At a glance
Siegfried Jacob Metallwerke wanted a single line capable of processing more than 15 different products within an existing hall with limited space.
Lybover developed a flexible concept, combined technology partners with its own customisation, and used 3D scans and VR to refine the design together with the customer.
A three-zone installation offering maximum flexibility, integrated dust extraction and autonomous operation per zone. Everything delivered on schedule, with no surprises.
Siegfried Jacob Metallwerke is a German family business with over 70 years of experience in processing non-ferrous metals and metal-containing residues. At its site in Ennepetal, Siegfried Jacob Metallwerke has advanced facilities for mechanical separation, chemical analysis and thermal processing, including its own smelter for copper alloys. The company processes more than 130,000 tonnes of material annually, always in accordance with strict quality, environmental and safety standards.
The challenge: one line, fifteen products
The market is evolving. Customers are increasingly demanding installations that are flexible in terms of input, yet guarantee consistent output quality. This was also the starting point for Siegfried Jacob Metallwerke. Their existing high-voltage cable line was running well, but the volume was too limited to remain profitable.
Siegfried Jacob Metallwerke identified more than 15 products – from high-voltage cables to wheel rims, fire extinguishers and copper gutters – that they wanted to process and upgrade using a single line. The question for Lybover was: how do you combine flexibility, quality and efficiency in a single installation, within an existing hall with limited height and surface area?
Co-creation and bespoke technology
An initial preliminary study was followed by an extensive engineering phase. The customer’s starting point was taken into account, but Lybover went further: we redesigned the process, selected the right technology and integrated customised components.
To optimise the layout in the existing hall, the space was scanned in 3D. The entire line was virtually constructed and presented in VR. This allowed Siegfried Jacob Metallwerke, together with Lybover and all the teams involved, to explore the installation, provide feedback and make choices – right down to the level of access and maintenance.
The implementation: flexibility in 3 zones
The line consists of three main zones: pre-reduction, post-reduction and sorting. We start with pre-breaking to reduce large pieces. We then move on to the granulation zone and finish with a series of finer sorting techniques. For the separation machines, we turned to our technology partners Spaleck, Steinert, and Westeria, each with their own expertise, including sieving, separation based on magnetism, eddy current or air.
In addition to these high-end technologies, Lybover integrated its own customised components, such as special valves and conveyor belts that are not available as standard on the market. The crushers supplied by the customer were also seamlessly integrated into the process. The steel construction and full integration of all components were also within our scope. For the dust extraction, we collaborated with Keller Lufttechnik, while Lybover AIR was responsible for the project development. The customer was relieved of as much of the burden as he needed. This ensured a very smooth collaboration.
The result is a line that is not only flexible in terms of the types of input material, but also in the way the process can be controlled. Thanks to smart bypasses and autonomous zones, maintenance can be carried out without bringing the entire installation to a standstill. This additional flexibility was an absolute must for Siegfried Jacob Metallwerke – and at the same time the reason why this project was so complex.
The biggest challenge lay in the flexibility that Siegfried Jacob Metallwerke requested. The more options and bypasses you provide, the more complex the design and integration become. But it is precisely this complexity that sets us apart: thanks to our broad perspective and experience, we were able to bring everything together in a single working line.
The result? A line that can handle fifteen different products, with consistent quality and maximum uptime.