Improving Reliability and Extending Equipment Life at Bairds Malt

When Bairds Malt set out to improve reliability and extend the life of critical equipment at its Pencaitland maltings, it turned to Gibbons Engineering Group to deliver a tailored engineering solution.

With a history spanning almost 200 years, Bairds Malt produces around 250,000 tonnes of malt annually, supplying breweries and distilleries from five sites across England and Scotland.

During the germination process, barley is fed into a large stirring tank via an overhead chute. The stirring mechanism consists of a boom and three paddles powered by two direct-on-line (DOL) fixed-speed electric motors. However, slight variations in motor slip meant the motors could never run in perfect synchronisation. This resulted in ‘snatch starting’, placing excessive mechanical stress on the gearboxes, boom, paddles and motors, leading to repeated failures, unplanned downtime and costly production interruptions.

Having supported Bairds Malt with installations, retrofits and repairs for many years, Gibbons’ engineers had an in-depth understanding of both the site and the process. Following a detailed assessment, they designed and implemented a bespoke upgrade.

The existing motors were replaced with two high-efficiency 11 kW electric motors, while a pair of ABB ACS880 variable speed drives were installed in a master-follower configuration. This arrangement ensures both motors operate in perfect synchronisation at all times, eliminating the mismatch that previously caused mechanical stress. Motor speeds can also be easily adjusted via an intuitive operator keypad, providing greater flexibility and process control.

Since the upgrade, Bairds Malt has reported significantly smoother operation, reduced inrush currents and a substantial reduction in maintenance requirements. By improving synchronisation and minimising mechanical wear, the new system has increased equipment reliability, reduced downtime and helped protect critical assets for the long term.