Abe CraftCan 15 User manual

This document is the property of Norland International Inc. (d.b.a. American Beer Equipment) and may contain information
which is confidential, proprietary, pri ileged, and exempt from disclosure. Unless written consent is pro ided by the Legal
Department, any copying or distribution of this communication is strictly prohibited.
CraftCan 15/35 User
Guide
Ver 1.
3
© Copyrig
ht 2016 American Beer Equipment
2001 S.W. 6th St. L
incoln, NE 68522
402-475-BEER

American Beer Equipment 2001 SW 6
th
St.
Lincoln, NE 68522
1
Thank You!
Congratulations on purchasing your American Beer Equipment CraftCan system. The CraftCan is one of the most ad anced
medium-speed canning lines a ailable. The employees of A.B.E. ha e worked ery hard to bring you a machine which will
pro ide many years of reliable operation with a minimum amount of maintenance.
Your CraftCan system has undergone a comprehensi e quality assurance and inspection process prior to final packaging
and shipment to you. Any residues you see on the surfaces of the CraftCan are a result of this testing process and are to
be considered normal. Your be erage tubes may ha e CIP chemical residue in them from when they were cleaned before
shipping.
Please read this entire manual prior to installing and operating your CraftCan System to ensure you understand the
functions of the system. If you ha e any questions, please do not hesitate to contact:
American Beer Equipment
402-475-BEER (2337)
Thank you for your business! Now let’s go can!

American Beer Equipment 2001 SW 6
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Contents
1. Safety Precautions .......................................................................................................................................................... 4
a) Uncrating the CraftCan ................................................................................................................................................... 4
b) System Placement ........................................................................................................................................................... 4
2. Initial Startup Procedures ............................................................................................................................................... 5
3. CIP Procedures ................................................................................................................................................................ 5
4. Canning Procedures ........................................................................................................................................................ 6
a. Filling ............................................................................................................................................................................... 6
b. Seaming........................................................................................................................................................................... 9
a. Double Seam Setup Procedures ................................................................................................................................... 10
d. Seaming Adjustment Guide .............................................................................................................................................. 13
5. Cleaning ............................................................................................................................................................................. 16
6. Dissol ed Oxygen .......................................................................................................................................................... 17
Troubleshooting .................................................................................................................................................................... 17
7. Tips ................................................................................................................................................................................ 18
a. Filling ............................................................................................................................................................................. 18
a. Too Much Foam .................................................................................................................................................... 18
i. Too Little Foam ..................................................................................................................................................... 18
i. Seaming......................................................................................................................................................................... 19
8. Maintenance ................................................................................................................................................................. 20
a. Seamer .......................................................................................................................................................................... 20
i. Roller bearing grease ............................................................................................................................................ 20
ii. Cylinders ................................................................................................................................................................ 20
iii. Bearings ................................................................................................................................................................. 20
b. Filler .............................................................................................................................................................................. 20
c. Other ............................................................................................................................................................................. 20
9. Troubleshooting ............................................................................................................................................................ 21
a) Filler .............................................................................................................................................................................. 21
i. Fill Times ............................................................................................................................................................... 21
ii. Beer Lines .............................................................................................................................................................. 22
iii. Nozzle Leaks .......................................................................................................................................................... 22

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b) Seamer .......................................................................................................................................................................... 23
i. Wrinkling ............................................................................................................................................................... 23
ii. Shuttle to Seamer ................................................................................................................................................. 23
c) Lid-Escapement ............................................................................................................................................................. 23
d) Lid-Tap ................................................................................................................................................................... 25
e) Other ..................................................................................................................................................................... 25
f). Mac Val es Manifold Videos .................................................................................................................................... 25
10. Height Changeo er .................................................................................................................................................... 27
a. Nozzle Cylinder Height .................................................................................................................................................. 27
b. Lid-Escapement Height ................................................................................................................................................. 28
c. Seamer (s) ..................................................................................................................................................................... 29
11. SAVED SETUP (RECIPES) ............................................................................................................................................ 31
12. Appendix ......................................................................................................................................................................... 33
a. Time Settings ................................................................................................................................................................ 33
b. Main Connections ......................................................................................................................................................... 34
c. Troubleshooting Double Seam Guide ........................................................................................................................... 35
d. Double Seam Specifications .......................................................................................................................................... 36
e. Screen Images ............................................................................................................................................................... 45
f. Clock Adjustment .......................................................................................................................................................... 51
g. Checklists....................................................................................................................................................................... 54

