The brewing industry is shifting toward alcohol-free beers, tighter resource controls, and deeper digital integration. At BrauBeviale 2026, a major brewing industry trade fair, Krones will highlight how these trends translate into practical machinery and systems, covering everything from fermentation to packaging. The event, running from November 10–12, will feature solutions across the value chain in Hall 7A, including process technology, filling lines, and digital tools.
Fermentation and beyond: How Krones is adapting to alcohol-free demand
Global demand for alcohol-free beers is driving innovation in process technology. Krones’ subsidiary Steinecker is refining its dynamic fermentation process, now operational at multiple customer sites worldwide. The system combines the Poseidon circulation unit with Crabtree-negative NEER yeasts from Novonesis, optimizing efficiency while meeting the unique requirements of alcohol-free production.
Steinecker isn’t limiting its focus to beer. At BrauBeviale, the company will debut an application for special vessel manufacturing in spirits production, demonstrating how its stainless steel processing expertise extends beyond brewing. The technology also supports cheese production, broadening its industrial reach.
Krones and Steinecker will also showcase their extraction system, designed for gentle recovery of flavors in tea, alcoholic, and non-alcoholic ready-to-drink products. The system preserves valuable ingredients while expanding the company’s process technology portfolio.
Additional process innovations from Evoguard and other Krones divisions will emphasize how breweries can balance efficiency, quality, and flexibility in a single system.
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Glass remains king—but with smarter handling
Despite competition from alternatives like PET, glass remains the dominant packaging for beer. Krones is addressing this with targeted improvements in filling and handling technology.
The Lavasonic HI, a new bottle-cleaning module, uses ultrasound to reduce energy and water use while maintaining high cleaning efficiency. In filling, the updated Modulfill HES system will enter serial production by year-end, achieving outputs of up to 78,000 glass bottles per hour. The redesign prioritizes operator convenience, hygiene, and a smaller footprint, while low oxygen pick-up values extend shelf life.
Packaging flexibility is another focus. The Smartpac NXT machine handles varying bottle formats and secondary packaging types, including both glass and PET containers. For palletizing, Krones will introduce a new layer pusher, consolidating features from its existing portfolio into a single solution.
These updates reflect breweries’ need for adaptable, resource-conscious production lines. The changes aren’t just about speed, they’re about reducing waste, improving quality, and accommodating a wider range of products.
Krones’ approach to digitalization isn’t detailed in the exhibition preview, but the company’s broader portfolio includes intralogistics, injection molding, and plastics recycling, areas where automation and data-driven optimization are increasingly critical.
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Why this matters: A snapshot of brewery challenges
The trends Krones is addressing, alcohol-free growth, sustainability demands, and digitalization, reflect broader industry shifts. Consumer preferences are increasingly favoring lower-alcohol options, and breweries are responding with innovations like Steinecker’s dynamic fermentation process. The company’s solutions at BrauBeviale demonstrate how machinery can adapt to these evolving needs.
Krones’ solutions at BrauBeviale aren’t revolutionary in concept, ultrasound cleaning, modular filling lines, and flexible packaging aren’t new. But their refinement for specific pain points, like the Modulfill HES’s oxygen-reduction focus or the Smartpac NXT’s dual-material handling, shows how machinery is being tailored to real-world constraints. The company’s expansion into spirits and cheese vessels also demonstrates its ability to apply core expertise to adjacent industries.
A company built on adaptation
The technology company Krones, headquartered in Neutraubling, Germany, is a leading international developer and manufacturer of state-of-the-art machines and complete lines for the areas of process, filling, and packaging technology. Additional products and services from Krones subsidiaries, such as solutions for digitalization, intralogistics, as well as injection moulding and plastics recycling, complement the product portfolio.
The exhibition will run from November 10, 12, with all solutions on display in Hall 7A. For breweries grappling with shifting consumer tastes and operational pressures, Krones’ offerings may provide a roadmap, not just for efficiency, but for resilience.
