Laser Photonics Corporation (LPC), a leading global developer of CleanTech laser systems for laser cleaning and other material applications, highlights a key set of applications for its industrial laser cleaning systems in the beer brewing industry.

“Cleaning is a critically important part of every phase of brewing, and neglecting it results in poor beer and broken equipment,” said Wayne Tupuola, CEO of Laser Photonics. “Keeping equipment clean and sanitized is key to making beer taste its best. Our laser systems are perfect for this because they are versatile and effective. By employing our cutting-edge technology in their existing processes, professionals in the brewing industry can expect to spend much less time cleaning and more time brewing, along with numerous other benefits.”

Laser Photonics laser systems offer brewery professionals a user-friendly, eco-friendly, cost-effective, and time-efficient solution for cleaning, conditioning, sanitizing and re-surfacing a wide range of standard brewing components, including kettles or brew pots, mash tuns, fermenters, bright tanks, beer cooling systems, piping systems and valves and fittings.

Not only is beer acidic enough to cause corrosion directly, but it also contains live organisms that can cause biofouling and biocorrosion. Beer can be corrosive to the tanks and fluid lines used in the brewing process, and it can be corrosive to the brewery building, too.

Beer and Concrete

Challenges start at ground level with the concrete floors found in most commercial breweries. Beer can dissolve the lime in concrete, and bacteria can grow in the porosity of the concrete, feeding off of the sugars that soak it. Once bacteria becomes entrenched, they can only be taken out by removing the contaminated concrete. CleanTech laser cleaning systems can effectively replace grit blasting or acid etching for cleaning applications, even if the contamination is deep.

Beer and Brewery Equipment

Metal contacting the beer should not react to produce off flavors, which is why stainless steel is a cornerstone of modern breweries, allowing great flavor and outstanding consistency from batch to batch. But steels have an Achilles heel: chlorine, a common ingredient in cleaning solutions, is highly corrosive in a brewery setting, creating pitting and pinholes. Biofouling and beerstone scale (calcium oxalate) cause corrosion as well. Traditional caustic, chemical, or electrical cleaning procedures can lead to further functional problems or higher costs that are eliminated with the use of CleanTech laser cleaning systems.

Other common brewery metals are brass, copper, aluminum, and mild steel, and where these different metals join, corrosion can be a problem that simple cleaning does not solve. If a brewer has mild steel in contact with copper, the steel will corrode. If the brewer has copper in contact with stainless steel, the copper will corrode. Brass fittings and silver solder also corrode, but more slowly.

With traditional chemical or electrical cleaning, it’s critical to understand what can safely be used to avoid causing harm to or interactivity between metals. Laser cleaning mitigates these concerns for the full range of metals used in a brewery, both inside and outside of pipes, pots, and other components. Laser-based maintenance processes are far simpler and safer, allowing breweries to spend more time on production and less on upkeep and repairs. More importantly, laser processes don’t expose operators to dangerous processes, harmful substances, or inhalants used during more traditional processes.

For more information about Laser Photonics’ laser systems, please visit https://www.cleantechlaser.com/ or contact our sales department at fiberlaser@laserphotonics.com.

CleanTech Laser Blasting Technology

The CleanTech laser blasting technology manufactured by Laser Photonics is eco-friendly, cost-effective and time-efficient. Applications for LPC technology include rust removal, paint removal, surface preparation and more. This technology is an excellent alternative to traditional methods like sandblasting, dry ice blasting and other industrial cleaning techniques.

About Laser Photonics Corporation

Laser Photonics is a vertically integrated manufacturer and R&D Center of Excellence for industrial laser technologies and systems. Laser Photonics seeks to disrupt the $46 billion, centuries-old sand and abrasives blasting markets, focusing on surface cleaning, rust removal, corrosion control, de-painting and other laser-based industrial applications. Laser Photonics’ new generation of leading-edge laser blasting technologies and equipment also addresses the numerous health, safety, environmental and regulatory issues associated with old methods. As a result, Laser Photonics has quickly gained a reputation as an industry leader in industrial laser systems with a brand that stands for quality, technology and product innovation. Currently, world-renowned and Fortune 1000 manufacturers in the aerospace, automotive, defense, energy, industrial, maritime, space exploration and shipbuilding industries are using Laser Photonics’ “unique-to-industry” systems. For more information, visit https://www.laserphotonics.com.

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