Norbert Schiedel receives certificate and medal on anniversary 22 August 2023

Welcome to the LK Club of 25!

Anyone who remains loyal to a company for 25 years has long since become not only a part of that company, but that company is also a part of him. This is certainly the case with Norbert Schiebel, our “generator” in internal sales. LK Metallwaren, that much is certain, would be a different company without him. This is mainly due to the fact that he initiated the water treatment sector and built it up into what it is today: one of the five pillars of our company’s portfolio of products and services.

However, these twenty-five years of staff membership also vouch for something else: namely, stability and reliability, solidarity and commitment. Norbert Schiebel displays all these qualities in the best sense. Added to this is a competence based on broad knowledge as well as the conscientiousness and precision with which he carries out his tasks in the field of separation technology – parallel to the precision with which he aims and hits his targets in his spare time at his beloved shooting club.

Born, raised and still living in Spalt today, he has remained just as true to his homeland. After his training as a state-certified mechanical engineer, he joined LK Metallwaren in Schwabach in 1998 after a stopover at a municipal supplier of water technology in Roth. As a technically skilled inside salesman, his responsibilities take in the entire spectrum from sales to design, development and project planning of orders. As an in-house expert for light liquid separators, he also performs his function as WHG officer in the company as steadfastly as he did ten or twenty years ago.

As is the case for everyone who becomes a member of the exclusive 25-man club at LK Metallwaren, Norbert Schiedel also received his certificate and medal on the anniversary on August 22, 2023. But the greatest joy he will give his well-wishers – especially the LK water treatment team – is that he will remain with us for many more years to come!

Enclosure of an already existing plant

Flexibility as a model for success

Combined measures for optimum sound insulation and maximum occupational safety protect the health of employees in the production environment. Partner companies such as LK Metallwaren have the necessary flexibility here to implement individually suitable solutions quickly and sustainably.

High noise emissions in the environment are not only detrimental to health, they also form an obstacle where fast, transparent communication is important – especially when it comes to passing on instructions and implementing them. After the commissioning of a new plant at a renowned construction company in the Bavarian Upper Palatinate, it became apparent that its operation was accompanied by high noise emissions – so high that it was perceived as a disturbing factor in the working environment. To remedy this situation, the customer decided to have the plant completely enclosed and commissioned LK Metallwaren with this extensive noise and occupational safety project in March 2023.

Enclosure of already existing plant

The design and construction of the enclosure presented a number of different challenges. The central requirement was that all environment parameters had to be considered as “set”. Since the plant had already been put into operation, the enclosure had to be adapted accordingly. The standard components – in particular wall and ceiling panels, door and window elements, the surrounding protective grids and the openings for the material flow and supply lines – were first fabricated on site. For this purpose, a stairway was created that covered the enclosure on one of the short wall sides and at the same time led to an accessible second level above the enclosure.

The result of the noise abatement measure was ultimately visually impressive: above all, however, this example shows the versatility of the requirements that noise abatement entails in the operational environment. Different planning feasibilities, different on-site requirements must in turn be combined with the different needs of the clients in terms of noise and occupational safety measures as well as different design ideas.

Soundproof booths: Flexible standard setting

Standard solutions result when the measures, for example in the form of noise control booths, are already integrated into completely ready-to-deliver plants. Here, too, in series production, LK Metallwaren shows itself to be a maximally flexible partner. Whether in sandwich or frame construction, with built-in lifting, sliding or hinged doors, or in combination with ventilation or filtering, venting and air-conditioning systems: The Schwabach-based company has the right solution for every requirement.

How flexible is also shown by the now more than forty years of cooperation with a globally operating manufacturer of wire drawing equipment in Germany. Minimized “noise output” is now one of the basic requirements placed on the plant manufacturer from Middle Franconia. The protection of our own operating personnel always enjoys the highest priority. “For the workforce in the company, improved sound insulation means a health relief, and for the recruitment of new skilled workers, low acoustic stress in the working environment is a real ‘pull argument’, says Sebastian Kontusch from Technical Sales, Sound Insulation at LK Metallwaren.