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1. Safety Precautions
a. Please read the entire Operator’s / Technical manual before starting the installation.
b. Improper installation, adjustment, alteration, ser ice, maintenance or use can cause personal injury or
property damage. Consult a qualified installer or ser ice agency for information or assistance. The
qualified installer or agency must use factory-authorized kits or accessories when ser icing this product.
c. Follow all safety codes. Read these instructions thoroughly and follow all warnings. Consult local
building codes and / or National Electrical Code (NEC) for special installation requirements.
d. This unit is equipped with an electrical panel. This panel should remain closed, except when being
ser iced by qualified indi iduals.
e. This unit is equipped with Polycarbonate guarding. Guarding should remain on the system when
operated to pre ent injury.
f. As there are high oltage connections inside the system, limit access to qualified personnel only.
g. This unit is under microprocessor control which can lead to unexpected mo ement of components.
Always turn off the external power and disconnect air supply to the unit when ser icing or inspecting
the electrical controls, and other areas on the unit.
h. Do not place any part of your body inside of the CraftCan filler or seamer while the machine is running.
Doing so may be harmful.
Warning
Before installing or ser icing system, always turn off main power to system. There may be more than one (1) disconnect
switch. Electrical Shock can cause personal injury or death.
a) Uncrating the CraftCan
a) Uncrate the CraftCan and inspect the system for shipping damage. If damage is disco ered, contact
your shipping carrier prior to start up. The system was thoroughly inspected prior to packaging. If
damage to the system is found, it is the carrier’s responsibility to correct the damage.
b) Inspect the system for any loose or disconnected wires, tubing or fittings. Tighten as required. It is
not unusual for some fittings to loosen due to the ibration that occurs during shipment. It is our
practice not to o ertighten the fittings during the manufacturing process. We ha e found it better
for the life of the fittings to tighten moderately at the factory rather than to o ertighten.
b) System Placement
a) The system should be located so there is unrestricted access to all sides.
b) The system should be installed in a location and manner that will pre ent damage to personnel,
merchandise and/or the surrounding area in the e ent of an o erflow, leak or discharge from the
machine or connecting lines. We recommend locating the system close to a floor drain.
c) The system should be secure from unauthorized or untrained personnel.
d) The system must not be exposed to freezing temperatures.
e) Good manufacturing practices and adherence to local regulations for food and be erage operations
should be followed.

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2. Initial Startup Procedures
a. It is up to the purchaser to ha e a licensed electrician properly connect the CraftCan to power.
b. Once connected, the CraftCan can be powered by turning the red on/off handle to “I” on the electrical
box
i. The HMI will power to the ABE home screen
ii. You can now familiarize yourself with the arious screens
c. The main air can be connected to the back of the machine with a male 1/2" quick connect.
d. The CO2 pressure regulator at the machine for CO2 Pulse should be set at 60 PSI. Main line air pressure
regulator should be set at 100 PSI and operates at 100 psi +/- 10 psi. The machine will stop if the
pressure falls out of either range because ABE wants to make sure you ha e the best possible canning
experience possible. Insufficient air demands will not allow for an optimal experience.
3. CIP Procedures
a. The CraftCan System has the ability for CIP. The tubing is rated for up to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. To
start CIP, place cans below the nozzles, and hit “CIP” on the “Main” screen (Figure 1). The nozzle cylinder
will extend and the nozzles will open. The CIP time duration can be altered as needed. It is in seconds.
i. NOTE: If your nozzles extend downward, and then come right back up, please check that your
CIP time has not yet reached zero. If it has, please enter a new CIP time alue.
b. It is up to the brewery to ensure proper CIP procedures. Not performing proper CIP procedures may lead
to an unsafe consumable. A typical CIP process may look similar to the following:
i. Powdered Brewer’s Wash
ii. Flush canning lines with water
iii. Caustic Acid # 5
i . Flush canning line out with water
. Saniclean (temp not as important)
1. Can soak machine in SaniClean

