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[...]Pöndorf, Austria Pöndorf, located in western Upper Austria, is home to a historical landmark: the former border wall that marked the boundary between Bavaria and Upper Austria for 342 years, from 1437 to 1779. The Maier butcher's shop is also a Pöndorf landmark, renowned for its excellent products throughout the country for generations. It already had two mechanical wastewater pre-treatment systems, one of which was for livestock truck wash water. Unexpected sediment accumulation During the last aeration tank inspection, the municipal sewage treatment plant in Pöndorf, with a capacity of 7,850 PE, discovered that there was an unexpectedly large amount of organic sediment in the flow-calmed zones. The origin was quickly clarified due to its consistency. HUBER, also the supplier for the municipal wastewater treatment plant, was invited to assess the situation and make a proposal. Problems with pre-separation due to inadequate technology One problem was the pit from which the chip-water mixture was sucked by a self-priming wastewater pump and pumped into a drum screen with 3 mm perforations. This screen did not have a system for continuous screen surface cleaning. This often led to overloading of the screen surface, which resulted in water in the screenings on the one hand and the conveyor belt being washed off by the overflow on the other. It flowed into the drain, causing chips to enter the sewage treatment plant with the domestic wastewater. The suction area of the pipe or pump was often clogged with ropes or large solids. The solution: collaboration with HUBER The retired house and farm manager Friedl Lixl came up with the concept together with the HUBER sales team, and the boss agreed to his recommendation. They decided to bypass the pit and use the natural slope — the butcher's shop is located on a hillside — and lay a direct feed line from the slaughterhouse, which is situated one floor above, to the HUBER Micro Strainer ROTAMAT® Ro9. Technical implementation The Ro9-400 Micro Strainer with 1 mm bar spacing, installed in the inlet tank and supplemented by a cross conveyor screw for the screened material, is located in the frost-proof area of the lorry garages without affecting the lorry parking space. Trouble-free operation, sustainable success HUBER was able to provide references from livestock truck washes (medium-sized companies know each other) and also present credible technical arguments. The malfunctions are now a thing of the past and the Micro Strainer ensures excellent operation. Is this topic also of interest to one of your customers? Give us a call.[...]

[...]Germany In times of global uncertainty, rising raw material prices and growing environmental requirements, the recycling of plastics is becoming increasingly important. However, producing new materials from fossil fuels is often still cheaper than recycling. This makes the quality of the recycled material and the cost-effectiveness of the entire plastic recycling process all the more crucial. This is precisely where HUBER comes in. Our technologies for treating process water and sludge provide the basis for sustainable and economical recycling processes. Advantages of HUBER technology based on customer feedback HUBER offers a comprehensive range of machines and plants for the treatment of process water and sludge, which is a major advantage over many competitors. This is a significant benefit for planners, consultants, and manufacturers of plastics machinery. They have a single point of contact, a specialist, who can cover all their water treatment requirements. The wide range of variants in the HUBER portfolio also enables high throughput rates with just one machine (e.g. 350 m³/h per flotation unit). Highest quality and materials HUBER relies on the highest quality stainless steel for its products and solutions, which are fully acid-treated in a pickling bath. This ensures durability and process reliability HUBER Global Service Another key advantage is that HUBER offers global service through its subsidiaries, representative offices and partners, supported by four international production sites. This ensures rapid support even outside Europe. Operating experience in plastics recycling As one of many examples, a leading global manufacturer of high-performance plastic films relies on HUBER technology at several of its sites, including locations in Sweden and France. They recycle agricultural and construction films are recycled there. HUBER machines used HUBER Complete Plant ROTAMAT ® Ro5 Reliably removes contaminants such as plastic particles and grit. Simultaneous compaction significantly reduces disposal costs. HUBER Dissolved Air Flotation Plant HDF with DIGIT-DOSE chemical dosing The clear water can be reused in the recycling process and as process water for the HUBER machinery. The intelligent DIGIT-DOSE system simultaneously reduces both precipitant consumption and sludge volume – a clear advantage over competing products. Throughput: 150 m³/h – one HUBER unit can replace up to three flotation units from other suppliers. HUBER Screw Press Q-PRESS ® Fully