The prominent heavy engineering and steel casting company with a long industrial history specializes in producing crushers, mills, and heavy machinery as well as high-grade cast steel components for energy systems, waste treatment plants, and other industrial applications. Today, the company stands out not only as a regional employer and industrial pillar, but as a forward-thinking foundry embracing sustainability. Through its “ecological action plan,” company has prioritized resource efficiency, circularity, and emissions reduction, making it a leader in applying circular economy principles in the steel and casting industry. The company’s solution revolves around two integrated circular practices in its foundry operations:
1. Foundry Sand Recycling System company reclaims and reuses a very high percentage of the quartz sand used in its casting processes. Instead of discarding the sand after each mold, company uses in-house sand reclamation technology to clean, refresh, and reintegrate it into the next casting cycle. The reclaimed sand undergoes mechanical and possibly thermal regeneration to remove residual binders and restore quality. This drastically reduces the need for virgin sand, possibly limiting new input to around 2% per cycle— achieving near-closed loop operation for sand.
2. Closed-Loop Recycling of Grate Bars for Waste-to-Energy Plants company manufactures heat-resistant grate bars used in municipal incinerators. These bars degrade over time and must be replaced. The company collects used bars from clients, melts them down, and casts them into new grate bars—retaining the original alloy and preserving material quality. This system creates a closed product loop, with 100% material reutilization. Several cities across Europe already participate in this return program, making it a model for sustainable product life cycle management.