Operator protection in focus

Whether enclosures or soundproof booths, the protection they offer employees in the production environment from potential workplace accidents is at least as important as the acoustic relief. Following the motto “Operator protection is always the focus!”, metalworking plants are subject to even more stringent safety requirements. In this case, stirrups such as those used in wire drawing in stranding machines can reach circumferential speeds beyond 500 km/h. Parts that come loose can quickly become projectiles – endangering the life and limb of plant personnel. The cabins were designed by LK Metallwaren in a solid construction and equipped with safety glass on the door and window elements.

In this way, the dielectric strength test carried out by the Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (Berufsgenossenschaftliches Institut für Arbeitssicherheit) in accordance with the requirements of DIN EN 12417 was also accepted without any objections. A special highlight: In the course of the redesign, the engineers at LK Metallwaren developed an automatic door locking system that can be used to open and set in motion a 200-kilogram sliding door at the touch of a button.

Despite all the complexity of the design: The subsequent commissioning of the plants and the associated systems should always be as simple as possible. LK Metallwaren also does all the preparatory work for this. For example, the complete wiring of all components – fans, safety interlock, lamps, indicator lights, pneumatics, cylinders and control panels – means that the soundproof booths only have to be placed on the machine and the plugs connected in the separately located control cabinet. After that: Switch on – and ready!

High noise and occupational safety factors ensure a competitive advantage for the plant manufacturer’s customers from this direction as well. The acoustic result in particular causes astonishment here, because despite up to forty machines being operated in a factory hall: More than a hum can hardly be heard here.

Design of the measures more and more significant

In addition to the functional specifications that must be met in the area of noise and occupational safety, the design, in which enclosures such as protective booths are created according to customer specifications, is becoming increasingly important. The interior of factory buildings today is usually fundamentally different from those two or three decades earlier. Thoughtfully structured, tidy and, above all, clean: unscheduled plant tours are possible at any time in most production environments today. The integration of enclosures and booths into the existing design is correspondingly important: Shapes, color of the paint finish can be freely selected here, and special requests – such as the most visually effective possible integration of the company’s own brand logos, for example – can be realized at any time. In many cases, LK engineers are involved in project teams with external specialists or customer employees to ensure that the design specifications are implemented as precisely as possible.

Adapted on site and set up ready for operation within two weeks

Working at maximum speed, if possible, during ongoing operations: These are classic targets for assembly, especially when, as in the case of the Upper Palatinate construction company, enclosures have to be made in an already existing plant situation. Many years of experience and practical know-how are the essential building blocks to achieve these goals. Despite the sometimes complex structural requirements on site, the LK Metallwaren fitters made rapid progress with their work. After the planning for the enclosure was approved at the beginning of May 2023, the enclosure with all individually designed components – including door and window elements, penetrations and cabling – was completed ready for use within six weeks.

Careful craftsmanship for the tasks at hand despite a tight time window: This is only possible by relying on existing standard components in conjunction with specially manufactured special parts (e.g. for sealing the enclosure). It is true that the subsequent enclosure of permanently installed plant and machinery is more costly; on the other hand, possible planning errors can be excluded in this way. Either way, the versatility and flexibility of LK Metallwaren in close coordination with the customer ensured the success of the project!

Fa. Abel Wellpappe in Form GmbH & Co. KG

Climate-neutral and efficient heating with local heat

There are more sensible measures for active participation in climate protection by reducing CO2 emissions than tacking on high personal commitment to roads or runways. Climate protection is more successfully pursued with positive-active participation, and a large number of companies already began taking measures to reduce their CO2 emissions several years ago.

This also includes the Middle Franconian company Abel Wellpappe in Form, which, founded in 1997, is currently the market leader in Europe when it comes to processing corrugated board with heights between 3.6 and 7.2 mm into corrugated board pads and contour-precise molded parts. Moreover, the end products are single-material packaging made of corrugated board, which – another sustainability plus point – guarantees sort-free recycling. In 2022, the packaging specialist had decided to convert its previously oil-fired hall heating systems to local heating. The local heat is supplied by a cooperative company from the region, which generates it from the combustion of biogas and wood chips. With the conversion of its heat supply, Abel will be able to produce climate-neutral from now on.

Specially designed to supply production and logistics halls

LK Metallwaren GmbH supplied and installed decentralized warm air heaters with oil burners for the production and storage halls at Abel Wellpappe in Form since 2007.

