Altstadt Brewery has had a Wayne Automation machine since 2018 and was always able to handle maintenance themselves. Alstadt had previously gotten support by phone from Wayne for preventative maintenance and assistance with ordering spare parts. However, when they needed a clutch changed on a Wayne machine recently, they decided to have a technician come on site to perform the maintenance. With Wayne’s packaging equipment service, they got much more than clutch change.

When Fernando Anievas, Plant Engineer at Altstadt Brewery, noticed that their Wayne packaging equipment needed a clutch change, he decided it was time to have an expert technician come on site.

Up until that point, Fernando and the Alstadt team had been able to handle maintenance themselves, but they struggled with crashed cartons, which impacted the plant’s efficiency and resulted in damaged supplies and wasted money.

Although the company had previously worked with Wayne for remote support, Fernando knew the technician could help them change the clutch and optimize the machine’s performance, so he called Wayne to enlist their packaging equipment service.

When Wayne Automation technician Chris came on site at Altstadt Brewery’s plant in Fredericksburg, Texas, he was able to change the clutch and work with the team for two days to answer questions, provide staff training, and optimize the machine.

Even after years of working with the machine, the team learned important new information from the training. “We asked lots of questions,” says Fernando. The technician reviewed everything with them, including how to change the machine settings, and answered questions about chains, conveyors, sensors, oils, and filters… It was very useful,” Fernando says.

With the changed clutch, updated settings, and newly educated team, Altstadt Brewery was ready to operate at peak efficiency.

“We’ve been running good since the changes,” Fernando notes. The crashed cartons were dramatically reduced, and the brewery was more efficient now. As the second-largest brewery in town, it’s essential for Alstadt to keep up with demand.

When asked what he would say to breweries of a similar size considering working with Wayne or purchasing Wayne equipment, Fernando says, “I would definitely recommend it, especially because of the service. Whenever we need something, there is always somebody available.”

The company plans to continue having a Wayne technician come on-site bi-annually for packaging equipment service to ensure the equipment runs optimally.