automatic, continuous dewatering with minimal energy consumption (<1 rpm thanks to IE4 drive). In contrast to centrifuges or chamber filter presses, personnel costs, downtime and wear are greatly reduced. The press water produced is directly reprocessed via the HUBER flotation unit – a closed water cycle. Customer satisfaction Thanks to high efficiency and a single point of contact, the customer plans to equip future sites, including in the USA and Denmark, with HUBER machines. Cooperation with manufacturer of plastic recycling machines A manufacturer of plastic recycling machines relies on HUBER technology as standard for the treatment of process water and sludge. Machines used: HUBER Drum Screen RoMesh ® Removes fine solids from the process water. The integrated rinsing system enables operation without the need for any fresh water supply. HUBER Dissolved Air Flotation Plant HDF and HUBER Screw Press Q-PRESS® These machines deliver above-average results in terms of separation performance, operating costs and maintenance requirements. According to customer feedback, they are significantly more efficient than competing products. Additional customer benefits Technical expertise remains with the respective experts Synergies in joint tenders Only one contact person for multiple processes Reliable on-site service through the HUBER partner network Most efficient flotation on the market Excellent filtrate quality Minimal personnel and maintenance costs Unbeatable after-sales support – global and fast High-quality design as the basis for long service life Summary HUBER offers the plastics recycling sector not only individual machines, but complete, well-thought-out solutions. Through high-quality technology, energy efficiency, a global service network and in-depth application knowledge, HUBER creates clear added value for machine manufacturers, operators and planners, while also making an important contribution to a sustainable recycling management.[...]

[...]Villach, Austria For many decades, the coarse screens designed as direct current screens served their purpose in the Villach sewage treatment plant, which has a capacity of 250,000 PE. During rainfall events, it often happened that the resulting amounts of screenings could no longer be conveyed because the single rake was unable to hold them. The reason for this was that the clearing interval lasted more than one minute – a circumstance that led to the accumulation of screenings in front of the screen during a flushing surge, which in turn often resulted in the collapse of the screening system. Two screens with different requirements The requirement was to install two coarse screens with different bar spacings, 8 mm and 12 mm, and two different throughput rates of 1.8 and 5.4 m³/s in two existing channels 5.25 m deep and 2.5 m wide. The HUBER RakeMax® impresses HUBER impressed with the technical features of its Multi-Rake Bar Screen RakeMax®. The client was particularly impressed by the following features: the solid chain made of V4A steel with double breaking load, wider chain links and correspondingly low surface pressure in the joints the wide protective rollers for the large-diameter chain bushings the large chain pitch, which results in fewer joints and thus less chain wear the chain bushings and pins made of duplex steel the ceramic/chilled cast chain sprocket bearings in the lower chain deflection wheels, which had already proven themselves in thousands of grit washers, grit classifiers, screw conveyors and more than 3,000 RakeMax® screens worldwide, as well as in numerous HUBER Belt Screen EscaMax® units, thanks to their extremely high wear resistance. Proven materials and reference projects strengthen confidence For instance, after around 50,000 hours of operation, the lower ceramic/chilled cast iron sprocket bearings of the 3.0 m wide, approximately 1.5 m deep HUBER Belt Screen EscaMax® at the Salzburg wastewater treatment plant were removed. This screen was operated with a large water level difference. Despite having to withstand many times the load of a RakeMax® screen, the bearings showed no significant wear. Being able to provide such references strengthens confidence. Further design features for optimum performance Two further features were: the low hydraulic resistance of the screen bars used by HUBER and their tangle-free spacer mounting halfway up the two-metre-high bar rack. Adjustments for maximum operational efficiency In addition, the RakeMax® coarse screens for this site were designed with three more clearing rakes than is standard manufacturing practice. As the HUBER field service team has been familiar with the RoK installations in the storm water overflows for many years, special attention was paid to high clearing speed and thus low screen clogging. Quality in detail convinces the operators Some readers may find the above description overly detailed, but it is precisely this multitude of well-considered design features that are presented here: These features account for the HUBER Multi-Rake Bar Screen RakeMax®'s particularly high quality and reliability, a fact recognised by the managers of the Villach sewage treatment plant.[...]

