HYDRAULICS & PNEUMATICS
FEATURE
POURING THE
PERFECT PINT
a valve andmanifold assembly that improves temperature control, enhances automated cleaning performance and delivers meaningful energy savings throughout the system’s lifetime.”
IMI’s valve manifold technology is being used to control temperature and hygiene throughout Heineken’s SmartDispense system, resulting in the high-quality beer consumers expect
O
nce beer has left the brewery it is essential to not only maintain the correct serving temperature but also to ensure dispense
lines are cleaned effectively to result in the perfect pint. Added to this, the growing demand for alcohol-free beer means tighter control of hygiene and temperature is needed, as the absence of alcohol reduces the product’s natural resistance to bacterial growth. Pub operators also require dispensing systems that are reliable, energy-efficient, and simple to maintain. To address these evolving requirements,
Heineken turned to long-term engineering partner IMI and its team of Industrial Automation engineers to further enhance the performance of its SmartDispense system.
DEVELOPING THE SOLUTION Although SmartDispense was already delivering high standards of beer quality, the company identified an opportunity to further improve temperature management and automate the daily cleaning process, particularly for its rapidly expanding 0.0% ABV product range. A solution was needed that would be capable
of maintaining precise low-temperature control while enabling a fast, repeatable and fully automated cleaning cycle between the keg and the tap. The dispense systemalso needed to minimise energy consumption, reduce maintenance requirements, and operate reliably across demanding hospitality environments. Understanding the requirements and working closely with Heineken’s engineering team, IMI developed a customised valve and manifold assembly. To meet the application demands, IMI engineered a bespoke solution by modifying its TruControl media-separated valves, replacing FKM diaphragms with EPDM materials to overcome issues associated with low-temperature rigidity while reducing
www.designsolutionsmag.co.uk
the risk of beer leakage. To further improve thermal performance,
IMI also developed a latching solenoid valve. Conventional solenoids generate heat while energised, potentially affecting temperature- sensitive applications during extended operating periods. The new latching design eliminates this issue by requiring power only during actuation. Once switched, the valve remains in position without consuming additional energy. This innovation not
only helps maintain tighter temperature control around the beer in the system but also reduces power consumption from nine watts to zero watts after actuation, delivering significant energy savings. Of further benefit,
IMI incorporated a zero dead-volume on/off cleaning valve mounted within a double- wall manifold. By eliminating areas where beer could remain trapped inside the valve, the design enables a rapid, repeatable, automated cleaning and flushing cycle fromkeg to tap. This improves hygiene, reduces contamination risk, and provides greater confidence that every dispense meets Heineken’s quality standards. Brady Webb, vertical technical specialist,
Industrial Automation at IMI, commented: “Working alongside Heineken enabled us to fully understand the application and engineer a solution around their specific operational requirements rather than asking them to adapt to standard products. The result is
THE BENEFITS The enhanced SmartDispense systemcombines precise temperature management with fully automated cleaning to help ensure every pint reaches consumers in optimum condition. Benefits for Heineken included:
• Improved temperature stability for consistently high product quality.
• Enhanced hygiene performance, particularly for alcohol-free beers and ciders.
• Automated cleaning of the valve that reduces manual intervention while improving repeatability.
• Lower energy consumption through IMI’s latching solenoid technology. • A robust, serviceable valve assembly designed for long-term reliability. Stuart Briant, senior
technicalmanager from Heineken, said: “Having been long-term collaborators,
we are delighted with the work undertaken with IMI to support
the SmartDispense system. They added real value by fully understanding what we wanted to achieve and developed the media-separated valve to meet our draught dispense
requirements and the
specific challenges associated with alcohol-free beer.”
GLOBAL EXPANSION Beyond supplying the engineered solution, IMI continues to support the ongoing maintenance programme for the SmartDispense system. Today, the system is installed across the
UK and will soon be expanded across Global markets, helping Heineken maintain product quality while supporting landlords and venue operators with a reliable, easy-to-maintain, dispensing solution.
IMI
www.norgren.com/en/industries/
beverage-dispense
https://smartdispense.heineken.co.uk/
OCTOBER 2026 DESIGN SOLUTIONS 35
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