Hertwich supplies complete rolling ingot foundry to Remi Claeys

On behalf of Remi Claeys Aluminium N.V., Hertwich is supplying a customised complete rolling ingot foundry. The order includes a state-of-the-art Preheat-Shaft Melting Furnace of the Ecomelt PS120 type, a holding furnace, a vertical casting machine with rolling ingot moulds, and an efficient flue gas cleaning system. The new aluminium recycling plant, located in Lichtervelde, Belgium, is scheduled to start operations in spring 2026. This collaboration marks Remi Claeys' first order with Hertwich from Austria and confirms Hertwich's technological expertise in the aluminium industry.

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Maximum Efficiency through Automation and Unified Control

Remi Claeys Aluminium N.V. specialises in manufacturing high-frequency welded aluminium tubes used in various high-end applications, including medical technology, horticulture, scaffolding, and household appliances. With a daily capacity of more than 100 tons, the new foundry enhances process stability and overall efficiency. This investment enables the processing of heavily contaminated aluminium scrap while improving production effectiveness.

Hertwich delivers the entire plant as a turnkey solution – from scrap feeding to the finished rolling ingots. The Ecomelt PS120 melting furnace processes both process returns and heavily contaminated post-consumer scrap. Its preheat shaft and integrated pyrolysis system enable an exceptionally resource-efficient melting process, as the energy content of organic compounds contained in the scrap can be thermally utilised. This reduces external energy demand and contributes to a stable, cost-effective and environmentally friendly operation.

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Seamless automation ensures a fully digitised material flow. All plant components – from scrap loading systems and melting and casting technology to process visualisation – follow a unified operating concept. This makes plant operation more intuitive, reduces training requirements, and ensures smooth interaction between all process steps. Without third-party interfaces, all components work seamlessly together, significantly simplifying commissioning, maintenance, and long-term optimisation.

This investment strengthens the sustainability and competitiveness of Remi Claeys through cutting-edge recycling technology, energy efficiency, and a fully integrated production process.

Expertise in Tailored Customer Solutions

"This order highlights our expertise as a one-stop supplier for aluminium foundries, in this case, for rolling ingots," says Gerold Keune, Managing Director of Hertwich Engineering GmbH. "At Hertwich, we rely on in-house expertise to ensure not only the highest equipment quality but also the ability to support process optimisation and maintenance according to customer needs. Tailored customer solutions are one of Hertwich’s strengths, and our collaboration with Remi Claeys further underscores this expertise."

Sustainable Metal Recovery and Resource-Efficient Operation

In the foundry’s melting process, two charging containers, each loaded with up to five tons of aluminium scrap, are alternately fed into the melting furnace. The Ecomelt PS120 charging shaft can accommodate up to four container loads. At a temperature of 550°C, pyrolysis begins: organic hydrocarbon compounds are broken down and completely combusted. The resulting pyrolysis gas serves as fuel, significantly reducing external energy demand.

During the charging process, aluminium is recovered using an especially resource-efficient immersion melting method. Direct heat transfer minimises metal losses and optimises energy use. At the same time, a modern flue gas cleaning system filters dust and pollutants from emissions – a crucial contribution to an economically and environmentally friendly process.

In the next production step, molten aluminium is transferred from the melting furnace to the casting furnace. The vertical casting machine enables the simultaneous casting of multiple rolling ingots in three moulds. These are then rolled and further processed into precision tubes for horticulture, scaffolding, medical technology, household appliances, DIY products, outdoor furniture, sports and leisure equipment, ladders, heat exchangers, and many other applications.