ImpulseDecember | 2015

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The city of Cottbus relies on products from Keulahütte for the modernisation of its drinking water network

www.keulahuettekrauschwitz.de December 2015 | VEM Impulse online

The public utility company LWG Lausitzer Wasser GmbH & Co. KG successfully completed an extensive construction project along the major thoroughfare Strasse der Jugend in Cottbus between March and July 2015. Keulahütte supplied a diversity of fittings for the project, for example pressure pipe fittings for pressure level PN10 in nominal diameters DN600 and DN400 in accordance with DIN EN 545, as well as double-eccentric butterfly valves (DN600 PN10) in accordance

with DIN EN 593 and soft-seal - ing wedge-type gate valves (DN400 PN10) in accordance with DIN EN 1171. All the valves and fittings were manufactured with an integrated epoxy powder coating in compliance with the demands of the Association for High-Quality Corro-sion Protection (GSK).

Various factors led to the client choosing Keulahütte from among the many players on a fiercely com-petitive fittings market, not least the

Water supplies

Reliable supply of clean water

uncompromising product quality guaranteed by a complete and almost unique in-house manufacturing process at the Krausch-witz location – from casting, via machining and coating through to final assembly of the fittings. The open communication and customer proximity were further aspects which helped to swing the contract award decision.

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The old market square in Cottbus

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02 Dezember 2015 | VEM Impulse

Production

Breaking with brute force

The new cast iron breaker Arno Break C 400 provides for continuous breaking and recycling of the gating system waste

A new, high-performance cast iron breaker was taken into service at Keulahütte in September 2015. The breaking machine with the designation GBP 120 400 already achieves a breaking force of 120 tonnes at the outer edge of the jaw. In the inner area, this force rises to an impressive 400 tonnes. The productivity of the breaker is reflected in a capacity of 7 tonnes per hour and a throughput time of 35 seconds per breaking cycle.

To accommodate such forces, it was necessary to design and build a specially reinforced foundation. The optimised con-struction, the use of high manganese steel for wearing components and simplified maintenance possibilities have enabled a considerable reduction in maintenance and repair costs compared to the previously used plant.

Decisive for the investment were the per-formance capabilities of the new machine, the possibility for integration into the cast removal workflow, the material-independent breaking process, and not least the cost

benefits over alternative solutions. The longstanding practical experience of the Keulahütte employees was also taken into account in the purchasing decision.

Recycling of the gating systemMolten iron is supplied to the casting mould from a pouring basin and passes via the sprue, runner and ingates into the casting itself. This gating system serves to ensure that the casts are filled smoothly and evenly with molten iron, and that slag particles are retained. After casting, the now solidified gating is separated from the actual cast part and can be recycled for use in a subsequent process.

The previous cast iron breaker was also used to break up the gating system material ready for melting in the induction furnaces. The maintenance costs had risen dramatically over the past years, however, and the maintenance intervals had also shortened to a point which was no longer economically acceptable. Before the final decision on a new investment, various alternatives were also considered, e.g. mechanical or thermal cutting or else outsourcing of the breaking to a local scrapyard.

The new cast iron breaker in action

guideline

Immediate complianceThe entire range of fittings and hydrants from Keulahütte already complies with the new Drinking Water Ordinance.

Keulahütte is already today able to supply its entire range of fittings and hydrants in compli-ance with the latest regulations of the Federal Environment Agency (UBA). It is thus not necessary for the foundry to make use of the two-year grace period granted to manufac-turers after amendment of the corresponding acceptance criteria on 9th June 2015.

Since amendment of the Drinking Water Or-dinance (TrinkwV 2001), the UBA is able to specify binding requirements for assessment of the hygienic suitability of materials. These stipulations are formulated in the “Basis for assessment of metallic materials in contact with drinking water”. For each material, the guideline specifies the maximum permissible proportions of relevant alloy elements.

In detail, this concerns:– Overground and underground hydrants– Drop-jacket hydrants– Pillar fire hydrants– Soft-sealing gate valves in all designs– Soft-sealing butterfly valves– Soft-sealing non-return valvesFor all these products, Keulahütte uses the brass material CuZn40Pb2 (CW612N) with a reduced lead content of max. 2.2 % in ac-cordance with the latest acceptance criteria of the Federal Environment Agency. For the product group “Domestic fittings”, the brass material used in manufacturing is CW724R. This brass grade is lead-free and is sold under the trade name CUPHIN.

The domestic fitting 321 meets all the latest re-quirements of the Federal Environment Agency.

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Water supplies

Reliable supply of clean waterContinued from page 1

New junction pointsBetween Stadtring and Dres-dener Strasse, LWG renewed both the DN80 branches and the corresponding junctions with the two DN600 GGL and DN400 GGL mains. At the same time, the opportunity was taken to replace a short stretch of the DN600 GGL mains which had been repaired with a DN500 steel pipe section after bomb damage sustained in 1945.

The pipe network carries drinking water from the Cottbus-Sachsendorf waterworks to approximately 50,000 inhabi-tants in the city centre and the adjoining districts Spremberger Vorstadt, Sandow and Ströbitz.

