A guided tour of Gustav Eirich Maschinenfabrik in Hardheim
offered exclusive insights into a century of mixing technology
A special highlight was the visit of the company's own museum
future-oriented topics relating to foundry sand preparation were discussed
one of the highlights is to visit our valued customers where they work
It is the encounters and places where stories begin and from where high technology is shipped all over the world
‘Last year was one of our best years,’ Maria-Luise Liepe reported during a guided tour of the production halls at the company's headquarters in Hardheim
was celebrating its 160th anniversary last year
The Eirich mixer: a revolution in the industry
Foundry-Planet gained exclusive insights into Gustav Eirich's pioneering mixing techniques
first and foremost the patented ‘Eirich mixer’
It revolutionised the entire industry back in 1906 thanks to its versatility
Gustav Eirich is a globally active group that manufactures machines and systems for mixing technology
Impressive is the vertical range of manufacture of 80 per cent that the company achieves
Eirich has also been supplying a wide range of industries with sand mixers
India: A growing market for foundry sand processing
around 20 to 30 per cent of Eirich sand mixers are destined for the foundry sector
India in particular has developed into an important market: ‘India is our focus
The sand mixers used there are entirely manufactured by our sister company EIRICH INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED,’ explains Liepe
business in China has also developed successfully over the last 20 years
where the American subsidiary Eirich Machines Inc
was represented at the recent GIFA FundiExpo 2024
Eirich strengthens Germany as a production location
Germany remains an important production location for Eirich
With an investment of 5.5 million euros in a new production hall at its main site in Hardheim
the company is making a clear commitment to Germany
The three-storey hall offers 750 m² of optimal production conditions
which can be expanded to 1,210 m² if required
two 5-tonne cranes and a passenger and goods lift
the hall ensures a smooth flow of materials
A photovoltaic system on the roof rounds off the modern infrastructure
the focus of current production is on modernising existing systems
Automation and digitalisation are also key topics for the future
During the tour of the five production halls and the training workshop (550 employees in Hardheim
it became clear how the company successfully combines tradition and innovation
The MIXEUM EIRICH: A museum for sand mixers
we'll build your plant,’ was the motto of Paul Eirich
His heartfelt project was to build the company's own museum
which gives visitors an insight into the company's history and the development of Eirich sand mixers
The museum is located in one of the historic buildings on the factory premises and documents the history from then until today
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the 23-year-old will move to the French capital in a €32 million deal
just one year on from joining BVB for €28 million
Zorc was asked by .css-14rpnn4{margin:0;font-size:1.6rem;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:Proxima Nova,Proxima Nova Fallback Helvetica,Proxima Nova Fallback Arial;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;letter-spacing:0rem;line-height:2.6rem;white-space:normal;word-break:break-word;}Ruhr Nachrichten (h/t Benson) if Diallo was leaving and replied: "That has turned out so
Abdou has decided that he wants to take on another challenge
arrived at Dortmund from Mainz last summer
He made 38 appearances in all competitions as the German club finished second to Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga
and made it to the UEFA Champions League round of 16
football writer Zach Lowy believes they'll be able to cope with his departure and that he should fit in well at PSG:
The defender split his time with Dortmund at centre-back and left-back
with 20 appearances coming in the former position and 18 in the latter
That kind of versatility will be useful for PSG
and it seems he'll be able to help them play out from the back too
SB Nation's Zito Madu singled him out last season:
His arrival will also make PSG better equipped to handle Thiago Silva's potential departure next year
and he's in the final 12 months of his contract
Presnel Kimpembe and Thilo Kehrer in the squad
they'll still have plenty of options to call upon if Silva moves on or retires
The Bundeswehr's newly formed Panzerbataillon (Armour Battalion) 363 has received the first four of its future 44 Leopard 2A6 main battle tanks (MBTs)
the German Army announced on its website on 7 September
The tanks were accompanied by a Büffel (Buffalo) armoured recovery vehicle
The first four Leopard 2A6s delivered to Panzerbataillon 363
led by battalion commander Lt Col Pane (right in the lead tank)
The first MBTs that arrived at the battalion's base in Hardheim
with the first live firing exercise planned at the Bergen training area in the spring
following the announcement that it would be created last November
The Bundewehr returned to Hardheim in 2018 with a Kommando Spezialkräfte (KSK) special forces staff and command support company
