TBT: “Nature had the idea – we improved it”
For decades, quartz sands from Haltern have stood for the highest quality in the foundry industry. However, with increasing requirements – such as new binding systems and complex casting molds – the need for tailor-made solutions has grown. The answer: ready-made sands.
In 2012, a new type of screening tower was put into operation at the Haltern plant – a technological milestone. Its special feature: the natural grain size distribution of the sand can be separated so precisely that precisely defined screening curves are created. As a result, foundries benefit from molding materials that are optimally adapted to their production processes – whether for more strength, better gas permeability or less binder requirement.
The success story continued in 2020: Despite the coronavirus pandemic and adverse weather conditions, Quarzwerke completed a second screening tower including a packaging hall and container handling. Not only was tried-and-tested technology used, but innovations were also made in certain areas – such as cascade chutes for particularly gentle sand transport.
Today, in 2025, Quarzwerke can look back on five years of successful production with two screening towers. Together, they ensure efficient, flexible and resilient sand processing – a foundation that has proven itself even in the face of demanding customer requirements and short-term logistical challenges.
The Haltern site can now look back on over 100 years of history. Today, it combines tradition and state-of-the-art process technology – including highly automated processes in sand preparation and continuous research in close cooperation with the foundry technology center in Frechen.
The goal always remains the same: to refine our natural raw materials so that they are exactly right for the respective application.
The short video clip shows how the grading curves can be adapted using the new technology (excerpt from the foundry industry video)
