The installation at Casa Cuervo took place in January this year and includes four CB280 motors, two PEC pump units and a PLC control system. The motors drive the mills that crush the agave to squeeze the juice from the plant, in a process similar to sugar production.
The capacity of the section of the plant where the Hägglunds' motors are now installed is around 15tonnes of agave per hour, which produces around 2250 litres of tequila. This compares well with the older section of the plant, which uses traditional electro-mechanical drives and has a capacity of around 11tonnes of agave per hour.
"We're very proud to be the first in the world to supply drive systems to a tequila producer," says Tomas Kallin, project manager for the Sugar business area. "In the last two years the trend started to be shifted towards alcohol production and tequila manufacturers have been showing a growing interest in our drives. The installation works perfectly, and the customer has set a new production record with our drives," says Tomas Kallin with satisfaction.
Long-term investment
The main advantages of the hydraulic drives are reliability and the fact that they make it much easier to control the processes.
"The hydraulic drives mean a bigger financial investment, but are profitable in the long term because of their stability and long life," explains Tomas Kallin.
Juliusz Lewinski has been Hägglunds Drives' representative in Mexico for the past 10 years. He was previously project manager of the first national project in Mexico that aimed to modernise tequila production without losing the flavour quality, the programme Academy - Industry.
"I've always had a very good relationship with Manufacturera 3M, which is an OEM down here. Because Hägglunds' drives have worked so well in the sugar mills they have also wanted to try them in tequila production for some time. Manufacturers 3M have plans to build a large number of tequila factories in Mexico in the future," he reports.
"The Mexican government is very interested in the development of tequila industry as tequila is an important symbol of this country and the new production plant at Casa Cuervo, where our drives are installed, is supposed to be officially inaugurated by the President of Mexico very soon," continues Juliusz Lewinski.
Since the installation, Casa Cuervo have asked for a further tender for a hydraulic drive for a new tequila production line.
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Tomas Kallin is with Hagglunds Drives AB, Vasterselvagen Mellansel, Sweden. www.hagglunds.com
