Fast Silo Replacement at the Heart of the Core Sand System

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High-Pressure Plant Engineering in Practice

Lesedauer: min | Bildquelle: GUT Gießerei Umwelt Technik GmbH, Freudenberg

Precisely planned, efficiently executed: Modernization of a central core sand hub in a German high-volume iron foundry

In spring 2024, GUT Gießerei Umwelt Technik GmbH, based in Freudenberg, was entrusted with a demanding and time-critical task: replacing aging and heavily corroded silos at the heart of the core sand system in a German series production foundry.

What might sound like a routine maintenance job quickly revealed its complexity when considering the constraints: a complete system replacement had to be carried out during a very short summer shutdown period — with no room for delays or disruptions.

Initial Situation

In the center of the foundry, used core sand of various grades is stored temporarily before being distributed to several regeneration units. The existing silos and pneumatic conveying systems had performed reliably for decades but had reached the end of their service life and required replacement — without compromising downstream production processes.

Project Scope

The project called for the full dismantling of:

four existing silos including feed lines, and
eight outgoing pneumatic conveyor systems.

In the same location, GUT was tasked with installing:

four new silos, including a preassembled pipe bridge,
one silo equipped with a vibration screening station and magnetic separator, and
eight new pneumatic conveyor systems.

The Timeline

From electrical disconnection and silo demolition to restarting production, only four weeks were available — a tight timeframe that demanded seamless coordination and precise execution:

Installation of preassembled silos and pipe bridge: completed within just two days
Mechanical assembly and connection of all conveying systems: finished in two weeks
Electrical installation and commissioning in three existing control systems: carried out in just over one week

The Result

The customer was able to restart production right on schedule — with zero delays or disruptions.

True to GUT's reputation, the entire project was delivered on time and on budget. The result stands as another strong example of reliable, efficient, and technically sophisticated plant engineering — made in Germany.

“We thank our customer for the trust placed in us and our suppliers for their excellent support throughout the project. This was a great example of teamwork and execution under pressure.” – Jens Müller-Späth,