Grundfos NBSE Pumps with MLE Motors. Setup in a Cascade system. THE SOLUTION With the brewery team on board, four pumps were ordered, and a single-day switchover was scheduled. The installation crew completed piping in the morning, followed by programming and commissioning in the afternoon with support from Grundfos and the local partner. Compared to traditional installations that require communication cables running back to the PLC from each pump, the cascade functionality of the Grundfos MLE eliminates lengthy cable runs. The setup requires only one wire with three conductors and a daisy- chained communication wire between the four pumps. Programming the cascade operation for all four pumps took just 30 minutes. Once operational, the system demonstrated seamless performance during flow rate tests. The brewery achieved 100% capacity with three NBSE pumps, leaving the fourth as a redundant backup. Additionally, redundant master controls and pressure sensors ensured fail-safe operation, reducing downtime risks. THE OUTCOME New Belgium Brewery’s new system has run smoothly since August 2024 and resulted in: • Increased efficiency: The brewery now achieves full capacity with fewer pumps, saving energy and reducing maintenance, contributing to their sustainability goals. • Simplified maintenance and operations: The NBSE pump design allows for faster seal replacements, minimising downtime for repair and maintenance. The elimination of the PLC system also reduces the complexity of managing the cooling system, requiring no third- party components as the built-in PID controller handles all the logic. • Redundancy and reliability: Redundant controls and master pumps ensure uninterrupted operations. “We've seen challenges over the years with equipment growing old and not finding the correct replacement parts. We're running a series of new Grundfos pumps with VFDs in our cooling system for ammonia on our evaporative coolers, and we haven't needed to rent chillers for the whole year and saved upwards of USD 30,000 a month just on that for the rental.” VJ Hartman, Maintenance Technical Specialist at New Belgium Brewery New Belgium maintenance team performing routine checks on equipment.
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