Green thread Plant modernisation
Success with future-proof and sustainable strategiesAndernach 9 Sep 2024 - The idea of sustainability characterised many aspects of a major project at Ehl-AG. The Wittenburg plant is the company's most modern site today after extensive modernisation measures. In addition to Masa, Ehl brought other well-known project partners on board for the planning and realisation.
Ehl‘s corporate colour is “Green” – a colour that is not exclusive to the company‘s corporate design. Green is also the commitment to sustainable development. For example, Ehl relies on production with energy-saving machines, responsible use of resources and continuous optimisation of recipes. Or on sustainable modernisation strategies, such as at the Wittenburg plant.
The overall success of this site results from the sum of many individual factors, including the plant design and machine technology. Taken individually, these two aspects offer plenty of scope for sustainability.
Focus I: The plant design
The guiding principle of „sustainability“ had a decisive influence on the basic design of the new facility. On the one hand, the existing hall in Wittenburg was only to be extended as far as necessary. On the other hand – with a view to possible future market development – ways were to be left open for further investments, for example in the silo system or the dry side. At the same time, Ehl expected a plant orientated towards the demanding CRH safety concept, which would offer the opportunity to reinvent products.
The plant concept, which took into account both the conditions on site (construction in existing buildings) and the aspects of diversity, efficiency and safety of the new plant, covered several points:
- Successful integration and expansion of existing areas
- Measures on the way to the zero-waste concept
- Realisation of a customised security concept
- Delivery of a plant with optimised energy efficiency
The Masa QA system with Offset inspection station is just one of the well thought-out components in the Masa safety concept.
Focus II: Machine technology
Product variety, flexibility, quality and quantity – compared to the previous production plant in Wittenburg, the new plant should be a real quantum leap for Ehl, especially in these areas. The essential levers were, among others:
- Efficient technology and control for the mixing area (realised by Teka and Sauter)
- Exclusivity of the products through the use of the Masa Multi Colour System
- Masa Production Machine tailored to the requirements of gardening and landscaping and large-format products
- Uniform curing of the products in the Rotho climate chamber
- Flexible handling area with good accessibility (realised by Masa, with Rotho board buffer)