It is thus one of the city‘s most important arteries – and has been for already more than 85 years.

One particular challenge for the construction workers was to install the junctions between the two parallel drinking water mains, which had to be closed off alternately for the individual phases of construction. By increasing the output from the Fehrower Weg waterworks in the north of the city, it was ne-vertheless possible to maintain an adequate supply volume and the necessary pressure throughout the period of the work. “Through this project, the drinking water network and all its various fittings have been modernised to a standard

which enables us to guarantee a reliable water supply for decades

to come,” says LGW technical director Marten Eger.

Production

Breaking with brute force guideline

Immediate compliance

www.keulahuettekrauschwitz.de December 2015 | VEM Impulse 03

inside Keulahütte

Amazed by so many changesTwo events for retired employees gave an insight into developments at Keulahütte over the past twenty years

For the first time since Ger-man unification 25 years ago, former employees were invited back to Keulahütte for a social reunion. On 21st May and 1st October, they were able to witness the many changes which have taken place at the company over the past two decades.Managing director Mario Mackowiak gave a short

presentation as insight into present-day activities at Keulahütte. Subsequently, several groups were formed for an extended tour of the company. All the participants were highly impressed by the technical modernisation and by the various new and reno-vated buildings.

Both events were extremely well received by the former employees, who still take close interest in the develop-ment of the company which was their daily workplace over so many years.

Managing director Mario Mackowiak informed the former employees about the latest developments at Keulahütte.

Dr. Lothar Bohm from the technical office of LWG checks the planned cross connection at a new junction point on the 600 mm drinking water mains in Cottbus.

04 Dezember 2015 | VEM Impulse

Impulse

Keulahütte places a focus on export markets

Recent market analyses, in combination with the positive development of the com-pany’s export markets, convinced the Keu-lahütte management that it was necessary to strengthen the sales team accordingly.

As a first step, graduate industrial engineer Monika Lange joined the company on 01.08.2015. After seven years with Sie-mens Görlitz and an extended stay in the USA, she has already gathered a wealth of experience in the sales field. Her tasks as a new member of the Keulahütte team will in future include quotation and project man-agement, as well as technical customer support.

At the same time, everyone at Keulahütte is looking forward impatiently to the return of bilingual secretary Nicole Konietzky from her maternity leave. She has already worked in domestic series product sales and will now be moving to the export office with effect from 01.01.2016. Together with Manja Weinert, she will here be responsible for order management. In this new constel-lation, the in-house sales department – as the central base for sales activities – will be in the best possible position to support and coordinate the planned market expansion.

This is likewise the overarching objec-tive for the two regional sales managers Johannes Neubert and Andreas Glöckler. Their work will in future be concentrated more closely on direct contact with cus-tomers in the field, so as to maximise the efficiency of market development efforts. Every individual member of the team thus plays a decisive role for attainment of the planned turnover and market share targets. The above personnel decisions are moreover a further indication of the shift in focus towards the export markets and their potential for Keulahütte.

new in the team

Ready to exploit the opportunities

The historical city-centre hydrant from Keulahütte was an eye-catcher at this year‘s foundry branch get-together in Düsseldorf

An exhibition on foundry history added an extra spot of colour to the 13th In-ter national Foundry Exhibition (GIFA), which took place in Düsseldorf from 16th to 20th June 2015. Representatives of foundry machinery and equipment manufacturers, as well as experts from ferrous and non-ferrous foundries, took the opportunity to discuss the latest branch developments with a broad spectrum of exhibitors.

The history of the branch was illustrated by cast products from various eras of industrial casting. The retrospective was organised by the historical committee of the Association of German Foundry-men (VDG) and presented in a separate section of the exhibition stand shared by the association and the Federation of the German Foundry Industry (BDG).

A product from Keulahütte in Krausch-witz – an historical city-centre hydrant – rounded off the exhibition. This hydrant was manufactured for the fast-devel op -ing city of Berlin from the late 19th cen-tury onwards, and is still in demand today for many old city locations. The historical appearance, however, stands in contrast to the modern technology under the surface. With its pre-defined breaking point, non-rusting spindle and double shut-off facilities, the overground hydrant satisfies the high technical demands of the present day. The paint finish can be matched in colour to the surrounding urban environment and complies with all the requirements of the Association for High-Quality Corrosion Protection (GSK).

Tradition

Modern technology in historical attire

Publisher

VEM Holding GmbHPirnaer Landstraße 176, 01257 DresdenTel.:+49 351 208-0Fax:+49 351 208-1028www.keulahuettekrauschwitz.de

Responsible editor

VEM Sachsenwerk GmbHSabine MichelHead of corporate communicationssabine.michel@vem-group.com

Layout & design

Kommunikation Schnell GmbH, DresdenPhotos: iStock, Udo Müller, LWG

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The trade journal “GIESSEREI” devoted an article in its October issue to the historical exhibition, in which the historical city-centre hydrant from Keulahütte occupied a prominent place.