In the interview

"With the all-electric plant, we are equipping ourselves for the future"

The MOBISCREEN MSC 702i EVO with Dual Power in operation

It is rainy and cold this morning at the southern edge of the Swabian Alb. We are visiting the Sigmaringen company Emil Steidle GmbH & Co. KG, where we are meeting Section Manager Achim Haßdenteufel and Facility Manager Walter Kieper. Since March 2023, the MOBISCREEN MSC 702i EVO with Dual Power has been operating in the quartz sand pit in Meßkirch-Rengetsweiler. Both of our partners relate in the interview why Steidle decided on an electrically driven screening plant, how the infrastructure had to be converted and how the plant proved its value in practice.

In conversation: Walter Kieper (Facility Manager Steidle, right), Claudia Hizman (Marketing Kleemann), Achim Haßdenteufel (Section Manager Steidle)

Interview with Walter Kieper, Facility Manager at Steidle

Mr Kieper, what exactly do you produce at the site here in Meßkirch-Rengetsweiler?

Kieper: We extract around 100 tons of sand an hour from the pit. Approximately 60 percent of the sand is further processed in our plant in Krauchenwies. Here, it is cleaned and separated into even finer grain sizes. This high quality sand, which practically no longer contains clay, is used, for example, for stained glass production or for building materials such as plaster or adhesives. A part of the sand, however, is also delivered from here directly to customers and used, for example, for sports ground surfaces.

Interview with Achim Haßdenteufel (Section Manager at Steidle) with Claudia Hizman (Marketing Kleemann)

Mr Haßdenteufel, with the MOBISCREEN MSC 702i EVO with Dual Power Steidle now has its first all-electric plant in operation at its site here. How did you arrive at this decision?

Haßdenteufel: Well, there were several reasons. Firstly, there are signs that the availability of fossil fuels in the future will be limited and will therefore gradually become more expensive. Of course, in the company we constantly consider how we can improve our position. Secondly, our electric drives make a contribution to lowering CO₂ emissions. All things considered, we regard this as an investment in the future. As far as the subject of energy is concerned, Steidle was always a forward-looking company. Even 50 years ago we had steam power plants and today we have numerous solar surfaces. In our plant in Krauchenwies, we produce wood pellets in co-operation with the company Schellinger. Our biomass heating power plant has been located here since 2008. As you can see, Steidle has occupied itself with the subjects of energy and sustainability for decades.

This means that you will increasingly place your trust in electric drives in the future, also for other plants and machines?

Haßdenteufel: More and more plants, vehicles and machines on the market are using an electric drive. The choice between the acquisition of an electric drive or combustion engine in future will be easy to make. In the medium-to-long term we want to obtain our power from a photovoltaic system at our site here. This will then be the ideal combination economically – electric drives plus self-generated electricity. Here, the pilot system of a forest PV system is currently being set up for research purposes beside the quartz sand plant. We are working on this together with the Forest Research Institute Baden-Württemberg and the Forestry Department of the District Office in Sigmaringen. Our Managing Director, Hans Steidle, came up with the idea of the pilot system. We then went to the District Office where the initiative was welcomed and supported. Once we achieve positive results with the forest PV system, we want to set up several of them so that we can generate the required power ourselves. After all, we have enough space on our site.

For the new Kleemann screening plant MOBISCREEN MSC 702i EVO with Dual Power, however, you still have to rely on purchased electricity. What infrastructure does this require?

Haßdenteufel: The power supply required the development of a comprehensive concept, which we planned and implemented together with an external service provider. If we had fed the power supply via a 400 volts feed directly into the machine, then the long cable section would have required a cable cross-section that is far too large. This would have been too unmanageable and difficult to handle; on the other hand, a cable with such a cross-section is far too expensive. This is why we now work with two transformers. In the first transformer, the power is transformed from 400 to 990 volts. This permits a thinner cross-section, whereby the cable becomes more manageable and slightly more cost-effective.

Haßdenteufel: The second transformer was positioned directly beside the screening plant; it transforms the 990 volts back to 400 volts, which are then fed to the machine. As we move the plant two to three times a year, however, the second transformer block had to have a mobile design. This required a bit of tinkering, but now we have found a very good solution. This system now permits us to move the machine 1.2 kilometres. Up to now, we only really used the diesel generator to move the plant and for initial folding of the belts. Operation with the power supply works perfectly.

From your perspective, does the move away from fossil fuel result in further advantages of the electric drive?

Kieper: The machine really does run very quietly, which, of course, primarily benefits the operator. As we have no residents in the direct vicinity and the machine also sits "in a pit", the sound intensity is not really a critical factor. A further advantage of the electric drive is that the machine comes to an immediately standstill after it is switched off. In contrast to this, a diesel engine has an after-running time and has a long cooling-down phase. When the belt is stationary, a diesel engine continues running to prevent damage. This is now no longer necessary thanks to the electric drive.

The switch to an electric drive is state-aided. So you benefited from subsidies in this case?

Haßdenteufel: Yes, this is of course a pleasant side-effect: The additional costs of the electric conversion are subsidised by BAFA (Federal Office of Economics and Export Control).

In conversation: Walter Kieper (Facility Manager Steidle), Claudia Hizman (Marketing Kleemann), Achim Haßdenteufel (Section Manager Steidle) in front of the MOBISCREEN MSC 702i EVO

The plant is not only the first electric plant, but also the first Kleemann plant in the company. Why did you decide on Kleemann?

Haßdenteufel: We looked at different plants, tested them on site and compared the output. Our material here is very specific. We have a lot of clay in the raw sand that clogs the screens. In the end, the Kleemann plant and the good advice convinced us. However, basically it was a classic price-performance decision.

Are there any other specific machine requirements related to the very special material?

Kieper: Now at the start it will take some time until the plant settings have been optimised. I'm still testing and tinkering, for example, to find out how wear on the lower harp screen can be reduced. The screen surface in the lower deck has to be changed every 6 weeks. Of course the upper decks with a wire thickness of around ten millimetres last considerably longer. It will take some time until the settings are perfect, but here I'm also counting on the support from the Kleemann consultant.

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MOBISCREEN MSC 702i EVO with Dual Power in operation at Steidle

This new acquisition is the first plant for Steidle with an electric drive and also the first co-operation project with Kleemann.

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