000 barrels. (Shown right, Meltric DecontactorTM?Series switch-rated plugs and receptacles on a glass bottle labeling machine.)
"We have grown rapidly and continue to grow," according to Jeff Carter, Facilities & Utilities manager. "We have expanded beyond our original facility and have another construction expansion project in the planning stage. So, we are looking for quality at the best possible cost when sourcing materials and equipment."
Founder Larry Bell launched his business in Kalamazoo in 1985. That facility is still in operation, but to meet the demand for its beer, another facility was built in 2003 about seven miles east in Comstock, MI. Encompassing over 100,000 sq ft of building space on a 32-acre site, this facility has undergone five major additions -- most recently, construction and expansion of a 200-barrel brew house, officially opened in 2012. It includes 14 400-barrel fermentation tanks and new grain-handling facilities. Beers are now brewed on a 50-barrel system and the newer 200-barrel system with a total annual capacity of more than 500,000 barrels.
"When we installed the 200 bbl grain-handling system, Meltric switch-rated connectors helped us decrease the cost of the construction project by simplifying the installation since the Meltric devices are NEC-approved line-of-sight disconnects," says Carter.
Meltric's Cost-Saving Advantage
Prior to installing Meltric switch-rated connectors on its production equipment, Bells Brewery used pin and sleeve connectors. But these connectors were more expensive since they required a line-of-sight disconnect switch in addition to the pin and sleeve connector. To reduce installation costs, Bells Brewery decided to purchase Meltric's Decontactor? Series switch-rated plugs and receptacles, which are UL/CSA rated for motor circuit and branch circuit disconnect switching and are an approved NEC/CSA line-of-sight disconnect switch. (Left, portable pump carts are connected with Meltric Decontactors.)
"They are better than pin and sleeve connectors that we previously used," says Carter. "Meltric saves money because you don't need a separately mounted line-of-sight disconnect."
Meltric's Decontactor line of switch-rated plugs and receptacles combine the safety and functionality of a disconnect switch with the convenience of a plug and receptacle. Their integral switching mechanism allows users to safely make and break connections under full load and provide significant protection in overload and short circuit conditions. They are UL approved as a motor circuit disconnect switch and as a branch circuit disconnect switch (UL Subject 2682). Their enclosed arc chambers ensure that the load is safely disconnected, and that all live parts are isolated and inaccessible before the plug can be removed. This design shields users from potential arc flash hazards at all times while making and breaking connections.
Meltric's switch-rated devices have the additional benefit of limiting downtime associated with maintenance and equipment changeouts by up to 50%, since no hardwiring of connections is necessary. The spring-loaded, integral switching mechanism can disconnect a circuit simply by depressing the pawl on the Meltric device where it is then ejected in the off position in only 15 milliseconds. The user only needs to rotate the plug and withdraw it from the receptacle to complete the disconnecting operation. In addition, the silver-nickel, butt-style contacts controlled by a spring-loaded integral switching mechanism eliminate contact mating and connection quality problems intrinsic to sliding friction contacts such as pin-and-sleeve connectors.
"The time savings associated with prewiring replacements will save us downtime, which is an added bonus," says Carter. (Right, the brewery can limit downtime on grain-handling equipment associated with maintenance and motor changeouts, since no hardwiring of connections is necessary.)
Simplified Lockout/Tagout a Purchasing Influencer
As Bells Brewery's production facilities have grown, so has its maintenance department, which now consists of packaging, facilities and utilities departments. So, the need to frequently lockout and tagout equipment for maintenance is not only crucial for worker safety, but also a more frequent operation.
"We use the lockout / tagout feature for our pumps. All you need is a lock and insert it in the hole on the plug. The safety that comes with the lockability of Meltric devices is something that influenced our purchasing decision as well," says Carter.
Meltric plugs have a built-in convenience feature that makes it easy to comply with OSHA's lockout / tagout requirements. With simply a 5/16 in. lockout hole in the plug shroud, Meltric devices can be easily locked out by inserting a user-provided lock through the hole in the male plug. The lock on the disconnected male plug prevents insertion into the female receptacle and provides visual verification of de-energization. In comparison, most other pin and sleeve plugs require an additional third-party lockout shield or plug cap, which can be not only expensive, but also are oftentimes lost, broken, or not available when needed.
"Meltric is Our Standard for Plugs"
Bells Brewery has a new expansion project in the planning stage. Called The Upper Hand Brewery, it will occupy a 3.16 acre lot in Escanaba, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where a variety of unique beers will be brewed and bottled for distribution across the area as well as in adjacent northern states. Based on his positive experience with the brand, Carter intends to specify Meltric switch-rated plugs/receptacles in this new production facility.
"Safety, functionality, reliability, and cost set Meltric apart from the rest. It is our standard for plugs," says Carter. (Left, Bell's Oberon is a wheat ale fermented with their signature house ale yeast, mixing a spicy hop character with mildly fruity aromas; pairs well with Meltric Decontactor Series switch-rated plugs.)
