The medium-sized company is preparing for the future with a strategic investment package: The technology leader is making targeted investments in digitalization, automation and a unique energy architecture – for more competitiveness, efficiency and sustainability in a challenging market environment characterized by global economic tensions.
Innovation meets corporate responsibility
Siempelkamp Giesserei defies the economically difficult industry environment with a clear commitment to growth through innovation. As Europe's market leader in the field of hand mold casting, the company is bucking the industry trend and pursuing a comprehensive investment strategy that covers all stages of the value chain from melting to quality assurance.
The focus is on the further development and expansion of digital and automated processes, combined with a resource saving energy supply with the largest industrial battery in North Rhine-Westphalia. Management is consciously taking on the regulatory challenge of decarbonization and consistently optimizing its own production processes to the benefit of customers.
The aim is not only to strengthen competitiveness and open up new market potential, but also to actively secure the future of the site and jobs.
Mission: Holistic transformation of the foundry
A central element of the investment offensive is the newly created Smart Molding Hub. This state-of-the-art production area combines digital control, intelligent logistics and flexible production processes and will enable Siempelkamp Giesserei to produce small components weighing one ton or more economically in the future. At the same time, the overall performance and productivity of the foundry is significantly increased – a decisive advantage in an increasingly challenging market environment with fluctuating requirements and high complexity in international competition.
Another technological milestone is the investment in the largest industrial moulding milling ma- chine. In a new process called Automatic Rapid Molding, sand molds are milled fully automatically and with precise contours directly in modules without any prior pattern production. This technology opens up new possibilities for efficient one-off and small batch production, for example of prototypes or complex geometries. At the same time, the process is particularly resource efficient and thus a real alternative to the emission-intensive lost foam process-eco-logically, economically and technologically superior and safer in every respect.
At the same time, the "Digital Foundry Center" is being created: a platform on which all process data is linked via neural networks from furnace control to quality inspection and post-processing. For the first time, a holistic digital twin of the entire foundry is created, taking efficiency, process transparency and quality to the next level.
Goal: Sustainable production of CO2-neutral castings
A central element of the investment strategy is the development of a highly complex in-house energy architecture centered on the largest industrial battery in North Rhine-Westphalia. This innovative battery solution makes it possible for the first time to combine flexibility and energy efficiency with a maximum use of renewable energies. Siempelkamp Giesserei is thus setting new standards in the energy-intensive industry with the clear goal of being able to offer its customers carbon-neutral castings in the short term. The intelligent storage solution not only stabilizes peak loads and relieves the power grid, but also forms the basis for resilient and climate-friendly production.
"We are consciously investing as a proactive response to political imponderables and a lack of solutions," explains Dirk Howe, Managing Director of Siempelkamp Giesserei. "We are tired of being at the mercy of energy policy power games. Instead, we stand for creative drive and entrepreneurship. With smart ideas, digital excellence and German engineering, we are giving a bold, forward-looking answer and creating a sustainable footprint and real added value for our customers with carbon-neutral castings."
In addition, Siempelkamp Giesserei has invested in a new type of sand recycling plant, which significantly reduces the use of resources in production. The proportion of recycled moulding sand is increased substantially at the same time, the need for valuable fresh sand is drastically reduced. This not only relieves the pressure on natural raw material sources, but also significantly reduces heavy goods traffic: Up to 850 truck journeys can be avoided each year, significantly reducing CO2 emissions – a measurable contribution to climate protection and regional quality of life.
Technological standard: Digital high-tech as the basis for innovative processes
Siempelkamp Giesserei relies on automated, digitally supported processes throughout the entire production process. At the heart of quality assurance is the world's largest robotic measuring cell, which measures meter-long components weighing several tons fully automatically and compares them with 3D design data precisely, efficiently and reproducibly. This takes industrial component inspection to a new level of quality.
In addition, the sample analysis has been fully automated with robotics and designed with state-of-the-art analytics for maximum process reliability. The system is complemented by an innovative molding material testing system that uses optical-digital processes are used to permanently monitor and document the material quality.
Siempelkamp Giesserei thus combines digital technologies with a high degree of technical precision in a targeted manner and creates the prerequisites for more product quality, closer process support and more efficient production processes.
"Our investments not only bring more efficiency – they are an expression of our claim to techno- logical leadership," says Dr. Georg Geier, Managing Director of Siempelkamp Giesserei. "We combine sustainability with Industry 4.0 in order to remain internationally competitive. Our mission as a medium-sized company: to go into the future in an economically, ecologically and socially strong position – in full offensive mode."
People make the future
As consistently as Siempelkamp invests in technology and sustainability, the company also invests in its employees. In times of a shortage of skilled workers, the company focuses specifically on training and further education as a strategic success factor.
At the heart of this qualification strategy is the innovative partial qualification to become a foundry mechanic, which is aimed at employees and new colleagues especially those without training, with a background outside the industry or whose qualifications have not been recognized in Germany. More than 30 employees have already successfully completed this course the next training project will start this year.
In addition, Siempelkamp Giesserei relies on transparent communication, active participation and a culturally strong working environment in which personal responsibility, trust and team spirit are promoted. Because for the company, one thing is certain: Innovations come from people and from a culture that inspires them.
Securing the future of industrial production – on our own initiative
With its consistent investment strategy, Siempelkamp Giesserei demonstrates what sustainable industrial production looks like today: digitally networked, efficient, resilient and ecologically responsible. The company is not only setting technological standards it is also a corporate example of personal responsibility, location loyalty and sustainable growth "Made in Germany".
About Siempelkamp
The Siempelkamp foundry in Krefeld specializes in the production of hand-formed large castings up to 320 tons of spheroidal graphite cast iron and, with a casting volume of over 60,000 tons per year and 400 employees, is one of the largest hand-mold foundries in the world. The comprehensive and customer-oriented service package includes the supply of structural components for many innovative machine builders in the energy industry, the raw materials industry, press construction, steel production, automotive and many other areas of transformation.
Siempelkamp is a globally active group of companies with the business areas of mechanical and plant engineering, casting technology as well as engineering and service. Nearly 3,000 employees worldwide ensure that the Siempelkamp Group is represented among the world's best with its technologies.