[...]Parsberg, Germany The town of Parsberg lies in the heart of the Bavarian Jura between Nuremberg and Regensburg. It is particularly popular with tourists as a local recreation area and thanks to its perfect connection to the Five Rivers Cycle Route. The Parsberg sewage treatment plant is located in the valley alongside the Schwarze Laber river. It has a mechanical, biological and chemical treatment stage and is designed for up to 13,300 PE. A two-storey building was specifically constructed on the hilly terrain for local sludge dewatering, which was a conscious decision by the town of Parsberg. New building to optimise sludge dewatering The decision to construct a new sludge dewatering and storage facility near the existing sludge storage tank was made because the load on the sewage treatment plant had steadily increased by 10 to 15%, and the dewatering carried out by a contractor was costly. Sludge dewatering had been carried out on a quarterly basis until then. This resulted in large quantities of stored sewage sludge and filtrate building up in excess every four months. The large quantity that accumulated in a very short time could not be fully returned to the system and had to be disposed of at additional cost. New technology, new buildings At the end of 2022, the presentation of the new sludge dewatering building to the city council marked the start of construction at the Parsberg sewage treatment plant. In addition to the sludge dewatering plant building, it was also decided to build an integrated mixed sludge storage tank with a gas hood and a sludge storage hall. In addition to the HUBER Screw Press Q-PRESS®, the following equipment was also requested for sludge dewatering: the entire pump and measurement technology, polymer preparation including polymer mixing, switchgear and control technology with control system connection. Initial tests and positive results for the HUBER Screw Press Q-PRESS® The performance of the HUBER Screw Press Q-PRESS® Q440.2 was already tested on site in 2017 using our mobile demonstration unit in order to investigate the dewatering potential of the sewage sludge. The positive characteristics of the HUBER screw press were confirmed there: Dewatering performance > 26% DR Throughput of up to 4 m³/h Possibility of 24/7 operation Very good separation efficiency of > 98% Construction and commissioning Construction of the sewage sludge dewatering building began in autumn 2023. The building was designed to optimally accommodate the equipment. The mechanical and electrical peripherals for the HUBER components were supplied by SCHARR TEC at Hunderdorf (Lower Bavaria), the general contractor for the overall project, for which the HUBER Screw Press Q-PRESS® with intelligent conveyor system, including process technology, was supplied. The HUBER Screw Press Q-PRESS® Q440.2 was then commissioned in January 2025. The screw press control system regulates the machine to the preset optimum operating point, with the aim of achieving a high degree of dewatering and minimal filtrate load. Additionally, the receiving tank is equipped with an automatic sludge level reduction system. This system uses a double-secured level detection mechanism for automatic feeding of the machine. Performance data and optimisations The following sludge dewatering performance data was achieved: Dewatering performance of 25% to 28% DR 25% reduction in polymer consumption with 25% outlet DR compared to 28% outlet DR (desired outlet DR: 25%) Throughput of up to 15 m³/h Very good separation efficiency of > 98% Screw shaft speed of 0.3 rpm Electrical drive power of the machine of 0.4 kW Additional positive side effects: The operator can optimise system operation independently. Automated sludge transport and container change The dewatered sludge is then automatically transported from the upper floor to the basement via a shaft connected to the Q-PRESS®, and is then further conveyed into a container by a HUBER Ro8 TC distribution conveyor. The two degrees of freedom of the Ro8 TC – rotation and translation motion – ensure the container is filled to its optimum volume. The 20 m³ container is filled evenly due to the automatic swivel mechanism created by the rotational movement and the additional position adjustment of the screw conveyor’s chute with integrated fill level detection. The alternating filling of two containers is fully automated at the Parsberg sewage treatment plant, thus eliminating the need for employees to be present at any specific time. There is also no requirement for staff to be present when the dewatered sludge is transported away, which takes place every 6–7 days. By independently activating the ‘container change’ switch, the distribution screw automatically moves into a parking position, allowing the container to be changed independently without collision.[...]

