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We are an important link in the chain completing
substance cycles for major
and small and medium-sized
companies of the basic substance industry and
for
galvanizers of every kind. Our international team
with specialists from
Germany, Kazakhstan, Hungary,
Poland and Finland makes us one of
Europe's most
efficient producers.
Our name obliges us to maintain a tradition:
we are RuhrZink GmbH.
Central Departments
Supply Services: power supplies
Electric power is supplied through a 230 kV network. The power is initially transformed down to 35 kV. The Rhein-Zink company, three 35 / 10 kV distribution transformers and three electrolysis transformer-rectifier units are connected to this 35 kV distribution network. The individual production departments are supplied locally through 20 10/0.5 kV transformers and two 10/0.4 kV transformers. An emergency power supply has also been installed to deal with accidents or power failures.
Supply Services: steam network and condensation
Between 20 and 30 tonnes of steam are produced per hour from the waste heat created during the roasting of the zinc concentrate. Additional steam may also be produced with natural gas or heating oil. The steam is output from the waste-heat boilers with around 50 bar, which is subsequently reduced to four bar. The steam is supplied to the users through variously sized insulated piping, mainly by the heating solutions in the leaching and leaching-purification departments. Some of the steam is used in winter to heat offices, workshops and factory buildings. The condensation is collected in a warm-water tank and used in the production process.
Supply Services: natural gas
When it arrives, the natural gas possesses a pressure of 16 bar, which is reduced in the transfer station to 1.6 bar and delivered to users through a piping network. Average consumption lies at 300 m³/h. The main consumers are Boiler 4 in the roasting section and the smelting and casting plant. Some of the gas is used to heat the workshops and production hall. The gas pressure is reduced to 0.55 bar before being delivered to the points of use.
Supply Services: liquid gas and diesel filling station
Ruhr-Zink GmbH possesses 2.5 m³ filling station for diesel fuel and a filling station for liquid gas with a capacity of 25 m³ at 15.6 bar. These are used exclusively for filling trucks, wheel loaders, sweeping machines and forklift trucks.
Supply Services: oxygen supplies
The oxygen is stored in liquid form at 18 bar in a tank with a capacity of approximately 80 m³. The oxygen is vaporized with the help of air heat exchangers and piped to users. Some of the oxygen is added as furnace air to the zinc-concentrate roasting process, the remainder is used as an oxidation agent in leach purification. Requirements range between 400 and 1,100 m³/h.
Supply Services: canal water
Between 300 and 500 m³/h of water is extracted from the canal. It is used mainly in cooling tasks during the production process. Up to a maximum of 100 m³/h remains within the production process. The heated cooling water is returned to the canal in accordance with official requirements. The fire-extinguishing points are connected to this closed circular pipeline.
Supply Services: drinking water
The annual average consumption of municipal water from Gelsenkirchen lies at around 14 m³/h. This water is used both in the production process as well as in the social facilities.
Supply Services: waste water
All waste water, i.e. washing water from the production processes, washing acid, sewage from the social facilities and all rain and surface water, is collected and delivered to the waste-water-treatment plant. Some of the collected rain and surface water is also used in the production process.
Maintenance Services
Ruhr-Zink GmbH possesses both central workshops as well as local workshops in the individual plant sections. The technical department is responsible for central mechanical, electrotechnical and measuring and control maintenance. Preventive maintenance, repair and improvement work is carried out at all facilities. Computer-aided maintenance organization permits the focus to be placed on plant improvement. In the event of special tasks, the services staff supports the production departments.
Research and Development
Ruhr-Zink GmbH possesses its own operations-proximate research and development department to enable it to continuously improve production processes and the business' economic efficiency. The department is supported through active cooperation with universities and colleges. Ideas born in the factory are developed at laboratory scale and when suitable introduced to production. The company possesses its own patents which are used in a variety of ways at the factories. The research and development department also includes a small experimental electrolysis facility, which delivers operations-proximate results to improve process stability.
Administration
Commercial administration is located in the building at the factory gate, this gate is manned 24 hours a day. Technical administration is located in central offices.
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