After the company opted for local heating in August 2022, the oil burners in the existing LK warm air generators in Halls 3 to 8 were removed and a PWW register installed in their place.

The distribution of local heat is now handled by the existing LK warm air generators.

LK Warm air heater RBW with condensing technology

LK Warm air heater RBW with condensing technology

In Halls 1 and 2, the aging oil-fired radiant system was dismantled and replaced with a new LK GCS (Green Climate System) warm air heater. The newly installed system has been specially developed by LK Metallwaren for the heating and ventilation of production and logistics halls. With it, the two hall areas can henceforth be heated independently of each other via a two-room control system.

The plant is equipped with a mixed air device, through which the hall is supplied with outside air. The operator can independently determine the proportion of outside and recirculated air to be introduced into the hall on a scale of 0 to 100 percent. During the heating period, for example during break times, intermittent ventilation can be carried out via an interval control system, thus saving considerable costs compared to continuous ventilation.

LK Warm air heater GCS (Green Climate System)

LK Warm air heater GCS (Green Climate System)

However, the LK Warm Air Generator GCS is not only capable of converting cold air into warm air: It also goes the other way. In this way, it ensures a pleasant, precisely controllable hall climate via night cooling even in the warm season. For the summer months, summer/night cooling is stored in the control system. By means of this option, the hall climate can be optimized over the cooler night temperatures. The best possible time for this is usually between 11 pm and 7 am. In order to prevent a possible cooling of the hall, a temperature limit can be specified.

Use with other regenerative heating sources

The LK warm air generator GCS can also be used for other regenerative energy sources. For example, for air heating in the hall can be installed a special heating and cooling coil, which is connected to a cascade of several connected heat pumps.

Heat pumps filled with R32 refrigerant or R290 natural refrigerant are used for this purpose. The integrated filter additionally ensures that the intake air is filtered throughout the entire air exchange and thus cleaned of dirt and dust particles.

Reimbursement of costs by BAFA

And there is another significant plus point: those who opt for the GCS can significantly reduce their acquisition costs. The German Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA), for example, offers support for new installations in the form of subsidies of up to 40 percent. This is another way to save resources!

For the founder and managing director of Abel Wellpappe in Form Roland Abel, the decision to switch from heating oil to local heating has more than paid off. Because: “We now not only have a climate-neutral heat supply, but have also made ourselves independent of the use of finite resources.”

Enclosure of an already existing plant

Complex requirements – mastered brilliantly!

For a major customer in the construction sector, LK Metallwaren enclosed an existing plant and was thus able to reduce the noise level and increase occupational safety in the vicinity of the plant at the same time.

At the end of March 2023, an internationally renowned construction company with more than 6,000 employees and its main location in the Bavarian Upper Palatinate had commissioned LK Metallwaren with an extensive noise and occupational safety project. The starting point for the customer’s order was the new acquisition of a production plant with an above-average noise intensity as a disturbance factor. In order to provide a permanent remedy, the customer decided to completely enclose the plant. An integral part of this planning was the associated establishment of a “safety zone”, which ensured that sufficient distances to the plant were maintained during operation.

Enclosure of an already existing plant

Enclosure made with already existing plant

The design and construction of the enclosure presented a number of different challenges. Thus, the central requirement was that all environment parameters had to be considered as “set”. Since the plant had already been fully erected and commissioned, the enclosure had to be adapted accordingly. The standard components, in particular wall and ceiling panels, door and window elements, the surrounding protective grids and the openings for the material flow and supply lines, were first adapted or cut to size on site. Added to this was the inclusion of a stairway that covered the enclosure on one of the short sides of the wall, while also leading to an accessible second level above the enclosure.

Adapted on site and set up ready for operation within two weeks

Despite the partly complex structural requirements for the installation of the protection zones and soundproofing chamber, the LK Metallwaren fitters made rapid progress with their work. After the planning for the enclosure had been completed and subsequently approved at the beginning of May, the enclosure with all door and window elements was erected on site within two weeks and completed ready for use with all penetrations and cabling for plant operation.

