Fritz Winter Iron Foundry – Sustainability meets innovation

Fritz Winter Iron Foundry is one of the leading manufacturers of iron castings for the automotive, commercial vehicle, and hydraulics industries. With its "eco solutions" program, the company is consistently pursuing the goal of CO₂-neutral production by 2045.

A key milestone is the commissioning of Europe's largest electric crucible furnace at the end of 2024. It will replace a cupola furnace and produce up to 30 tons of iron per hour – entirely electrically. Fritz Winter has been using almost 100% scrap steel in its production since 1953 – a closed-loop material cycle that conserves valuable resources and reduces CO₂ emissions. The company is also investing in green hydrogen and electricity from regional wind and solar power plants. The green hydrogen is intended to eventually replace fossil fuels.

Further innovations such as ecoMelting, ecoCasting, and ecoCoating represent particularly energy-efficient and resource-conserving processes. For example, they work without molding sand, saving raw materials, water, and energy. Another contribution to energy efficiency is the use of waste heat, for example, to heat company buildings and domestic water. With these measures, Fritz Winter is setting standards for sustainable industrial production in which technology and environmental awareness go hand in hand.