[...]Regen, Germany The town Regen in the administrative district of Lower Bavaria, is also known as a climatic health resort and boasts numerous sights, buildings and natural monuments. Regular events include the annual Pichelsteiner Festival. Named after a traditional dish, it has grown to become the largest festival in the Bavarian Forest and a major attraction in the region. This makes it all the more important to have a fully functional 24-hour wastewater treatment plant, such as the Regen STP, in place for every event. Energy-efficient and powerful sludge dewatering The outdated and energy-intensive chamber filter press was replaced with an energy-efficient and powerful sludge dewatering system. The main focus of the new dewatering system was the energy and disposal costs of the sludge to be dewatered. After visiting numerous plants on the market, the Regen wastewater treatment plant opted for the screw press principle. The decision was made due to its low specific power consumption and maintenance costs, as well as the very high degree of dewatering achieved in continuous operation. The low speed and specific connected load also appeared to be important factors and were included in the decision-making process as they are sustainable and highly efficient. Tender In 2023, two sludge dewatering plants featuring a fully automatic container filling system were put out to tender. The tender also specified the entire pump technology, polymer preparation, switchgear, control system, and all other components required for fully automatic dewatering operation. Contract awarded to HUBER SE The decisive advantages – high discharge dry solids content, complete stainless steel construction (rather than a cheap mixed construction), minimal operating costs and trouble-free, unattended 24-hour operation – tipped the scales in favour of HUBER SE being awarded the contract. The following components were implemented by HUBER following the order placed at the end of 2023: 2 HUBER Screw Press Q-PRESS® 440.2 Pump technology with flocculant preparation and piping Automatic conveyor technology with sludge distribution, including full fill control and level monitoring Electrical control system Delivery, installation, commissioning, process training Implementation Following the construction kick-off meeting, an intensive planning phase was followed by the implementation of an optimal process solution and its integration into the existing structure in mid-2024, in line with the ideas of the operator and the engineering firm. The guaranteed values have been far exceeded Since commissioning in August 2024, the resulting digested sludge with 3–3.5% dry matter and 51–54% loss on ignition has been dewatered to over 32–35% dry matter. The guaranteed values specified in the offer have been far exceeded in practice, much to the delight of the operators. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the town of Regen, the entire operating staff, and the responsible planning office, EBB Ingenieurgesellschaft, for placing their trust in us, and we wish them continued success with the installed systems.[...]

[...]Bickenbach, Germany After around three years of construction, the quaternary treatment stage at the Bickenbach wastewater treatment plant was officially commissioned on 2 April in the presence of numerous representatives from business and politics. The quaternary treatment stage in Bickenbach treats up to 150 litres of wastewater per second and will in future reliably retain the largest proportion of hazardous and persistent micropollutants such as pharmaceutical residues, hormones, biocides and household chemicals. Minister Hofmann: ‘Today is a good day for Bickenbach, for the whole region, for the whole of Hesse!’ ‘With the commissioning of the quaternary treatment stage today, we have created something groundbreaking to further improve drinking water quality in the Hessian Ried,’ said Hessian Minister of Labour Heike Hofmann in her laudatory speech. Thanks to its existing state-of-the-art systems and the additional quaternary treatment stage, the Bickenbach wastewater treatment plant is now the most modern and efficient wastewater treatment plant in Hesse. Quaternary treatment stage processes up to 150 litres of wastewater per second The additional quaternary treatment stage processes up to 150 litres of wastewater per second and consists of a cloth filtration stage, an ozonation stage and a downstream four-stage activated carbon system. 16 HUBER Activated Carbon Filter CONTIFLOW® GAK units ensure the adsorption of trace substances that are difficult to oxidise and take over the biological degradation of the transformation products from the ozonation stage. Before entering the quaternary treatment stage, a two-line cloth filtration system consisting of two HUBER Pile Cloth Media Filter RotaFilt® 2700 units ensures reliable removal of contaminants and impurities. If required, this stage can also be used as flocculation filtration for phosphorus removal. The proven HUBER Pressure-Tight Door TT7 and the HUBER Manhole Cover SD5, which are also an integral part of the ozone reactor in Bickenbach, are almost standard equipment for ozonation stages. Mayor Hennemann: ‘Decisive contribution to environmental protection’ The cloth filtration system began operating in Bickenbach back in November 2024, followed by the activated carbon stage in mid-February and finally ozonation at the end of March. ‘The first samples have already been sent to the laboratory for assessment,’ proudly reports Jörg Stanzel, Managing Director of the wastewater association for 22 years. The aim of the new purification stage is to discharge the water from the sewage treatment plant as clean as possible. ‘This should be a major concern for all of us,’ agree Markus Hennemann, Chairman of the Association and Mayor of Bickenbach, and his deputy Birgit Kannegießer, Mayor of Seeheim-Jugenheim. ‘Not only are we making a decisive contribution to environmental protection, we are also doing something important for future generations.’ With its new modern quaternary treatment stage, Bickenbach is contributing significantly to the protection of the Hessian Ried. It is the largest groundwater reservoir in the state of Hesse and provides drinking water for around two million people in the Rhine-Main region.[...]