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4. Canning Procedures
a. illing
i. Please follow the attached “Beer Pre-Start” and “Operator Setup Sheet” before canning each
time (page 51).
ii. A summarized ersion of the abo e is as follows. Connect:
a. ½” main air line at filler on backside
b. ¼” C02 line at filler on backside
c. 1-½” sanitary line (Beer)
iii. When you are ready to start canning, go to “Input & Outputs” on the HMI screen (Figure 1)
a. Click “Enable Testing” (Must always be depressed first for any action to take
place)
b. Cycle “Can Push” and “Push to Seam” to make sure the cylinders are running
smoothly. If they are not, see if beer has dried on the shafts. Hot water and FDA
appro ed silicon spray will produce a smooth cylinder operation.
c. Use the CIP button to cycle the Nozzles until beer exits, and there is minimal
foam
d. Make sure sanitizer or other chemicals ha e exited the system
i . Next, go to the “Main” Screen
Figure . Main Screen

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Depress:
a. PAUSE
b. BELT
c. SEAM
d. RUN-MODE (There is a 5 second delay after pressing run-mode)
e. PAUSE (To open Gate)
i. When “Run Mode” is depressed, cans will begin the filling and seaming process.
ii. A typical cycle occurs as follows:
1. Inlet gate opens
2. Cans are counted in (displayed on Main Screen, Figure 1)
3. Once “Cans Per Fill Cycle” equals “Cans In”, in-let gate closes
4. Fill nozzles with probes come down into can
5. The Co2 purge cycle turns on with a time duration equal to the time setting “Purge
on Time”
6. Once “Purge on Time” has completed, the fill cycle will start and finish filling once
the probe debounce time and extend fill time has been exceeded. Once the probe
debounce has been exceeded, the nozzles will start to rise out of the can and also
the nozzles will go into extend fill mode.
iii. NOTE: The air pressure must be abo e the minimum alue specified to
operate your machine. The air pressure monitor, on your front panel, Figure
1, displays this alue. If your pressure drops below the minimum, your
machine will stop filling and seaming. The integrity of your seams may be
compromised if the pressure drops below the recommended. Your machine
will wait for your compressor to catch up before canning may resume.
i . Note: The “PAUSE” button is on the main screen to pre ent cans from
entering the filler. You may press this button at any time to pre ent more
cans from entering the filler
. Note: You may also pre ent can mo ement, at any time, by pressing the
“CONVEYOR” button.
B. Your machine comes fully tested with reliable time settings. If you wish, you may
alter the time settings. There is a security code to do so.
a. Note: Altering time settings can negati ely affect your canning line
performance if the alue de iates from the setting pro ided to you from the
factory.
C. The CraftCan has the ability to change fill times on the fly. To do so, you may
increase or decrease your fill le els by going to the Timing Screen and hitting the
“All Fill Extend” button (Figure 3. Indi idual Nozzle Tunings). This will allow you to
numerically increase or decrease the amount of product which enters the can.
D. Adjustment of the probe debounce time and nozzle offset (Figure 3).
a. Probe debounce will control how long the probe must sense beer before the
nozzle starts rising out of the can and the extend fill time starts. If the time
setting is too low, the nozzle will rise out too quickly before the can is full (a

