ALEX EKWUEME FEDERAL UNIVERSITY NDUFU ALIKE IKWO

AN
ORAL PRESENTATION

ON
STUDENTS’ INDUSTRIAL WORK EXPERIENCE SCHEME

UNDERTAKEN AT
ABINBEV INTERNATIONAL BREWERY PLC
ONITSHA, ANAMBRA STATE

BY
ORANU CHRISTIAN SOMTOCHUKWU
2018/EN/8620

MAY, 2023
 BRIEF HISTORY OF SIWES
The students industrial work experience scheme (SIWES) was initiated in 1973
by the industrial training fund (ITF). This was in response to the mandate given to
the ITF, through decree 47 of 1971, charging it with the responsibility of
promoting and encouraging the acquisition of skills, industry and commerce with
the view to generating a pool of trained indigenous manpower sufficient and
capable of meeting the needs of the economy. Since its introduction by the ITF in
1973, the scheme has gone through series of reforms and restructuring. The 1988
biennial SIWES/ITF national conference held in Jos mandated all collaborating
agencies: National Universities Commission (NUC), National Board for Technical
Education (NBTE) and National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE)
to draw up job specifications for all degree programs to be included in SIWES.
The first draft of the document was sent to all universities, ITF, industries and all
professional bodies involved in the running of the scheme for their comments and
input. Their comments were then considered by a panel comprising of the nine
chairmen of the discipline groups and those found relevant were incorporated to
produce the final job specification documents.
OBJECTIVES OF SIWES

Specifically, the objectives of the Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme

include:
• Providing an avenue for students to acquire industrial skills and experience in
their course of study.
• Preparing students for the work situations they are likely to find themselves in
after graduation.
• Expose students to work methods and techniques in handling equipment and
machinery that may not be available in the university.
• Provide students with an opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge in real
work situations thereby bridging the gap between university theoretical
knowledge and actual practice.
• Make the transition from the tertiary institution to the world of work easier and
thus enhance student’s contacts for later job placements.
ABINBEV INTERNATIONAL BREWERY PLC

• Located at 1e/1&2 Bridge Head Industrial Layout, Onitsha, Anambra State. The
International Brewery is a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, one of the largest
brewing companies in the world, with headquarters in Leuven, Belgium. In 2017,
Anheuser-Busch InBev acquired a majority stake in the Nigeria Breweries Limited,
which included the International Brewery in Onitsha. The acquisition was part of
Anheuser-Busch InBev’s strategy to expand its presence in Africa, which is seen as a key
growth market for the brewing industry.
• The International Brewery in Onitsha is one of the largest breweries in Nigeria, with an
annual production capacity of 3million hectoliters. we produce, sell and distribute a wide
range of beverages, Our product portfolio consists of leading brands such as Hero Lager,
Trophy Lager, Castle Lite Lager, Grand Malt, Eagle Lager, Castle Milk Stout, 1960
Roots, Redd’s Premium Cider, Castle Milk Stout Chocolate, Budweiser and Beta Malt,
which are popular in Nigeria and other African countries. IBPLC operates through a
chain of plants and depots, there are 9 plants and over 51 depots. The Onitsha head
bridge plant produces more than three of the products portfolio
OBJECTIVES OF ABINBEV (IBPLC)

Similar to other multi-national companies, Abinbev aims to maximize their profits

while maintaining a long-term sustainable growth within the beverage industry.
The company’s mission statement states that the company aims to:
• Refresh the world
• Inspire moments of optimism and happiness.
• Create value and make a difference in the place that we all live in.
• Bring people together for a better world.
 JOB DESCRIPTION
• At the international brewery, I was assigned to the Engineering and
packaging department which plays a vital role in ensuring that the beer
produced meets up with the quality control.
• At the Engineering department, I ensured that all machines used in beer
production were all running and effective. With the help of my team mates
we conducted regular machine checks and maintenance routines such as
lubrication of machine parts, dusting the sensors etc.
• While at the Packaging department, I ensured that the machines I operated
on were fully effective and meets up with the quality control
ORGANOGRAM OF THE COMPANY
CHAIRMAN & BOARD MEMBERS

CEO

PLANT / GENERAL MANAGER

ENGINEERING BREWING TECHNOLOGICAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS

MANAGER MANAGER MANAGER MANAGER

PACKAGING FINANCE HUMAN RESOURCE LOGISTICS

MANAGER MANAGER MANAGER MANAGER
 MACHINES AND EQUIPMENT AND THEIR USES
While working at the Engineering and Packing department, I came across different
machines and equipment and also worked with them. The most important
equipment were my safety equipment which I wore always while working to ensure
my safety while operating or maintaining machines. The following are different
equipment I used during maintenance
• Trolley: is a mechanical wheel cart used in transportation of machine parts from
one section to another section they are needed.
• Allen key: is a tool used to drive bolts and screws with hexagonal sockets in their
heads.
• Bearing extractor: is a tool used to remove bearing sets from a rotating machine
shaft
• Drilling machine: is a work tool used for drilling holes in various type of woods
and metals.
There are many different working tools and equipment used in machine
maintenance and repairs which serve different purposes which I did not list such as
hammer, vernier caliper, center punch, bench vice, spanners, pliers, chisel,
MACHINES AND THEIR USES

There are many different machines used in the Packaging / production department
of a brewery company. These machines are responsible for the smooth day-to-day
activities in the company without any of these machines, production won’t take place.
I would be highlighting the vital ones which includes the following;

• Filler machine
• Labeler machine
• Packer and Unpacker machine
• Palletizer and Depalletizer machine
 Filler Machine

A filler machine also known as a

filling machine, is a type of 1. Carrousel with filling units
industrial machinery used to 2. Guards
dispense already processed beer 3. Grouped valves
into different bottles and then 4. Container infeed with container stop
corked after which they are sent to 5. Front table with handling parts
other machines for further 6. Container discharge
production and packaging process
7. Control panel
to take place
8. Acoustic warning unit and signal beacon post
9. Closer
 LABELER MACHINE Infeed Worm
Carousel

Labeler is designed and set up to receive

filled bottles from the filler in an upright
position on the conveyor, this bottles are
spaced to the accurate pitch by infeed
worm and transferred to the container Centering Bell
table by the infeed star- wheel. The
bottles are clamped between the
container plates and centering bells,
precisely centered, and then rotated. The
labelling stations apply the labels onto Bottle Stopper Starwheel
Bottle Plate
the bottles. Brushes or sponge rollers
provided on the container table ensures
an exact label fit.
 INFEED WORM

The infeed worm is

rotated by a gear and
spaces the bottles to the
machine pitch. The Bottle
Stopper is installed just
before the infeed worm. It
is controlled by the
automatic speed control
system.
 INFEED STAR-WHEEL

The infeed star-wheel

positions the bottles
between the bottles
plates of the container
table and the centring
bells of the machine
head, where they are
firmly clamped.
 PACKER / UNPACKER MACHINE

In a brewery, the unpacking machine are

machines designed to take bottles from plastic
crates and automatically feed the bottle line. Its
responsible for extracting or unpacking bottles
from the plastic crates and preparing them for
washing, inspection, filling, labeling, and
packaging. The unpacker machine plays a vital
role in the production department as it helps
speed up production rate or speed. Whereas, the
Packer machine is designed to carefully stack
filled bottles of beers that has undergone quality
control procedures in plastic crates and have
them sent to the palletizer for further packaging
process. The packer and the unpacker has the
exact machine parts but are designed to perform
different roles in the production department.
PALLETIZER / DEPALLETIZER

In a brewery , the palletizer

and depalletizer machines are
used to stack and unstack
pallets of beers. The palletizer 1. Transfer
machine is responsible for Carriage
stacking the cases onto the 2. Base Frame
pallets, while the palletizer
3. Maintenance
machine removes the cases Safety Latch
from the pallets.
4. Column
5. Automatic
Safety Lock
6. Hoist
7. Hoist Drive
QUALITY CONTROL

Quality control is the process of ensuring that a product or service meets certain standards of quality.
In the brewery industry, quality control is critical to ensuring that the beer produced by a brewery
meets consumer expectations and regulatory requirements. The goal of quality control is to ensure
that every batch of beer that leaves the brewery is consistent in taste, aroma, appearance, and safety.
Quality control in the brewery industry involves several key steps, including:
• RAW MATERIAL INSPECTION: This involves inspecting the raw materials used in beer
production, such as malt, hops,and yeast, to ensure that they meet quality standards.
• BREWING PROCESS CONTROL: this involves monitoring and controlling various aspects of the
brewing process, such as temperature, pH, and fermentation time, to ensure that the beer is to
brewed to the desired specifications.
• PRODUCT TESTING: This involves testing the beer at various stages of production, such as after
fermentation and packaging, to ensure that it meets quality standards for taste, aroma, and
appearance.
• PACKAGING INPECTION: This involves inspecting the packaged beer for defects, such as
broken bottles and ensuring that the labels are correct and properly applied.
• QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM: This involves implementing a system of procedures and
documentation to ensure the quality control processes are standardized and consistently applied.
In summary, quality control is essential in the brewery industry to ensure that the beer produced by a brewery meets
consumer expectations, regulatory requirements and safety standards. By implementing effective quality control
processes, breweries can improve customer satisfaction, reduce waste, and improve profitability.

