Aflex hoses enhance reliability and sanitary compliance at major brewery

A major international producer of beer uses Aflex PTFE-lined FaBLINE hoses at its breweries in Mexico to enhance reliability, hygiene and supply continuity, while showing no negative effects to the robust clean-in-place (CIP) regimes.

As part of its commitment to operational excellence and product quality, the brewery maintains high technical standards throughout its production process, from raw material handling to final packaging to produce world-renowned beers for the US and international markets.

Aflex Hose, a Watson-Marlow company, was approached to provide a reliable and hygienic alternative solution for unloading tomato juice, which is a high-quality ingredient used in a michelada-style beer. Hose performance, cleanliness and durability are critical in this liquid transfer application. 

The brewery had been using NBR (nitrile butadiene rubber) hoses since its commissioning. Over time, technical support and replacement availability from both the manufacturer and local distributors became unavailable.

This situation posed risks to system reliability and supply continuity, as well as the need to ensure full FDA compliance and performance under vacuum and suction conditions.

Following a detailed technical assessment carried out jointly by Watson-Marlow’s engineering team and the brewery’s maintenance department, the Aflex FaBLINE 3” with food grade fittings was selected. Initially, one hose was supplied for trial, followed by additional hoses a year later.

FaBLINE met all operational and regulatory requirements by providing:

• Patented smoothbore PTFE liner is ideal for hygienic brewery applications
• Compatible and unaffected by the vast majority of aggressive CIP/SIP processes used in modern brewing cleaning regimes
• Stainless-steel reinforcement for superior vacuum and negative-pressure resistance
• Full compliance with FDA and EC1935/2004 standards, ensuring food safety
• A blue EPDM outer cover for easy visual identification and enhanced abrasion resistance
• DIN 11851 hygeinic female fittings to ensure seamless connection with existing systems

Simple integration, stable operation

In the brewing industry, adopting new technologies can be complex due to the sector’s strict hygiene, compatibility and continuity requirements.

Installation of the Aflex hoses required no significant modifications, allowing for immediate process compatibility.

After unloading the tomato juice, FaBLINE hoses are cleaned using a CIP process with hot water and caustic soda. FaBLINE hose are resistant to all CIP and SIP processes whether it is chemical, temperature or duration of cleaning.

FaBLINE has proved a suitable, hygienic solution that has been easily integrated into the brewery’s process at one of the largest and most advanced brewing facilities in Latin America. 

Since implementation, the brewery has reported stable operation with no hose failures over two years for one hose, and one years for two other hoses.

Connection integrity remains consistent, maintaining the hygienic standards of the process and ensuring reliable product transfer. 

Key benefits include:

• Extended service life with no damage reported since installation
• Full compliance with food and beverage hygiene standards
• Reduced risk of cross-contamination thanks to a smooth, non-stick inner surface
• Immediate technical support available through Watson-Marlow’s local engineering team

A maintenance engineer at the brewery in Mexico said: “The quick response from Watson-Marlow and Aflex Hose in providing a quotation, simply by collecting our process data, ensured we received the exact hose specification we required.”

By integrating Aflex FaBLINE hoses, the major brewery company has strengthened process reliability, enhanced sanitary compliance and safeguarded uninterrupted production.

At another of the brewery sites in Mexico, Aflex hoses are used to offload CIP chemicals from a tanker (pictured). Aflex’s smooth bore PTFE hose offers the perfect solution for the offtake of harsh or aggressive cleaning chemicals, ensuring chemical compatibility throughout the hose length, reliable and securely crimped end-fittings and an uninterrupted flow through the hose with no product hold-up points.

By maintaining their own offtake hose assets, the brewery ensures optimal control over product and chemicals arriving to their site, allowing them to responsibly manage risks of contamination or safety incidents during the transfer between supplier and production.

Given their 24-month manufacturer’s warranty and FDA and food contact conformant construction materials, Aflex Hose offers the most efficient path to safe chemical transfer and hygienic product transfer.

FaBLINE aligns fully with beer producer’s global standards, supporting the brewery’s focus on operational efficiency, food safety and consistent final product quality.

Learn more about FaBLINE