The fact that the tasks at hand could be carried out with the utmost craftsmanship despite the tight time window was due in particular to the close communication with our customer and the flexibility with which LK Metallwaren was able to supply and process standard components as well as custom-made special parts (e.g. for sealing the enclosure). This also demonstrated the advantages of adapting noise control and other components to an existing plant and its immediate surroundings. In this way, not only can possible planning errors be eliminated, but also a speedy, true-to-scale assembly on site can be ensured.

The result of the thoughtfully coordinated planning and execution work was ultimately also a real eye-catcher visually. At the end of the project, there was not only an enclosure that effectively fulfilled its purpose as a noise protection measure and also increased occupational safety for the plant operators: It also became a real “eye-catcher” within the entire production sector thanks to its appealing, functional design.

Enclosure of an already existing plant

Complex requirements mastered with flying colors

Sebastian Kontusch, Technical Sales Manager Soundproofing, summed it up as follows: “All in all, an extraordinary performance by our LK fitters and the entire team that supported them within the scope of their tasks. Together, we not only mastered the complex requirements on site with flying colors, but also delivered a result that, from a purely visual point of view, cannot be described as ‘Hausen’. The customer, at any rate, was highly satisfied.”

We also wanted to make the acquisition of two buses for mobile operation of the IFK possible and now decorate the rear window with our logo.

Together we tackle it!

Together with other companies from the region, we donated for the purchase of two buses for the mobile care of children and young people who are difficult to educate.

Since 1981, the Initiative für familienähnliche Kleinstheime e. V., IFK for short, has been caring for children and young people from precarious backgrounds. The social activities and services offered by the association have long since gone beyond the original home care and today include the commitment to social group work, but above all also offers in the field of mobile care. Although the care of the children in care is basically ensured, the financial possibilities for equipping the facility and providing additional assistance are extremely limited.

This case involved the purchase of two buses, which were urgently needed by the IFK as part of its mobile care services. In order to raise the funds required for the purchase, the Institut für Stadtmarketing Lorenz GmbH had launched a call for donations to companies in Schwabach and the surrounding area in the spring of 2022.

The campaign proved to be a complete success! The companies in the region once again showed their willingness to donate, and also we from LK Metallwaren were also on board with a donation check in the amount of 2,150 euros. In return, we were allowed to have our logo immortalized on the glass surface in the rear area of the new vehicle and are thus present as an advertising medium on all future trips.

The handover of the two vehicles to the IFK in Schwabach took place on June 7. In addition to the two directors of the IFK, Annette Bogner and Sabine Himmer (deputy), LK marketing manager Harald Wimmer was also on site at the IFK’s place of action.

The entire LK team wishes the IFK a lot of fun and all around accident-free trips with the two buses!

Bernd Tölle und Maik Hamann mit Ihren Ehrenurkunden zur Aufnahme in den „Fünfundzwanziger-Club“ - auch wir gratulieren an dieser Stelle noch einmal ganz herzlich!

Welcome to the “Club of twenty-five”!

Functioning teamwork, where everyone is committed to their colleagues during work. Responsibility that each is willing to take for the other as well. In addition, on occasions after work, they have a lot of fun together: this is roughly how the phenomenon “LK Metallwaren Weißandt-Gölzau” can be described.

15 employees currently work together in the branch offices, which were founded in 1991. Probably unique in the working environment of the industry: seven of them, i.e. almost half of the workforce, now have 25 years or more of service “under their belt”.

And the “club of twenty-five” is growing…

Most recently, Christian Ziegler was honored on the occasion of his “silver wedding anniversary” with his company. As an assembler always on the road for professional reasons, he was honored for this at the main LK Metallwaren site in Schwabach. Just a few months earlier, in September 2022, employees five and six had celebrated their induction into the “twenty-five club”: Bernd Tölle and Maik Hamann were the honorees at that time.

The reward for so much loyalty: issuance of a certificate of honor and award of a medal by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as a gratuity from the esteemed employer. Here, too, it is clear how great the importance is that LK Metallwaren attaches to the bond with its own company: In all the honors of the past months, Managing Director Jochen Haberkorn personally held the small but fine speech of thanks. Also on board the well-wishers were our deputy works councilor Dana Knitter and the branch manager Karsten Wengel!

LK Metallwaren is the proud sponsor of LSG Löbnitz e. V. since this season.

On the hunt for points with LK Metallwaren!