In the brewery industry, different machines, equipments and tools are used in other to help improve efficiency, speed,
and also reduce the risk of injury to workers and also help ensure consistent quality of final product, thereby having the
quality of the product under control.
 ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT DURING THE TRAINING

As a Maintenance Engineer and Machine Operator in a brewery company during my industrial training,
My team and I were responsible for ensuring the smooth operation and maintenance of the machinery
and equipment used in the production process.
Our activities included carrying out routine maintenance and repairs on equipment such as motors,
conveyors , pumps, and packaging machines.
As a machine operator, I was responsible for detecting faulty machine, ensure the smooth and effective
running of the machine which I operate and carrying out quality control checks on the finished
products.
I participated in other several activities such as safety training and adhering to safety protocols,
documenting maintenance and repair activities and working alongside my team to ensure production
targets are met.
MAINTENANCE ROUTINE PICS
CHALLENGES
As an industrial training student working in a brewery industry, I was faced with several challenges,
some of which are:

• SAFETY SIGNS AND HAZARDS: I had difficulty familiarizing with the different safety signs and
also avoiding different hazards. All thanks to my supervisor who made sure I was always fully
equipped with personal protective equipment (PPE) and also regular awareness of the safety signs
and their meanings, emergency exits and fire extinguishers.

• TECHNICAL CHALLENGES: Brewery industries involve the use of complex machinery and
equipment, which was challenging for me to operate and maintain. The manuals and maintenance
logs really helped in troubleshooting and diagnosis of technical faults. Thanks to my colleagues and
supervisor who was always willingly to assist me.

• COMMUNICATION BARRIER: The brewery industry involves a lot of terminologies and jargon
that was unfamiliar to me. I got clarification effectively especially when I ask questions. With a
Supervisor that communicated effectively with me and provided the guidance needed, shortly I
became familiar with certain glossary of terms and acronyms used in the industry.
 PRESSURE AND STRESS: This was the most severe challenge I encountered. The brewery

Industry can be fast-paced and demanding, which can be stressful for a trainee who is still

learning the ropes. I was provided with an awesome team which was really supportive and

promotes teamwork and collaboration. With an amazing team that I worked with, it was a bit

easy for me to copy with the pressure and with time I regained my confidence.

 TRAFFIC: This was another factor that made my training really stressful and a bit difficult.

My place of residence was really a distance from my place of industrial training and was a

popular route for all road users and travelers. This made getting caught up with traffic a

regular routine but with time, I learn’t how to beat traffic.

RECOMMENDATIONS
I am honored to be part of the scheme due to the experience I have gained so far and would like
the ITF body to imbibe the following recommendation in order to yield the desired results. The
following are suggestions that will help improve the scheme for a greater good;

• A comprehensive and detailed directory of employers who accepts students for SIWES is
urgently required to facilitate placement of students in industry.
• The Federal Government should make adequate provisions in annual budget for proper
funding of SIWES in view of the potentials of the scheme to contribute to enhancing the
quality of the pool of technical skills available to the economy.
• Funds earmarked for SIWES should be appropriated directly by the National Assembly in the
same way as for the National Youth Service Corps scheme in order to remove the bottlenecks
associated with the release of funds for the operation of the scheme.
CONCLUSION

My student industrial work experiences as an industrial Maintenance Engineer and

Machine Operator at Abinbev (IBPLC) was a huge success and a great time of
acquisition of knowledge and skills. Through my training I was able to appreciate my
course of study even more, because I had the opportunity to blend the theoretical
knowledge acquired from school with the practical hands-on application of knowledge
gained here to perform very important tasks. My training here at IBPLC has given me
the importance and relevance of Mechanical Engineers in the immediate society and the
world as a whole, as I now look forward to impacting it positively after graduation. I
have also been able to improve my communication and presentation skills. I have also
been able to appreciate the connection between my course of study and the importance
of abiding by the rules in order to achieve a successful result.