The apt Group, a leading extruder in the European aluminum industry, is modernizing its production sites, including its extrusion plant in Monheim, Germany, and sheet and profiles plant in Cheb, Czech Republic.
“The modernization of the extrusion line P35.0 and the compressed air system marks another milestone in our efforts to make production processes more efficient and sustainable,” said Michael Zint, CEO of the apt Group. “This enables us to continue combining top product quality with maximum resource conservation in the future.”
The apt Group is a leading company in the European aluminum industry, with four production sites, located in Germany, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic. The company’s production covers the entire aluminum value chain, including recycling, extrusion, mechanical processing, surface finishing (anodizing and powder coating), assembly, and logistics. The company produces, processes, and sells aluminum profiles and sheet products for the construction, transport, automotive, and industrial sectors.
Modernized Extrusion Line in Monheim
At the start of the new year, apt Group launched a new billet oven with preheating capabilities for its P35 extrusion line at its extrusion facility in Monheim. The project includes the installation of a new billet oven and preheating system from extrutec.
The new, energy-optimized billet heating system is able to preheat the billet to 90°C using residual heat in a closed-loop system, minimizing evaporation losses. The bill is then processed through the high-convection preheating zone, which increases the billet temperature to 200°C before entering the main oven. In the main oven, the billets are further heated to approximately 400°C. An induction module ensures precise head temperatures to optimize the extrusion process.
The design of this new billet heating system provides several key benefits, including increased efficiency, improved quality, and reduced costs. The innovative technologies in the system, such as multi-stage waste heat utilization, improve thermal efficiency by 15%. Switching from a shear to a billet saw reduces material loss, enabling more efficient resource utilization. The system also provides consistent billet heating and precise control of profile temperatures to ensure high-quality results in dimensional accuracy, strength, and surface finish. In addition, it ensures reduced tooling wear, thus decreasing operating costs while boosting productivity.
New Cheb Modernization
The apt Group has also undertaken a modernization at its 9,000 sq m Cheb site, where the company turns aluminum sheet and profiles into sophisticated and complex products. The facility commissioned a new compressed air system with a Kaeser compressor.
The Kaeser air compressor is vital for generating compressed air and is an indispensable resource in many industrial processes, including apt’s facility in Cheb. The compressor features frequency exchange control, allowing it to adjust in real-time to production demands. Additional integral components of the modernization include a new air dryer, a filtering cell, and an eco-friendly disposal system for condensation by-products.
Some of the benefits of the new air compressor and auxiliary equipment include optimized air supply that significantly reduces energy costs and a backup system to prevent production downtime during compressor failure. In addition, the compressor lowers CO2 emissions and contributes to achieving environmental goals.