[...]Munich, Germany As part of Munich's Education Construction Initiative, Germany's largest municipal education construction programme, it was decided in 2020 to build a new daycare centre with three nursery groups in the Freimann/Kleinlappen district. The chosen location was an undeveloped plot of land on Josef-Wirth-Weg. A special feature of the building site is a sewer that runs slightly elevated in a dam to the north of the property. This sewer is not just a simple collection channel, but one of the main inflows to Munich's Gut Großlappen sewage treatment plant. Sustainability was a guiding principle in planning and construction From the outset, sustainability was a key consideration in the planning of the daycare centre. The centre was designed as a passive house using timber construction. The building was also designed to be 100% renewable. The engineering firm Eder was commissioned to develop and plan an energy concept that met the client's sustainability requirements. Focus on alternative energy sources However, as the location was outside the urban district heating network, alternative energy generation options had to be explored. As well as near-surface geothermal energy, the possibility of utilising the heat from the sewage in the channel flowing directly past was considered. HUBER as a partner for innovative energy use At the end of 2021, HUBER received a request from the engineering firm for a feasibility study of the HUBER ThermWin system for this project. Initial energy designs by HUBER showed that the conditions for wastewater heat recovery were excellent. An on-site meeting with HUBER, the engineering firm and Munich's municipal drainage authorities also showed that the location of the sewer and its height in relation to the construction site were favourable for such an application. The city of Munich now pushed ahead with plans to heat the daycare centre with a wastewater heat recovery system, and the engineering firm Eder was awarded the planning contract. Unique installation arrangement of the HUBER machines Throughout the planning phase, HUBER was always available to answer questions and provided plans for the shaft and plant technology free of charge via its in-house plant planning department. In collaboration with the building authority, the architect and the engineering firm, a plan was developed to implement the ThermWin system into the open-group concept of the daycare centre. This resulted in a unique arrangement for installing the plant system. It was planned that the HUBER RoWin wastewater heat exchanger and heat pump would be installed on the first floor, while the shaft for the pumping station screen would be located in an annex beneath the pram parking area. Delivery and commissioning In mid-2023, a tender was issued for the heating system, which also included the HUBER Pumping Stations Screen ROTAMAT® RoK4 300 and the RoWin 4 wastewater heat exchanger. The contract was awarded to a Munich-based heating system manufacturer, which placed its order with HUBER at the end of 2023. In autumn 2024, the HUBER system was delivered to the construction site and installed by the service team.. The heating plant was commissioned in December.[...]

[...]Quarzbichl, Germany Quarzbichl, a material extraction and marketing company, provides municipal waste management services for the districts of Bad Tölz and Wolfratshausen. It also processes compost into high-quality soil on site. The surface wastewater produced is collected in an intermediate storage tank and treated for direct discharge into the Loisach River. The HUBER Dissolved Air Flotation Plant HDF process was chosen because the wastewater is almost exclusively contaminated with particles, the process effectively separates suspended solids from clear water without blockages, and the resulting residues are concentrated accordingly. Pilot project as proof of feasibility Every new process involves uncertainties and unknown effects by its very nature. To familiarise the future operator of the plant with the process and test its practical suitability, a pilot plant was installed. The plant was temporarily installed at the customer's site to demonstrate its effectiveness. This pilot project enables a realistic estimate of future operating costs to be made. Specific cost factors, such as chemicals, are determined, enabling an economic assessment of the plant technology. The plant's reliability under changing wastewater compositions is also thoroughly tested. Independent testing laboratories provide reliable data for the subsequent operation of the plant, and a qualified evaluation is carried out afterwards. Transfer of results to permanent installation Valuable insights counteract surprises: Based on these insights and results, the dimensions of the subsequent large-scale plant can be determined. The challenges encountered during the pilot operation are incorporated into the design of the large-scale plant. In this project, an inline screen was installed as a so-called 'police filter’ as the first stage of treatment in the large-scale system to reliably retain coarse materials. The subsequent chemical stage was designed as a tube flocculator based on the findings of the pilot test. It is important to note that drinking water-certified products must be used for chemical conditioning. This ensures that the flotate sludge produced later can be fed into natural composting within the company. Wastewater treatment for the Isar tributary In the flotation cell, solids are transported to the water surface by extremely fine gas bubbles. The remaining water is completely free of particles and can therefore be discharged directly into the receiving watercourse, the Loisach, a tributary of the Isar. Appropriate measurement technology is installed to monitor the water quality in the effluent and ensure that it remains consistently high.[...]