Under the fighting name “The power on the Mulde”, the LSG Löbnitz e. V. has been making its contribution to the sporting competition in the region of North Saxony since the year of its foundation in 1900. Whether handball and soccer, bowling and volleyball: The motto is always: “The family is there”. As a result, the mood at the club events is positively charged throughout – even if one’s own team is not on the winning track for once.

The volleyball team is the youngest of the four sections and has existed since 1984. Since then, the team has included about forty members of all ages: from batting teenagers to prudently splashing seniors. One of the two men’s teams and the women’s team regularly hunt for points in the Nordsachsen district league. The former proudly wears the logo of LK Metallwaren on its training jacket since this season. There it is actually in place, because as a sponsor of the team, the specialist for environmentally friendly industrial equipment provides them with the training clothing for their home and away appearances.

Its special advertising effectiveness can unfold the own message thereby annually in the neighboring place Sausedlitz, where the association with over 25 teams on 9 playing fields one of the largest volleyball open-air tournaments in the circle area organizes!

With the LK warm air generator GCS, 100% of the outside air is used to obtain heat via heat pumps

Optimal climate throughout the year

Resource-saving – cost-saving – climate-friendly: With the LK Warm Air Generator GCS, LK Metallwaren has developed a new generation of hall heaters. It guarantees industrial companies optimal climatic conditions throughout the year and does not require fossil fuels.

The war in Ukraine, which broke out in February 2022, has recently made the one-sided dependence of our energy supply in Germany abundantly clear. This makes it all the more important now to create the conditions for a shift away from fossil fuels toward an increasingly self-sufficient supply of renewable energies.
The heating of large production halls or warehouses is a central and also costly component of this supply. With the LK warm air generator GCS the Schwabach-based plant manufacturer LK Metallwaren now provides industrial companies with a heating system that combines all the requirements of an energy supply via regenerative heat generators with the demands currently placed on a modern, maximally climate-neutral solution.

The LK GCS warm air heater – the GCS stands for “Green Climate System” – was designed to operate completely without fossil fuels for the intended heating of the halls. Heat is recovered via an air-to-air heat pump and thus uses the “most cost-effective” resource of all: the air surrounding us. The user can regulate to the exact percentage point the proportion of outside air or ambient air that the GCS warm air heater draws into the hall. Here, air heating takes place via a heating coil specially adapted for this purpose, which is directly connected to the heat pump outdoor units.

When outside temperatures are cold, a drop in heat pump performance must naturally be taken into account. To cover peak loads, the “Green Climate System” uses an electric reheating coil so that fossil fuels do not have to be used in these cases either. The system behaves in its mode of operation similar to

The main focus of the presentation this time will be the presentation of GCS brand warm air heaters and the proven REKU ventilation systems.

Efficient heating – intelligent ventilation

This year, the Stuttgart LogiMAT will again be held with the participation of the plant manufacturer LK Metallwaren. From April 25-27, 2023, this will bring its visitors up to date on the use of efficient, resource-saving hall heating and ventilation systems.

For the sake of the climate, heating industrial halls in a C02-neutral way and using regenerative resources: This is the motto with which LK Metallwaren would like to address interested trade fair participants at this year’s LogiMAT in Stuttgart, including above all logistics operators.

“While we are one of the leading suppliers of hall heating and ventilation systems we are not part of the core family of the industry. However, with the large number of personal and professional contacts that we have made here as exhibitors since 2005, LogiMAT is now one of the most important events in our annual trade fair calendar,” says Sales Manager Harald Wimmer, summarizing the many positive experiences of the Schwabach-based plant manufacturer during its past participations in the Stuttgart trade fair.

The focus of the presentation this time will be the presentation of
warm air generators of the brand GCS
and the proven
REKU ventilation systems
will be. Wimmer: “In combination with state-of-the-art heat pump technology, hall heating and ventilation systems today no longer require fossil fuels. Accordingly, CO2 emissions can be reduced to zero and, in this way, climate protection targets for the non-residential sector can also be met.”

