KHS to present flexible turnkey lines at BrauBeviale

Declining beer sales and changing consumer habits are prompting beverage producers to reassess their production strategies. At BrauBeviale in Nuremberg, the KHS Group will demonstrate how breweries and other beverage companies can adapt their plants to broader product portfolios. Under the theme "All Beverages. One Future. Our Solutions.", the systems supplier will focus on turnkey plant engineering from a single source, covering initial concepts and system planning, flexible line configurations and continuous life cycle support.

The market figures illustrate the scale of the shift. While beer sales are declining worldwide, growth opportunities are emerging in other beverage categories. In Germany, beer sales fell below 80 million hectoliters in 2025 for the first time. Traditional breweries are therefore increasingly adding alcohol-free beers, flavored water, soft drinks and ready-to-drink products to their portfolios.

"The change in our industry won’t just happen at some point, it’s already in full swing," said Tobias Wetzel, CSO of the KHS Group. "Changing consumer habits demand maximum flexibility. Today, what matters is no longer the performance of individual machines, but that of the entire production line. This is increasingly becoming a strategic success factor for beverage producers."

Flexibility and resource efficiency

KHS uses its system expertise to support the conversion of established production structures into flexible environments across different beverage and container segments. At its trade show booth, the company will illustrate this approach with a high-performance glass line for the growing water market. The concept combines machines within a coordinated complete system intended to minimize unplanned downtime and improve overall equipment effectiveness, or OEE.

The Innoclean Cascade D bottle washing machine is one component of this approach. The new double-end generation was developed with an emphasis on resource efficiency. It incorporates ECO carrier 2.0 bottle pockets, enhanced label discharge and a reduced bath volume while maintaining a high standard of hygiene. Its optimized heating concept is designed to simplify maintenance and cleaning and improve accessibility. According to KHS, the compact machine requires approximately 10% less floor space than comparable systems.

The Innoclean Cascade D bottle washing machine was developed as a new double-end generation with a focus on resource efficiency.

Expertise combined in turnkey can lines

KHS is also applying its holistic line approach to can processing. The SmartCan Eco filler/seamer block, developed by KHS and Ferrum Packaging AG, combines filling and closure technologies and achieves outputs of up to 136,000 cans per hour. Precise flow metering, a smaller hygiene area and optimized container handling enable the system to process thin-walled lightweight cans. The reduced hygiene area and cleaning processes shorten cleaning times and increase system availability.

The company is combining its system expertise with specialist knowledge from technology partners including Ferrum Packaging AG, H. F. Meyer Maschinenbau GmbH and Tyrolon GmbH. The objective is to configure production lines for specific customer requirements and applications.

"We aim to provide the best possible production line for every application," said Wetzel. "Accordingly, we purposefully combine our system expertise with the know-how of leading specialists. This results in solutions that offer impressive efficiency, flexibility and system performance."

Planning and support throughout the line life cycle

KHS already assists beverage producers in developing new container and packaging concepts. The company plans to extend this support to an earlier stage, before the investment decision, when the strategic direction and long-term viability of a production site are being defined. At BrauBeviale, KHS will outline how it intends to develop this planning approach.

To maintain the profitability and adaptability of production assets throughout their operating period, KHS offers services including predictive maintenance, modernization and digital applications for daily production operations. One example is the further developed KHS ConnectApp Guide. Integrated bills of materials make parts information available directly on the line, while dynamic tasks are generated according to actual system utilization. The application is intended to facilitate planning and support standardized system operation.

"Flexible production requires technology that can be adapted to new requirements and intuitive service," said Wetzel. "We therefore support our customers throughout the entire life cycle of their lines. This enables us to create the conditions for permanently high availability, economical operation and the necessary flexibility to meet future market requirements."

The KHS Group will present its systems and solutions at BrauBeviale in Hall 8 of the Nuremberg Exhibition Center from November 10 to 12.