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How Switch-Rated Plugs Benefit the Craft Brewing Industry

As the craft brewing industry continues to grow, brewers need a large array of tools and equipment at their disposal. This equipment isn’t cheap, as we all know, and installation can be a burden. If you’re used to the old pin and sleeve connectors, then you’re undoubtedly familiar with the costs that come with them. In addition to the pin and sleeve connectors, you’ve got to use the line of sight disconnect switches, which only compounds the costs.

Thankfully for everyone conscious of reducing costs and increasing efficiency, the Meltric switch-rated connectors and receptacles are here. Using these switch-rated connectors eliminates the need for pin and sleeve connectors, which makes automation easier and more effective.

Bell’s Brewery, Inc., a Michigan-based craft brewery that produces a full line of ales, beers, and stouts, upgraded to Meltric DECONTACTOR™ Series switch-rated plugs and receptacles and loved the results.

Prior to installing Meltric switch-rated connectors on its production equipment, Bell’s Brewery used pin and sleeve connectors. But these connectors were more expensive since they required a ‘line of sight’ disconnect switch in addition to the pin and sleeve connector. To reduce installation costs, Bell’s Brewery decided to purchase Meltric’s DECONTACTOR™ Series switch rated plugs & receptacles which are UL/CSA rated for ‘motor circuit’ and ‘branch circuit’ disconnect switching and are an approved NEC/CSA ‘line of sight’ disconnect switch.

Switch-rated plugs and receptacles used to replace pin and sleeve connectors essentially removes one step from the installation and maintenance process. Instead, we have the ability to build, expand, or repair our equipment more efficiently and quickly. This is especially advantageous to those of us who aren’t in command of multi-million dollar breweries. It’s also crucial for limiting downtime when we have to repair or maintain our equipment.

Despite the size of our breweries, we can all agree on one thing: what both large and small breweries have in common is the desire to reduce costs, increase efficiency, and produce the best products for our customers. Meltric’s gear includes locks on male plugs, which stops someone from inserting a male plug into a female plug. This makes locking out equipment quicker and easier for our maintenance technicians. It also reduces costs. Most pin and sleeve connectors require additional expenditure on third-party lock-out devices.

With Meltric’s Decontactor line of switch-rated plugs and receptacles, the lock-out/tag-out routine is faster and easier. It also reduces costs by limiting downtime and eliminating steps third-party lock-out devices once forced technicians to make. Now, we can cut the time it takes to lock out machines in need of installation, service, or maintenance. Streamlining the process benefits us all, from the owners to the brewers, the technicians to the consumers. It’s a win-win all around.

Get in touch with us at EMR Associates if this fills a need in your business!

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