Landfill impact reduced by 90+ Tons per month with sand mould recycling breakthrough
Waukesha Cherry-Burrell (WCB), a part of SPX FLOW, says it has taken its commitment to sustainability to new heights by completing a fully circular economy model in pump rotor production at its Delavan, Wisconsin facility.
This achievement was recently solidified with the addition of a sand mould recycling program, approved by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and in partnership with The Recy Group. Through this initiative, sand used in the casting process is now recycled for road construction.
“By integrating sand mould recycling with our existing metal recycling processes, we’re able to turn what was once waste into a valuable resource for local infrastructure,” said Brandon Marvin, Environmental, Health and Safety Manager at the Delavan site. “It’s a perfect example of how industrial innovation can support environmental and community wellbeing at the same time.”
The Circular Economy in action
At the core of WCB’s circular model is Alloy-88, a proprietary metal alloy developed in-house. Alloy-88 rotors are designed to withstand intense use in food processing pumps. When these rotors wear down with time, customers can return them to SPX FLOW, where they’re remelted and reshaped into new rotors – keeping valuable metal in use and reducing landfill impact. In 2023 alone, the facility received 43,000 pounds of returned rotors through this buy-back program, reinforcing the company’s commitment to a closed-loop system.
The sand mould recycling process now completes the cycle. After Alloy-88 is poured into sand moulds to shape the rotors, the moulds cool and harden, then are broken away to reveal the rotor. Instead of discarding this sand, SPX FLOW now collects and sends it to The Recy Group, where it is repurposed for construction, particularly benefiting road projects in colder climates by extending the construction season.
“The sand moulds are mixed in with our other recycled construction materials, which are then ground and used for trench backfilling,” said Matt Sattelberg, Vice President at The Recy Group. “Overall, this is a huge recycling win for SPX FLOW by diverting over 90 tons per month of its sand moulds that were originally going to the landfill.”
Following the success in Delavan, SPX FLOW has plans to expand this circular economy model to its other global facilities, starting with its largest pump manufacturing site in Bydgoszcz, Poland.
