A successful project in 2020

2020 was a particularly challenging year for the global brewing industry. Despite the difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we successfully completed several important installations. Among them, one of the most significant was the new beer canning plant for Vocation Brewery, a leading UK craft brewery.

Founded in 2015 in England, between Leeds and Manchester, Vocation Brewery was born from the true “vocation” of its founder, John Hickling. After leaving his banking career in 2008 to pursue his passion for brewing, he built what is now a thriving brewery with around 60 employees, producing and selling approximately 10 million beer cans per year.

This project represents a major milestone for both Vocation Brewery and our team.

We are particularly proud of this installation for two key reasons.

First, we ensured full service, technical support, and operational continuity despite the pandemic restrictions. Our objective was to minimize delays caused by lockdown measures, and through strong coordination and determination, we successfully installed and commissioned the beer canning line in May 2020, during a period of full emergency.

Second, this project confirms how our advanced canning technology for craft breweries can significantly improve production capacity and product quality.

At the core of the beer canning plant is the Master C Block filling and seaming monoblock, the flagship solution of the line. This compact 24-valve machine is:

• Easy to install
• Designed for high performance
• Capable of reaching 15,000 cans per hour
• Equipped with flow-meter filling technology to ensure maximum precision and low oxygen pickup

This flexible and high-efficiency solution is achieving strong success worldwide, alongside other CFT Group technologies for craft breweries such as Smartcan and Microbrew by Co.Mac.

Canning plant for craft breweries

To celebrate the success of this beer canning project, we asked Richard Stenson, Managing Director of Vocation Brewery, to share his experience working with CFT Group.

Richard, how would you present Vocation Brewery? What makes you different from other breweries?

“All breweries are different – beers, processes, and people. At Vocation, we have always followed our own path, continuously improving every aspect of our production. This constant drive for improvement has helped us build our reputation. Whenever possible, we invest in advanced brewing and packaging equipment to optimize our processes and enhance beer quality. Most importantly, we truly love what we do.”

Why did you choose CFT Group for your beer canning line?

“The purchase of our canning line was a major investment, and we evaluated several options. The deciding factor was CFT’s strong reputation within the brewing industry, especially the positive feedback from other breweries already using their equipment.

After-sales service was crucial for us. In brewing, downtime can be critical. We needed a partner who understood the urgency of breakdowns and could guarantee rapid assistance. What we heard from other customers was extremely reassuring.”

How was your experience with the CFT team during the project?

“The installation took place during lockdown (March–April 2020), which made the process more complex. Despite this, the CFT engineers did an excellent job getting the line fully operational.

I maintained contact with Matteo throughout the project, which was reassuring. Whenever an issue arose, I felt confident that support was immediately available.”

Beer canning line description: main components

The automated beer canning plant at Vocation Brewery includes the following main components:

• Depalletiser: Empty can pallets are lifted and transferred onto feed conveyors.
• Can inverter and rinser: Cans are inverted and internally washed with high-pressure jets.
• Master C Block filler and seamer:
  • Rotary design
  • 24 filling heads
  • 4 seaming heads
  • High-pressure CO₂ purge
  • Precision flow-meter filling
  • Integrated seaming process

After filling and seaming, the cans move through:

• X-ray inspection system to verify fill levels and reject out-of-spec products
• Drying unit
• Date coding system
• Labelling machine (depending on product type)
• Mass accumulation conveyors
• Automatic packer (2×2 or 3×4 formats)
• Labelling and barcoding system
• Palletising system
• Automatic pallet wrapping unit

This fully integrated brewery packaging line guarantees efficiency, uniformity, and high product quality from empty can to finished pallet.

Benefits of installing the CFT beer canning plant

Comparing production before and after installing the new beer canning line, the improvements have been significant.

The most impactful result was the increase in production speed:

• From 3,000 cans per hour
• To 15,000 cans per hour

In addition, Vocation Brewery achieved:

• Increased production consistency
• Reduced Total Package Oxygen (TPO)
• Improved operational efficiency
• Enhanced beer quality
• Strengthened brand reputation

These results demonstrate how investing in an advanced canning plant for craft breweries can transform production performance and support business growth.

Watch the full video of the project.

Beer industry market: future perspectives

The global beer market is expected to record a CAGR of 5.2% during the 2021–2026 period.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has affected pricing dynamics due to supply chain disruptions. Limited raw material availability, production interruptions, and labor shortages led to increased costs for both materials and transportation.

However, the beer market has demonstrated strong resilience. With the closure of bars, pubs, and restaurants, consumers shifted toward home consumption. During this period, the demand for beer cans increased significantly, reinforcing the importance of efficient and high-capacity beer canning systems for breweries.

As the industry evolves, investment in automated, precise, and flexible beer packaging solutions will remain a strategic priority for breweries aiming to grow sustainably.

Matteo Avanzi
Regional Sales Manager