Hardheim is the first Bundeswehr base to be reactivated
It was closed in October 2011 after the last Gepard (Cheetah) tracked self-propelled anti-aircraft gun of Panzerflakbataillon (Armoured Anti-Aircraft Battalion) 12 left that year
The battalion will be assigned to Panzergrenadierbrigade (Armoured Infantry Brigade) 37
one of four brigades of the 10th Panzerdivision
It will be the brigade’s second panzer battalion
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If the Eirich family business wants to celebrate all the festivals as they fall
the Hardheim-based company can't get out of celebration mode
With the 160th anniversary of the German company headquarters
50 years of Eirich in Brazil and the reestablishment of the Thai site
numerous successes were recorded in various sectors
the new and digitalised trade fair presence was a hit
several products celebrated their premiere and the Eirich Group's turnover rose to almost 200 million euros
The company will continue to celebrate its anniversaries in the coming year: the site in Japan is celebrating its 50th anniversary
Eirich in China is celebrating its 30th anniversary and in India it is celebrating a quarter of a century as well as the opening of the new production plant
"We can be very proud of our successes from last year and this year
Our appearances at various trade fairs and events such as GIFA
the Battery Show and Powtech impressed visitors
Other sectors such as metallurgy and e-coal are important to us
The focus here was on the resource-saving processing of carbon masses and the efficient processing of ores
We are currently preparing ourselves intensively and with pleasure for new challenges
There are currently great opportunities for us
particularly in the areas of electromobility and digitalisation," summarises Managing Director Stephan Eirich
Eirich defies tense situation and competitive pressure The fact that 2023 was not always an easy year for the industry was also felt by the Eirich Group
Political and economic events such as the ongoing war in Ukraine
the current war in the Middle East and the conflict between China and Taiwan are having a significant impact on the German economy
raw material shortages and supply chain problems
as well as increasing competitive and price pressure
which is further exacerbated by product piracy
this means that even faster further development of the product range through research and development is necessary
The company is focussing on its core sectors
but is not losing sight of other markets either
2024 under the sign of new industries and digitalisation In order to tap into the food industry
the company will be at the ProSweets food trade fair in Cologne for the first time in the new year and will also have a stand at Anuga FoodTec to showcase its mixing technology to the industry
the company aims to support the confectionery and snack industry in the resource-saving production of products and demonstrate new possibilities
the company is also presenting a machine for hygienic and contamination-sensitive areas that fulfils the high requirements of the food industry
The mixer is a versatile food processor and carries out several process steps in one mixing chamber
which increases efficiency and reduces the risk of contamination at the same time
The topic of digitalisation also continues to be immensely important for the Eirich Group
This is the focus of further and new product development
the company launched two products this year - the EL5 and the VC2
smart data analysis and the use of AI for optimum quality control are important features
Optimistic about Germany as a location
We also need to address the issue of Germany as a business location
Germany needs to become more attractive for companies again
This is where politics is particularly important
we firmly believe that we will survive with constantly increasing efficiency
promising growth sectors are important to us
the more optimistic we can be about the future," says Managing Director Ralf Rohmann
the aim is to implement a global production strategy at all locations to secure the company's own competitiveness
Eirich will continue to invest in ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning for planning many business tasks)
digitalisation and new test centres at several locations
"Despite the often tense overall situation this year
we were not only able to toast the anniversary with our employees
but also a great success story that is far from over
it is important to constantly scrutinise our internal structures with a view to processes and customer requirements so that we can continue to achieve success in the future," concludes the Managing Director
About Eirich The Eirich Group is a family-run group of companies specialising in mechanical engineering for process engineering tasks with its headquarters in Hardheim in southern Germany
As a leading global manufacturer of machines and systems for the processing of raw materials
Eirich has been pioneering advanced technologies for mixing
the group of companies offers numerous services across the entire life cycle of systems
from online spare parts ordering to AI-based assistance systems
With an annual turnover of 180 million euros and over 400 patents
Eirich is one of the leading innovators in mixing and processing technology
