The former company Finn Recycling, now Resand, has developed a technology for the treatment/regeneration of foundry sand and a modular sand recovery plant that uses this technology. The reclamation plant treats waste sand thermally and mechanically to increase the recycling rate of foundry sand and reduce the consumption of virgin sand.
The company has been treating waste sand from three Finnish foundries in Nuutajärvi since 2019. After installing a plant at the TU Freiberg test foundry in Germany, the Finnish steel foundry Raahe Valimo Oy has been working with the RESAND plant since the beginning of 2023.
Sand preparation in the foundry - an on-site visit:
We met for the on-site appointment and were able to talk to the CEO Timo Kronqvist and the foundry manager um about the first experiences in use.
Raahe Valimo Oy was founded in 1919 and still operates as a sustainable steel foundry for well-known customers throughout Europe.
The company produces about 1,000 tonnes of steel castings a year in various sizes between 10 and 5000kg.
Timo Kronqvist emphasizes that the Finnish foundry naturally sets the highest standards for sustainability and considers the circulation of raw materials and auxiliary materials carefully.
The 1,000t of steel castings, used to require about 2,500t of silica sand, which was most imported from Belgium by ship. The waste sand was used to be dumped in landfills, but this is no longer permitted. Kronqvist stated: "If you are geographically located in the middle of Finland, the sand is usually just in the wrong place". This was also the case when the sand was processed in Nuutajärvi near Finn Recycling 3 years ago, but even then, the distance of 600 km was always an obstacle.
This was the reason for installing sand processing directly on site at the foundry.
Since the beginning of 2023, the Finn Recycling (now RESAND) plant has now been in operation and the Raahe foundry has initial findings and figures.
The Advantages are as follows:
- No landfill problems, no logistic problems
- About 2,200 t of new sand can be saved per year
- Better sand, smaller grains
- Less binder necessary
- Better casting quality and surface
According to Timo Kronqvist, setting up the leased plant has already paying off and makes him independent of transport logistics and the strict regulations for landfills in Finland.
Of course, it was an advantage that he had the sand processed in Nuutajärvi before, so he knew the good quality and the people from the technology.
The company's own sandplant usually runs 24 h/day, does not require much maintenance, and runs stably. When the moulds are crushed from used sand with the existing Neuhof plant, the sand can be taken directly to the sand regeneration plant, which is located directly in front of the foundry buildings. During the joint tour, we were able to see for ourselves the efficiency of the Raahe foundry and the sand reclamation system. The Finns have shown that the system works, especially on site.
About RESAND
RESAND Oy is a Finnish technology company specializing in sand regeneration. RESAND offers foundries more environmentally friendly and profitable solutions for the use of sand. After a long period of research, RESAND has patented a regeneration technology that allows foundry sand to be processed for reuse. This significantly reduces the extraction of new, depleting sand resources, as well as the CO2 emissions and cost of handling and transporting them. This unique regeneration technology also significantly reduces the amount of waste sand and the need for landfills.
RESAND has developed the regeneration technology in Nuutajärvi in cooperation with several foundries and universities for almost 10 years. The Sand As A Service (SAAS) service model for foundries also enables rapid implementation with low investment. RESAND's mission is to innovate the use and recycling of foundry sand together with its customers and thus be part of the solution to a global environmental challenge.