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bubble could set the probe off). If the nozzle time is too long, the nozzle will
remain open for longer than needed and stay in the can.
b. Nozzle offset compensates for nozzles which fill faster or slower than the
a erage nozzle. If an indi idual nozzle is too quick or slow, alter the nozzle’s
time setting accordingly.
E. C0
2
Pulse can be turned off or on ia the time setting screen.
a. Typically, a small jet (around .020 seconds) pro ides the correct amount of extra
CO
2
, 3/4
th
of the way up the can to promote an extra layer of foam. This foam
will allow lids to lie atop the foamy head and pre ent dissol ed oxygen pickup
(DO
2
).
Figure 2. Time Settings Screen on HMI

American Beer Equipment 2001 SW 6
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Figure 3. Individual Nozzle Tunings
b. Seaming
It is up to the brewery, and employees, to determine what a proper seam is and to maintain the seam on e ery can.
Without a proper seam a can may leak. Therefore, making sure the can seam falls within the manufacturer’s double
seam specifications is of utmost importance. Follow the procedures below to make sure your can is in spec after
installing a new roller operation die. If your seams were pre iously in spec, but are now on the outside range, please
refer to the Double Seam Setup Procedures.
Proper maintenance of your rollers will prolong repeatable and accurate seaming. Please refer to the Maintenance
Section for more information.

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a. Double Seam Setup Procedures
1. Ensure pin gauge height ( Figure 6)
a. Distance between top of lift table puck when cylinder is extended and seaming chuck, corresponds to your
double seam guide (from can end manufacturer)
b. Adjust height using adjustment knob in Figure 7.
i. Turning the knob clockwise limits the stroke of the cylinder (increases pin height).
ii. Please ha e the co er on the back of the cylinder when running the line.
2. Elevate roller lips
a. operation 1 & operation 2, clear abo e chuck lip (see Figure 4) to a oid chuck from crashing into, and
damaging, the roll
3. Bring
st
Op Roller in to chuck (Input/Output Screen-Figure 31) TIP: Use a piece of white paper as a background
a. Adjust the stroke of the connected seaming cylinder Figure 9. Chuck and until it is 0.003”-0.005” away from
the chuck (x1 on Figure 4).
4. Rotate
st
Op roller down, manually with hand, until it touches chuck lip
a. back off 1/8 turn (aprx .003” on Figure 4).
5. Bring 2
nd
Op roller in to chuck (Input/Output Screen- Figure 31)
a. Adjust the stroke of the connected seaming cylinder until it is 0.003”-0.005” away from the chuck (X
1
on Figure
4).
6. Rotate 2
nd
Op roller down, manually with hand, until it touches chuck lip
a. back off 1/4 turn (aprx .009” - .015”,Figure 4).
7. Check
st
Op roller width
a. In Input/Output screen, select Roller 1, then select “test”
b. Use your specific can double seam guide
c. If width is too small, mo e roller away from seaming chuck ( Figure 9).
8. Check for deadhead on first operation
a. Did can stop spinning?
i. Adjust flow control (decrease flow) closest to seamer cylinder rod
9. Check 2
nd
Op width/height
a. In Input/Output screen, select both Roller 1 & 2, then select “test”
b. Check for tightness/wrinkles
10. Check for deadhead on 2
nd
Op
a. Adjust flow control (decrease flow) closest to seamer cylinder rod
11. Check body/cover hook
a. 2
nd
Op Seam Thickness
b. 2
nd
Op Seam Height
c. Body Hook
d. Co er Hook
12. Check tightness rating
a. Needs to be 90% or greater (See figure 5)

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Figure 4. Roller & Chuck
Y
X
ROLLER
LIP
CHUCK
LIP

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Figure 5. Tightness Rating (Provided by Crown Cork and Seal)
Seamer Puck Information
Two seaming pucks are included with your machine. Typically, one of the two pucks will fit the bottom of
your can profile. The can bottom should rest fully onto the puck with minimal “slop”. If the can does not
rest fully onto the puck, the other puck should be swapped out and tested. Please contact ABE Customer
Ser ice for further help if needed.