Green Climate System GCS

By using an air-to-air heat pump, the ambient air can be used as a heat source. This ensures both a particularly energy-efficient and environmentally friendly application. The heaters in the hot air generator are thereby piped to the heat pump and filled with R32 refrigerant for further operation. Advantage of plants made by LK Metallwaren: In all plant combinations with heat pumps, the heating element can be operated for heating (direct condenser) or for cooling (direct evaporator). In this way, plant operators can ensure a stable hall climate throughout the year, significantly improving not only the production environment but also the working conditions for employees. Further advantages: Plant technology that is supplied via heat pumps is subsidized by the
Federal Office of Economics and Export Control
with up to 35 percent of the eligible costs.

As an alternative to heat pump technology, LK systems can also be operated with the use of other non-fossil heat generators such as geothermal, wood chips or pellets. Even retrofits can be realized within a short time with little technical effort.

As in previous trade fair appearances at LogiMAT, LK Metallwaren will once again present itself with extensive consulting expertise and streamlined equipment. For the presentation of
heating system and ventilation systems
two 60-inch screens will provide the necessary visuals on the 20-square-meter corner stand in Hall 5 Stand 5B26. The sales manager of LK Metallwaren Harald Wimmer as well as Henri Dosse (area manager northwest) and Jan Beyer as further sales representatives will be available for best advice to the fair visitors over the entire course of the three fair days.

LK light liquid separator on washing system

LK separator for deoiling and degreasing in washing processes!

A visit to Brunner Drehtechnik GmbH in Röthenbach an der Pegnitz

Turned parts, especially automatic turned parts, are an integral part of our everyday life. Hardly anyone will notice them in assemblies and end products, and yet these inconspicuous and small parts make an enormous contribution to the function of countless devices, machines or little helpers. It is therefore all the more important that these parts receive the attention they deserve in order to guarantee the function and quality of the user’s products. Brunner Drehtechnik GmbH is already producing such parts in the third generation with the support of experienced and competent employees as well as very modern machinery. Owner Michael Brunner is convinced that when man and machine, customer and supplier work together like cogs, the optimum can be achieved.

LK light liquid separator on washing system
LK light liquid separator at washing plant

Circulating washing medium of an automated basket washing plant rinses off residues from the manufacturing process of components, for example screws. To the great disadvantage, oil concentrates very high and emulsions are formed. The exchange of the medium plus professional and expensive disposal are considerable effort and cost factor. Michael Brunner states: “In a further consultation meeting arranged at short notice, the LK technical and process engineers were able to offer me solutions and underlined this with a loan LK separator system built for aboveground use. This was based on the stock media, temperature and performance of the basket washing plant. Conversion work on the actual plant was to be virtually eliminated.” The commissioning was completed quickly. In the LK separation system, process media, usually water, are separated from the entrained oil by physical means without the need for any additional installation parts. The separated oil is separated from the surface and collects in a separate oil tank.

Circulation medium before use of the LK separator compared to the clean water freed from oils and greases.
Circulation medium before use of the LK separator compared to the clean water freed from oils and greases.

Michael Brunner explains further: “This System-LK mode of operation convinced me immediately. Instead of manually removing oil from the medium every day, as was previously the case, and losing a lot of expensive washing medium in the process, and permanently refilling cleaner to the target quantity, the system now separates the oil introduced outside operating hours and returns the washing medium to the washing process. The LK technology fully meets our goals for improvements in this area.” Circulation medium before use of the LK separator compared to the clean water freed from oils and greases.

The Brunner team has now been operating the new LK separator, additionally equipped with full thermal insulation, for several months. “With this investment in technology from LK-Metallwaren, we have found the optimal solution. Extremely low operating costs coupled with the improvement in the quality of the washing process and the associated product quality, as well as the time savings and the savings in energy and cleaning agents are not mutually exclusive thanks to the equipment from LK Metallwaren.”

LK Metallwaren GmbH has supplied the largest number of plants for degreasing and oil removal to industry and commerce, some of the plants are also operated by LK. Operational safety, trouble-free operation, easy handling, very long durability, possibility of extensions and flexible application sites are further arguments why 40 years of intensive and successful operation can be shown in all business fields of LK, especially in water treatment. LK-Metallwaren GmbH is constantly expanding in four business areas in order to advance existing technology and new developments adapted to environmental and market requirements.

Brunner Turning Technology GmbH

www.brunner-drehtechnik.de