New clinker plant in Bannberscheid opened
By pressing the “red button“ the Minister-President of Rhineland-Palatinate Kurt Beck and Röben’s Managing Director Wilhelm-Renke Röben officially opened the new Röben clinker plant in Bannberscheid near Montabaur (Westerwald region) on the 16th February.
27 million € have been invested by Röben in the Bann-berscheid plant, in which clinker has been produced for the German and Euro-pean market already since 1970. At the beginning of 2008 the go-ahead had been given for the construction of a completely new plant, which was erected in the existing 21 500 m² hall within a construction period of only nine months.
The capacity was adjusted to today’s market conditions and, with a production quantity of 18 million NF sized ceramic clinker bricks per year, lies below the previous volume. There is now one kiln instead of two; the previously existing two production lines were extended by a third line for quarter bricks. With the new plant construction energy costs can be reduced by around 20%. At present 13 different colours in almost all regular formats, even the Russian format, and in a wide variety of surface finishes are produced in Bannberscheid. It is intended to enlarge the production range further in future in regard to finishes, colours and dimensions.
The production capacity for clinker quarter bricks is increased to 20 million units per year. Here Röben sees itself as being well equipped for the future to meet the increasing demand in the refurbishment sector, above all with thermally insulating composite systems.
More quality and flexibility
With its new plant, in which ceramic clinker, quarter bricks and clinker pavers can be produced over a 7-day working week (1 shift) on the three production lines, Röben relies on quality and flexibility. As a flexible store, a large-volume feeder with a capacity of 200 t of clay holds different clay masses in readiness, with which small batches with other clays can be fitted in independently of the running supply from the ageing house. There are now four instead of two previous kiln car tracks, a dryer with 16 chambers and sufficient hall space for intermediate storage of green bricks for different colours before firing.
The heart of the plant is the 172 m long kiln, which holds 45 kiln cars with altogether around 165 000 clinker bricks. It is laid out for a maximum temperature of 1 320° C; the firing time is around 55 h. Altogether 96 kiln cars are in use. In order to attain the most uniform possible firing quality, seven layers at maximum are stacked on the kiln cars. Side and top burners ensure a uniform high temperature at all levels.
Above all Röben wants to produce clinker quarter bricks in the new Bannberscheid plant. For these the clay is extruded flat in a new special press to a thickness of 9, 14 or 18 mm and then cut exactly and cleanly in one layer.
Declaration for Germany as production site
In his opening speech Wilhelm-Renke Röben thanked not only the Röben staff for their hard work but also the German general contractor Keller HCW from Ibbenbüren, with whom not only a good relationship as partners but even a friendly relationship has developed in the joint project work.
Röben sees the new plant construction in Bannberscheid as a clear declaration for Germany as a production site, in which it is intended to invest further. In regard to the economic crisis and the strongly declining market, however, Röben appealed to the Minister-President to strengthen the building industry by reintroducing the own home allowance in order to give a quickly realizable incentive to those willing to build. The positive effects of the Riester promotion came much too late, said Röben in conversation with Kurt Beck.
The Röben Group operates altogether 14 plants in Germany, the USA and Poland for the production of clinker, quarter bricks, clay roofing tiles, floor ceramics and Poroton backing bricks. Poland with its strong building industry is less affected by the economic crisis and at present is one of the countries with the highest sales figures. For the USA Wilhelm-Renke Röben is optimistic that in two or three years investments will also be made again in the building industry. He emphasized that in the family business Röben one thinks and plans in generations. With 1 350 employees (500 in Germany, 650 in Poland and 200 in the USA) Röben produces 130 million NF and 460 million Modular Size bricks as well as 100 million roofing tiles and 200 million backing bricks per year.