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d. Seaming Adjustment Guide
Characteristic Reason A Reason B Reason C
Long Seam Height Die #1 set too far from chuck Die #2 set too close to chuck
Long Body Hook Lift table high/Pressure high Die #1 too far from chuck
Long Cover Hook Die #1 too close to chuck
Short Body Hook Lift table low/Pressure low Die #1 too close to chuck Die #2 too far from chuck
Short Cover Hook Lift table too high Die #1 too far from chuck
A more comprehensi e table, pro ided by Ball Be erage, can be found in Figure 28.
Figure 6. Pin Gauge Height
Pin
Gauge
Height

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Figure 7- Lift Table Assembly. The lift-table puck height (pin gauge height) can be adjusted by loosening or tightening the adjustment knob.
Figure 8- Roller Assembly. Roller height can be adjusted by loosening the socket head cap screw and turning the roller assembly in or out. The
roller’s position can be fixed by tightening the socket head cap screw to 4.5 ft*lbs.
LIFT
-
TABLE COVER
LIFT TABLE PUCK
SOCKET HEAD CAP SCREW
SEAMING
CYLINDER
ROLLER
PIN HEIGHT
ADJUSTMENT
KNOB

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Notes:
1. Pin height should be set to manage a proper body hook. Refer to your double seam guide for the proper height
(pro ided by the can manufacturer).
2. Variance should not be more than .003”
3. Groo ed lifer plate should be .010” lower than specification
4. Do not o er-grease rollers
a. O er-greasing may lead to deadhead
b. Use Kluber nh1 14-261 grease or similar “0” grade
5. Take 3 seam measurements 120 degrees apart
6. Adjustments not needed unless consistently out of range specs
`
Figure 9. Chuck and roller assembly. Extending cylinder (red arrow) will extend the roller into the chuck. You may thread the cylinder shaft into
the female block to get a shorter cylinder stroke and bigger gap between chuck and roller.

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5. Cleaning
a. If the canning line will not be run for longer than 5 minutes, low pressure hot water must be used to
rinse off all beer from the machine. Failure to rinse off any beer will result in poor machine performance
and ultimately a poor finished product. Beer is ery sticky and will keep the cylinders from smoothly
operating. Keeping cylinders clean will prolong the life of the machine
b. With exception to the electrical box in the rear of the machine and al e manifolds, the CraftCan system
is designed for filling applications where systems are routinely exposed to gentle wash down, certain
chemicals, moisture, and humidity. It is important to understand the areas on or around the electrical
box, or its components, should not be exposed to liquids such as beer and water. Similarly, al e
manifolds should not ha e direct exposure to liquids such as beer and water. E ery effort must be made
to a oid spraying of liquid in the electrical box ents or near any of the al e manifolds. Failure to
adhere to these restrictions may negati ely affect components and hinder the performance of your
CraftCan system.
c. Without continuous cleaning, your system will stop functioning properly. Please continue to clean all
areas where beer rests. You can use a low pressure hot water in all areas except for the electrical
cabinet on the backside of the machine and the air manifolds.
d. After the cylinders ha e been cleaned with warm water and air dried, test the cylinders to see if they
operated smoothly. If they do not, spray an FDA appro ed silicon grease on the shafts.
e. Rinse off the con eyor belt with warm water.
f. Clean bottom lid pick area of lid chute. Make sure it is free of sticky beer. Lube when done.

