Displaying items by tag: Germany
Schmersal fights cyber attack
19 June 2020Germany: Schmersal says it is once more connected to the internet and fully operational following a cyber attack on 20 May 2020 that forced it to shut down its local networks and go offline. During the incident the engineering company reacted to a malware injection in progress and stopped the criminals from completing the attack. Systems were gradually restored over the following two weeks.
Managing director Philip Schmersal said, “Situations like these really highlight how dependent companies now are on IT. Making telephone calls, e-mails, accepting orders – we had to find alternative channels for every process. We worked extremely hard to keep in contact with our customers in every conceivable way and to keep them up to date.” Schmersal thanked “customers for their understanding and all employees for their tremendous dedication in this testing time.”
HeidelbergCement becomes World Green Building Council Europe Regional Network official partner
17 June 2020UK/Germany: The World Green Building Council has announced that HeidelbergCement is an official partner of its Europe Regional Network. HeidelbergCement joins 4500 other companies across Europe in supporting the regional network’s work towards networking leaders, raising awareness, proposing policy and providing assessment, certification and information.
HeidelbergCement chair Dominik von Achten said, “Together with the Europe Regional Network of the World Green Building Council, we now want to further intensify the promotion of sustainability and innovation in the construction sector. In this way, we are accelerating the development towards a carbon-neutral construction industry, and ultimately towards a carbon-neutral society in Europe.”
Opterra Karsdorf cement plant awarded Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union plaque
17 June 2020Germany: The Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU) has awarded a placard to Opterra’s 2.3Mt/yr integrated Karsdorf plant, declaring that a multi-purpose facility at the plant in Saxony-Anhalt is a “martin-friendly house.” The company says that the building is the first industrial facility to receive the accreditation, after becoming the home to 60 breeding pairs of house martins. Opterra Karsdorf head of mining Axel Horn said, “For us, active environmental and biodiversity protection means protecting and respecting nature, even during limestone extraction. Animals and plants established here will find ideal living conditions.”
US: Germany’s Beumer Group has appointed Joseph Dzierzawski as the president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Beumer Corporation, its US subsidiary based in Somerset, New Jersey. He has been in post since April 2020. He is responsible for the Conveying & Loading Systems, Palletizing and Packaging Technology, and Sortation and Distribution Systems business lines in the North American market.
Dzierzawski holds a degree in metallurgical engineering from the University of Michigan. Later he attended executive management programs at the University of Michigan School of Business and the INSEAD business school in Fontainebleau, France. He joins Beumer from Hatch Metals & Minerals group where he worked as Global Director, Technology & Business Development. Prior to this he worked at SMS, where he held a series of positions, eventually serving as president and CEO for SMS USA and Chief Technology Officer for SMS Group.
Germany/Vietnam: Loesche says that it has dispatched two LM 53.3+3 CS vertical roller mills from its plant in North Rhine-Westphalia for a new line at Thanh Thang Group Cement’s integrated Bong Lang cement plant. The mills have a combined capacity of 180t/hr and grind clinker to a fineness of 4000 Blaine. The new line, installed by Sinoma-NCDRI, will be commissioned in late-2021. Loesche will also supply two cellular wheel feeders, metal detectors and sealing air blowers.
Lhoist launches wines grown in reclaimed quarry
29 May 2020Germany: Lhoist has taken advantage of the alkaline soils around its Istein, Baden-Württemberg quarry in producing a range of six white wines, two red wines and a rosé under its Kalkweingut label. The grapes are grown on reclaimed sections of the quarry and harvested between August and October. The company says that the limestone ‘has a high nutritional value and retains the warmth of the Sun,’ which, in conjunction with the warm climate of South Baden, gives the wines a ‘Mediterranean’ expression.
Philippines: Gebr. Pfeiffer has received an order for a modular four-roller ready2grind 2500 vertical grinding unit to Big Boss Cement’s Porac, Pampanga plant. It says that the mill will have a production capacity of 70t/hr of cement, ground to a fineness of 4000cm2/g. The company will additionally supply a packing plant module for bag and bulk loading.
Gebr. Pfeiffer said that in spite of delays to the unit’s commissioning due to coronavirus lockdown, it “has experienced specialists on site and is therefore able to support the customer in this phase.”
Germany: Holcim Deutschland has reported the successful delivery of 280m3 of climate-neutral concrete to the NABU Conservation Centre Rheinauen in Bingen, Rheinland-Palatinate. The construction of the conservation centre by Karl Gemünden is scheduled for completion in 2021.
The concrete contains Holcim Duo 3 N CEM-III slag cement from Holcim Deutschland’s Dortmund slag plant in North-Rhine Westphalia. The company said, “Only select raw materials are used in the production of Holcim EcoPact Zero, which is mixed in optimal proportions in line with applicable norms.” Moorfutures offset 44t of CO2 by deposition in Moorland in Schleswig Holstein to account for the EcoPact’s CO2 emissions.
“We are proud of this first successful application of Holcim EcoPact Zero,” said Holcim Deutschland head of building materials technology Marc Holberg. “We look forward to many further climate-friendly projects!”
ThyssenKrupp reports on first half 2019 - 2020
14 May 2020Germany: ThyssenKrupp has reported a first-half net loss before tax for the fiscal year 1 October 2019 – 30 September 2020 of Euro743m compared to a profit of Euro45.0m for the first half of the previous fiscal year. Net sales fell by 3.0% year-on-year to Euro19.8bn from Euro20.4bn. The period brought a medium-sized cement line order from the US and a low-CO2 calcined clays cement plant order from Cameroon. As a result of the coronavirus crisis, ThyssenKrupp has cut 3000 jobs on a short-to medium-term basis.
ThyssenKrupp chief financial officer (CFO) Klaus Keysburg said, “Irrespective of the current difficult environment, we are convinced that the Steel Strategy 2030 is the right response to the enormous challenges facing the steel sector.”
Vecoplan announces 360-Degree Days
11 May 2020Germany: Vecoplan has said that it will host 360-Degree Days, an exclusive live presentation from its technology centre, from 27 - 29 May 2020. It says that the event is aimed at filling the void left by the cancellation of IFAT 2020, which would have covered waste and raw materials management, due to the coronavirus outbreak. Vecoplan said, “Participants will learn all about recycling and processing technology, subdivided into several topic areas. Details on the content will be announced closer to the time.”