Under the management of Stephan Eirich and Ralf Rohmann
has around 1,200 employees at 16 locations in eleven countries
there has been a deep connection between the production company in Ukraine and the mixing machine experts from Hardheim
they have realized and continue to realize major projects to improve quality
this partnership shows that experienced experts always find successful solutions even under the most difficult circumstances – and that true partnership goes beyond business
is the world’s third-largest exporter of iron ore pellets
Iron ore is one of the materials that form the foundation of our modern lives
from construction to the manufacturing of cars and wind turbines
to everyday items such as kitchen utensils
Ferrexpo has been producing iron ore pellets
delivering one of the building blocks for many industries and aspects of life
Ferrexpo and Eirich: Ensuring Quality Through Partnership
Despite the ongoing state of war in Ukraine
further expanding its business and improving the quality of its core product
This is possible in large part thanks to the special partnership that Ferrexpo has shared with the German company Eirich for 25 years
a global leader in solutions for processing raw materials
Ferrexpo has overcome major milestones for decades
Ferrexpo is able to continue joint projects even during the war
The cooperation between the two companies began around the year 2000
when Ferrexpo decided to modernize its pelletizing plant with the aim of producing the best pellets in Europe
as an expert in advanced technologies for mixing
became a partner in this endeavor for the first time
To meet the increasing quality demands of steel producers and strengthen its market position
Ferrexpo wanted to ensure particularly high mixing quality of the concentrate
the degree of homogenization – was to be at least 98%
The choice therefore fell on the use of an Eirich intensive mixer
Challenges Create Bonds – Even Before the War
In every joint project Ferrexpo and Eirich carried out in the following years
the commissioning of the new mixers went according to plan and on time
over 20 million tons of iron ore concentrate have been processed with the first mixer installed by Eirich – and it continues to run successfully
These excellent results should not overshadow the effort and challenging circumstances involved: for the transport of some mixers
a Ukrainian highway had to be temporarily rerouted
Lifting the D31/7 mixer to a height of 30 meters on site took more than 8 hours
manual labor was sometimes needed to shovel several tons of concentrate out of the mixer
Some Eirich supervisors still recall how they shared dinner and watched the World Cup with their Ukrainian colleagues – still in their work clothes
this collaboration forged a close bond between the companies on a much more human level than is usually possible in a mere client-contractor relationship
Not Even War Can Stop the Pursuit of Excellence
conditions for the long-standing cooperation between Ferrexpo and Eirich changed in the 2020s
most of a large-scale project already underway had to be halted: four DW40 mixers
each with a throughput capacity of over 1,000 tons/hour
had been delivered but not yet commissioned
the first of the four mixers was successfully commissioned remotely with guidance from an Eirich supervisor in Germany
and the last mixer was also commissioned in 2024
the end result is impressive: the plant in Ukraine represents a unique solution and is equipped with the best equipment in the world
Eirich supervisors remain in continuous contact with the customer and provide extensive support
over 300,000 tons of concentrate were already processed in the first mixer
Ferrexpo also built a concentrate storage facility
with two pelletizing departments currently under construction
The company also plans to install Haver-Boecker pelletizing discs and is confidently moving toward its goal of producing 18 million tons of the best pellets in Europe
and the UAE are happy to buy these high-quality products
Ferrexpo Relies on Eirich – In All Circumstances
there are some devices in the plant outside of Eirich’s scope that Ferrexpo specialists are highly dissatisfied with
As their functionality affects the quality of the final product
the pellet manufacturer now wants to obtain these devices from Eirich as well
Initial project planning discussions began in early 2025
the successful cooperation between the two companies continues across borders and barriers
A true partnership reveals itself especially in times of crisis
Eirich brought 30 Ukrainian women and children – employees of its Dnipro office
The company provided housing without bureaucracy and supported them with official procedures
Eirich subsidiaries also provided valuable material aid
The mothers have successfully completed integration and language courses and are currently looking for jobs
The children attend school in Hardheim and are top of their class in some subjects
Together with their business partners in Ukraine
Eirich continues to discuss post-war reconstruction and visions for the future
Ferrexpo has experienced time and again that with such a partner
Ferrexpo remains focused on delivering the best iron ore pellets and maintains an optimistic outlook for the future