Fertilisers – and the way they are manufactured – play a pivotal role in agriculture and make a significant contribution to boosting crop yields and food production. By delivering essential nutrients in an efficient and controlled manner, fertilisers contribute to tackling the global challenges in the field of food security.

This is why manufacturers and machine builders are working continuously on the development and optimization of production technologies. With the aid of innovative manufacturing processes, the way resources are used can be improved – helping to reduce emissions and improve the efficacy of the fertilisers in the process.

For many decades Hauert – a well-known manufacturer and supplier of fertilisers – has been putting its faith in the expertise of Eirich a specialist in mixing technology and in the preparation of raw materials.. The two companies now have a number of further joint projects in the pipeline.

One of Eirich’s main areas of focus is sustainable, resource-efficient production of fertilisers - and for many years it has already enjoyed a successful cooperation with Hauert, a major European player in the field of fertilisers and specialty products for gardening/landscaping, sports facilities, and organic farming.

Hauert added its first Eirich mixer back in 1968 – and since then, this unit has been used to produce over half a million tons of fertilisers. It uses technology from Eirich - particularly for its Granutec line which was planned and built together with Eirich, is used to produce mineral-based specialty fertilisers using two Eirich mixers of type RV 16. Elsewhere, Eirich components are also used for weighing, dosing, and mixing.

Hauert uses a number of different recipes to produce high-quality mineral fertilisers, including everything from standard lawn fertiliser to specialty products such as microgranulates for use on golf greens or fertiliser for seed tapes.

The granulation process is based on complex solubility and crystallization effects. This means that a carefully coordinated formulation is absolutely essential. The most critical step in the production process is the mixing stage, where a range of different raw mineral ingredients are combined with a defined amount of water in a process defined by typical process parameters such as mixing time, rotational speed, etc. It takes a combination of strictly defined production specifications and the machine expertise of seasoned machine operators to deliver a high quality product and ensure that the production process is efficient and profitable.

Thomas Lansdorf, Senior Manager Process Technology Fertiliser at Eirich notes: “The Granutec line offers flexibility for such a compact design. The various raw ingredients for the fertiliser are dosed accurately to the nearest gram into two Eirich smart mixers of type RV16. In a matter of just a few seconds, the raw materials are thoroughly mixed, moisture is added, and then they are granulated to the required grain size range. Thanks to this process, every single granule contains all the required nutrients in the right balance. The round granules are dust-free, stable when stored, and easy to weigh and dose. One particular highlight of the project was the bespoke customer planning in the historical production building of Hauert Dünger AG.”

Dr. Alexander Kozur, Head of Research & Development at Hauert, explains: “Our collaboration goes back to the 1960s. Eirich is a one-stop source of process engineering know-how and planning expertise. And to round off the optimized project planning available with Eirich, we can also use the Test Center in Hardheim for trial runs.”
www.eirich.de
 

Hauert fertiliser on grass
 

(Middle) Hauert Granutec
 

(Bottom) Eirich RV16 Smart Mixer
 

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