Westomat Duo helps Handtmann achieve higher production targets and drive innovation in the automotive industry

Faced with rising demand for components and a busy research and development department working on new lightweight components for the automotive industry, the company needed additional dosing capabilities that wouldn’t take up too much space. Westomat Duo was the perfect solution.

An excellent ‘space-utilisation ratio’ that’s hard to resist

Handtmann’s ‘Light Metal Casting’ division produces high-quality magnesium and aluminium castings for leading car manufacturers and suppliers. The Annaberg production site in Germany is one of the busiest and is set to produce around 16,000 tonnes of castings in 2024.

With 21 casting lines operating continuously, space is at a premium. This was a key factor in the company’s recent purchase of a new Westomat Duo. It is already the fifth.

Heiko Blei, plant manager at the Handtmann light metal foundry in Annaberg, comments: “In our view, the Westomat Duo offers the best space utilisation on the market. As with all Westomat dosing furnaces, the melt quality and dosing accuracy are very high, but the Westomat Duo offers additional advantages thanks to its unique design with two casting positions. The Westomat’s parallel positioning relative to the die-casting machine reduces the floor space required by around 14 per cent, which means we can increase our output without changing our workshop layout. “We’re delighted!”

A dosing system that makes day-to-day work considerably easier

The space savings aren’t the only reason why Handtmann opted for the Westomat Duo. This compact yet sophisticated oven has much more to offer. With two possible openings – one of which is for the riser pipe – sampling can be carried out more quickly and easily.

Heiko Blei adds: “In addition to these benefits, the Westomat Duo’s pneumatic frame means we can simply lift and tilt it – no trolleys or rails are needed for positioning. It’s very easy to operate.”

A sustainable partnership – in more ways than one

With five StrikoMelter melting furnaces, fifteen Westomat Classic and four Westomat Duo dosing furnaces already in operation in Annaberg, as well as a collaboration spanning over 20 years, the partnership between Handtmann and StrikoWestofen has proven its worth. And for good reason.

Heiko Blei comments: “We are innovators. So is StrikoWestofen. We know that they will always support us in meeting our customers’ needs – however those needs may change over the years. The excellent technical support we receive is part of that. As is their commitment to energy savings. This is embedded in their furnaces and in their ethos as a company. For us, the Handtmann light metal foundry, which aims to become CO_₂-neutral by 2039, this is of great value. I am confident that we will continue to work with StrikoWestofen for many years to come.” In the long term, the company intends to remain committed to all technologies that offer the potential to reduce steel production to virtually zero. This includes carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) – although this technology, like green hydrogen, is not expected to be deployed on a significant scale until after 2030. An industrial-scale CCU plant is already in operation at the ArcelorMittal plant in Ghent, Belgium, and two further pilot projects are underway in Ghent. Source: ArcelorMittal