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6. Dissolved Oxygen
Dissol ed oxygen (dO2) must be tested before, during, and after e ery run. It is highly recommended to first check the
brite tank dO2 le el, and then to check seamed cans during and after the packaging session for dissol ed oxygen. This
must be done on e er canning run to ensure proper operation and good manufacturing practices. It is not uncommon
for an ABE canning line to produce seamed products under 100ppb or 50ppb while adding 10-15 ppb of oxygen abo e
what le el is pro ided to the line from the brite tank. Therefore, it is also important the brite tank oxygen le el be as low
as possible. Acceptable craft beer dO2 le els are attainable with proper maintenance to the ABE machine, proper
brewing practices, and tight connections from the brite tank and throughout the canning line.
Higher than preferred dissol ed oxygen le els are typically attributed to a loose fitting which has beer passing through it.
If a fitting is not tight, oxygen may enter the system and higher than preferred dissol ed oxygen le els may result.
Furthermore, there cannot be oxygen in the headspace of the can. The headspace must be filled with CO2. The
headspace should not be filled with product as this o erfills the can.
Consult your specific dissol ed oxygen meter for specific uses. Always check the brite tank first and then the can's total
dissol ed oxygen le el.
Troubleshooting
a. Ensure brite tank dO2 le el is acceptably low before checking the canning line dO2 le els.
b. Check all connections (tri-clamps, push to connect fittings, etc.) are properly tightened between the
brite tank and fill nozzles.
c. Is one specific nozzle producing a higher dO2 le el than another?
a. If so, check for loose fittings
d. Is there sufficient foam atop the product so no area for air is able to be trapped?
a. See section Filling for foam troublehshooting.
e. Is the undergassing co2 turned on at the lid chute and in the lid-chute tunnel?
Consult ABE if your le els are higher than acceptable.

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7. Tips
a. illing
a.Too Much oam
b. Initially your beer may be foamy at the start of the run. This is typically due to the
system being warmer than the recommended 32
Ο
-34
Ο
temperatures. Periodically
cycling the nozzles, to cool them down, will help rid the system of foam (CIP button).
c. It may be beneficial to run cold liquid through the system to promote cooling of the
system before your product is put through the filler for canning. This will allow for less
of your product to be wasted.
c. In extreme cases, it may be beneficial to rotate your beer manifold, Figure 11, so beer is
e enly distributed and air pockets don’t “hide” in the manifold.
d. If your brite hose, between the brite tank and canning line, is relati ely long, “burping”
the line by walking foam out of the line from the brite to the canning line may also help
to remo e any foam pockets.
e. After the CraftCan has reached a stable temperature, and is no longer warm, the fill
times should remain consistent. If inconsistent fill le els are seen, please check the brite
tank head pressure. If the brite pressure fluctuates, so too will your fill le els. (Please
contact ABE if you would like to get information on the Watch Dog unit which monitors
your brite pressure and adjusts accordingly to pro ide a consistent brite pressure.)
f. During startup, you may benefit from increasing your fill times until beer exits the can.
After you are sure the can is getting filled with beer, and not foam, you can decrease
your fill times.
g. You may also increase the nozzle down delay, on the Time Settings Screen, to allow for
your nozzles to dispense beer below the layer of foam in the can.
h. Also, an ideal brite tank pressure is between 14-16 psi. This typically produces beer with
reduced foam le els.
i. Too Little oam
a. Turn on CO
2
Pulse
b. Increase CO
2
pulse flow control (turn counterclockwise)
c. Increase brite tank pressure
d. Increase beer temperature
e. Decrease how quickly the beer nozzle closes (flow control)

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i. Seaming
i. Make sure the roller heights are correct before checking the first operation seam specification.
Without a correct “foundation”, the rest of the seam will likely not be correct.
ii. Just because the second operation dimensions are correct, does not mean the co er hook and
body hook are correct. It is the responsibility of the customer to ensure proper seams as
specified by the lid manufacturer.
iii. Please iew a ery thorough ideo on seaming from Crown: DBL Seamer Training
(https://www.youtube.com/watch? =WGyb-wknUSY)
A. If you watch the abo e, you will ha e a ery high understanding of the entire
seaming process.
B. Seaming is not a scary process if a few minutes are taken to learn how it works.