SPX Flow’s Waukesha Cherry-Burrell (WCB) has completed a fully circular economy model in pump rotor production at its Delavan, Wisconsin facility.
WCB has recently added a sand mold recycling program which is approved by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. In partnership with The Recy Group, sand used in WCB’s casting process is now recycled for road construction. This reduces WCB’s landfill impact by more than 90 tons per month.
“By integrating sand mold recycling with our existing metal recycling processes, we’re able to turn what was once waste into a valuable resource for local infrastructure,” said Brandon Marvin, WCB Environmental, Health and Safety Manager at the Delavan site. “It’s a perfect example of how industrial innovation can support environmental and community wellbeing at the same time.”
At the core of WCB’s circular model is Alloy-88, a proprietary metal alloy developed in-house. Alloy-88 rotors are designed to withstand intense use in food processing pumps. When these rotors wear down with time, customers can return them to SPX Flow, where they are remelted and reshaped into new rotors—keeping valuable metal in use and reducing landfill impact. In 2023 alone, the facility received 43,000 pounds of returned rotors through its buy-back program, reinforcing the company’s commitment to a closed-loop system.
Recycling process – reusing sand for road construction
The sand mold recycling process now completes the cycle. After Alloy-88 is poured into sand molds to shape the rotors, the molds cool and harden, then are broken away to reveal the rotor. Instead of discarding this sand, SPX Flow now collects and sends it to The Recy Group, where it is repurposed for construction, particularly benefiting road projects in colder climates by extending the construction season.
“The sand molds are mixed in with our other recycled construction materials which then are grinded and used for trench backfilling,” explained Matt Sattelberg, Vice President at The Recy Group. “Overall, this is a huge recycling win for SPX Flow by diverting over 90 tons per month of its sand molds that were originally going to the landfill.”
Following the success in Delavan, SPX Flow has plans to expand this circular economy model to its other global facilities, starting with its largest pump manufacturing site in Bydgoszcz, Poland.
Source: www.worldpumps.com