The new foundry building being constructed at the GF production site in Sissach in Switzerland is an ultra-modern, energy-efficient manufacturing facility. Around two thirds of the total investment of CHF 11 million in the new building is being spent on a second state-of-the-art foundry unit which represents the start of the next innovation phase in the company's ongoing expansion of its portfolio of sustainable drinking water solutions.
GF Building Flow Solutions, a division of the Swiss international industrial corporation Georg Fischer (GF), is one of the world's leading suppliers of sustainable, innovative solutions for moving water efficiently through buildings. The sanitary fittings, valves, connectors and piping solutions produced by GF Building Flow Solutions offer high standards of safety and performance and are based on the vision of guaranteeing convenience, hygiene and efficiency for users. 'Our solutions for the sustainable supply of drinking water are based on our expert knowledge and a long history of casting metals, which are combined with a high standard of automation and outstanding quality. We have demonstrated our expertise in the production of premium-quality cast products over many years. The construction of the new foundry represents the next step towards maintaining our high standards while incorporating all the available options for achieving the highest levels of efficiency and sustainability,' says Thomas Fuhr, Chief Technology Officer, GF Building Flow Solutions. 'The investment in a second ultra-modern foundry at our Sissach production site is an investment in our ability to innovate and produce safe, clean drinking water solutions. Our customers will benefit not only from our sustainable products, which meet the most stringent drinking water standards in the European Union and North America and fulfil the future requirements of REACH, but also from an even wider range of premium-quality products, which are manufactured in north-western Switzerland.'
A future-proof production site with ultra-modern working conditions
The new foundry building is being planned by a cross-functional team consisting of architects, specialists in industrial building design and logistics experts, plus plant engineers, product managers and foundry specialists. 'With the latest generation of machinery and a high level of automation, the new foundry is a future-proof production facility that will make a major contribution to our corporate objectives in the area of energy efficiency and the environment. It will also improve the efficiency of our production site and offer ultra-modern working conditions,' explains Roland Gisin, managing director of the Sissach plant.
'In line with our social and environmental responsibility'
Products and solutions from GF are manufactured on the basis of reliable environmental management processes. The new foundry building, which is due to be completed in the spring of 2025, will have an integrated truck terminal, comprehensive sound insulation and ultra-modern heating and ventilation systems. 'The new building also has a photovoltaic system covering an area of 900 square metres, which will enable us to almost double the PV output of the site in future. The energy system has a heat recovery function and an energy storage facility which gives it the flexibility to accommodate high levels of demand for heating or cooling. This ensures that the energy concept is future-proof and can make a major contribution to reducing our resource use,' says Roland Gisin. The calculations show that the plant's greenhouse gas emissions will be cut by up to 200 tonnes per year. 'The new foundry building is fully in line with our social and environmental responsibility and we are looking forward to producing high-quality, sustainable products here in future,' says Roland Gisin.
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