[...]Wittenberge, Germany The Wittenberge municipal utilities have set itself the goal of making the heat supply for the city in north-western Brandenburg and its surrounding districts largely climate-neutral by 2045. As part of municipal heating planning, various options for expanding and decarbonising the heating network are being investigated. River water as a source of energy A first step in this direction was completed at the end of last year with the construction of a new heating plant featuring a heat pump system, an electric boiler and a CHP unit. The heat pumps use water from the Stepenitz river as their energy source. The electrical power for this comes from the CHP unit. However, due to the biological activity in the river water, the heat pump cannot be connected to it directly, as biofouling – the growth of microorganisms, plants, algae and animals on underwater structures – would impair the heat pump's performance and result in high maintenance costs. HUBER Heat Exchanger RoWin14 The newly installed HUBER Heat Exchanger RoWin14 plays a crucial role in this process. By interconnecting the HUBER system, the energy from the river is first transferred to a clean medium, the heating water, enabling the heat pump to operate properly. The process To extract heat from the river, approximately 200 m³/h of water is diverted from the river through an outlet structure. This water is pre-cleaned using a drum screen before being pumped to the combined heat and power plant 270 metres away. Fully automatic cleaning system There, the HUBER Heat Exchanger RoWin14 transfers the heat to an intermediate circuit. Biofouling that forms on the wastewater heat exchanger surface is reliably and fully automatically removed by the patented cleaning system. This ensures that the designed output can be achieved. The Carrier heat pump can use the river heat transferred to the heating circuit water as source energy, thus providing a heating capacity of approximately 1,100 kW. Up to 780 kW of this comes from the river. The plant has been operating reliably since commissioning in 2024, supplying clean thermal energy to the municipal utilities' great satisfaction. Other municipal utilities have visited the plant and are evaluating the utilisation of river water heat based on the Wittenberge model.[...]

[...]Germany HUBER offers more than just machines; we provide tailor-made solutions for complex challenges. Our pre-sales services support industrial customers throughout the entire process, from initial contact to final implementation, with a particular focus on flotation, sludge dewatering and screening. The focus is on individual adaptations that meet each customer's specific requirements. Early insights through in-depth laboratory analyses In our laboratory and during on-site analyses and tests, we examine processes such as flotation, sludge dewatering and screening to check the feasibility and suitability of solutions at an early stage. These laboratory analyses provide valuable insights that pave the way for a tailor-made solution. Practical tests with pilot plants under real conditions In addition to laboratory testing, we offer customers the opportunity to test machinery and process technology on site under real conditions using our pilot plants. Our experts supervise the entire process, working closely with water treatment chemical manufacturers to achieve optimal results. This gives customers the opportunity to experience the technology first-hand and verify its practical suitability. Planning reliability through well-thought-out process concepts We support our customers with more than just installation drawings and plans; we also support them in planning the entire process by developing P&ID (Process and Instrumentation Diagram) diagrams that clearly show all relevant interfaces and modes of operation. This allows efficient optimisation of the planning process and precise tailoring of the solution to the requirements. From idea to sustainable solution Our goal is to provide comprehensive solutions, from initial feasibility analyses to final implementation. We collaborate closely with customers and planning offices to ensure the solution is technically and practically suitable and can be sustainably integrated into operational processes. As an experienced partner, HUBER will ensure the solution is implemented efficiently and continues to function effectively in the long term.[...]