A washing machine for ten million tubes
Every year, our cleaning system reliably removes lubricants and swarf from around ten million tubes before they are sent for further processing – the modular structure makes it possible to realise major energy and water savings.
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The grease is removed from the tubes
One important part of the tube production process in Remscheid is an industrial cleaning system. The tubes are transported into the system in baskets. The giant washing machine removes all traces of oil, grease and metal swarf from the copper and steel parts at a temperature of 70 °C.
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The sun also plays its part
The modularly structured washing machine can be adapted to the number of tubes to be cleaned – saving a great deal of energy and water. Most of the heat for the rinsing baths is supplied by a solar thermal system comprising 30 Vaillant flat-plate collectors installed on the roof of the plant.
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A separate bath for better results
Once the cleaning programme is complete, the washing machine pumps away the foamy rinse water. The basket with the freshly washed tubes comes back out of the system automatically. The shiny components are now optimally prepared for the next production steps.
Ingenious flexibility
The cleaning system has a modular design and can be flexibly adapted to the actual requirements – an essential prerequisite for the major energy and water savings that the system achieves.
For a more efficient production process
Adaptability and flexibility are not just signs of intelligent machinery: in the industrial cleaning process, these are also prerequisites for efficiency and sustainable production steps.
At the Vaillant Group, quality and technical cleanliness are intrinsically linked. Even the slightest amount of dirt on components can reduce the quality of the finishes and cause problems during later production processes or operation. Copper and steel tubes are therefore subjected to thorough industrial cleaning. Only once the oil residues, grease and metal swarf have been fully removed do the tubes progress for further processing or assembly.
Our Purchasing department selected the modular cleaning system because it meets the strict quality criteria with regard to technical cleanliness – and also offers several other decisive benefits.
For example, the modular design enables the system to be flexibly adapted to requirements. Entire modules can be deselected and shut down or re-activated, depending on the capacities required. This gives rise to huge savings; the system consumes 40 per cent less energy than conventional cleaning systems.
Clean performance
Innovative heating technology can only be manufactured using high-tech production processes. As a result, the Vaillant Group uses state-of-the-art systems at its production sites. Our Purchasing department plays a key role in this regard: one example is their decision to use a modular cleaning system, which helps reduce the impact on the environment.
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Global Compact
- 10
principles
- 100%
standard purchase volume
Purchasing decisions consider even the tiniest of parts – and up to 40 other factors
When procuring machines, electronics, materials and metals, our Purchasing department works with partners all around the world. The Vaillant Group involves suppliers at an early stage of the development process so as to jointly develop the heating technology of the future. 100 per cent of our standard purchase volume is procured from suppliers who recognise the UN Global Compact.
Procuring raw materials takes a great deal of experience and instinct: our purchasers are permanently faced with hugely fluctuating prices – and the constant challenge of assessing 30 to 40 different influencing factors before making a purchasing decision.
The Vaillant Group processes steel to produce appliance housing, brackets, burners and many more items. Three international steel manufacturers and an even greater number of regional steel service centres supply the Vaillant Group press shops. To achieve the best value for money, the Research and Development department and the Purchasing department as well as steel producers work together to review the many different options.