Supporting Diageo's Maintenance Team: Two Days of Hands-On Valve, Pump and Tank Cleaning Training
By Jacqui Kennedy | September 12 2026
inTank recently spent two days on-site in Scotland, supporting Diageo’s maintenance team with a hands on training programme covering some of the most critical equipment on any process plant: Mixproof Valves, Centrifugal Pumps, and Tank Cleaning.
The training was delivered by Kurt Kjellerup, Alfa Laval’s well respected industry expert, and was designed to give Diageo’s engineers a deeper, practical understanding of the Alfa Laval equipment they work with every day. Not just how it operates, but how to maintain, troubleshoot, and keep it running reliably.
Mixproof Valves and Actuators: Working Principles
The first part of the programme focused on Alfa Laval Mixproof Valves and Actuators. Kurt took the team through the working principles behind the equipment, covering key components and the basics of troubleshooting before moving into hands on demonstrations.
Engineers delved into the practical, real-world tasks including:
- Full disassembly and reassembly of Mixproof Valves
- Changing plug seals
- Maintaining Actuators
This hands on approach meant the team didn’t just learn the theory, they built the practical confidence to carry out this kind of maintenance themselves back on the line.
Centrifugal Pumps: Fundamentals Through to Fault-Finding
The afternoon session switched focus to the Alfa Laval Centrifugal Pumps. The team built a strong foundation in Pump fundamentals, learned how to read and interpret performance curves, and worked through typical troubleshooting scenarios they’re likely to encounter on site.
As with the valve training, this wasn’t just a classroom exercise. Practical sessions covered:
- Routine maintenance procedures
- Fault-finding techniques
- Safety best practices
Afternoon Session: Tank Cleaning Best Practices
The two-day course wrapped up with a session on Tank Cleaning by inTank’s Richard Packman. Richard gave the Diageo team an overview of best practices for effective tank cleaning, before running a practical demonstration on how to maintain the Alfa Laval Rotary Jet Cleaning heads operating throughout the Diageo site.
Why This Kind of Training Matters
Investing in technical, hands-on training like this pays dividends. A confident, well equipped maintenance team means less downtime, safer operations, and better performance from critical equipment on site. All of which translate directly into a more reliable, efficient plant.
This is exactly the kind of partnership inTank enjoys being part of.
Connecting the right expertise with the people who keep operations running smoothly.
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