From June 10 to 13, 2025, our colleagues Franziska Ott, Linda Herbort, Hannah Kaiser, Nicolas Dinsing, Luis Schrade and our Head of Department Prof. Christian Wuppermann went on an excursion to the Ruhr region. The research assistants were accompanied by 14 students who also wanted to get to know the various companies in the Ruhr region.
The IOB started the first day of the excursion at Gerresheimer. The company, which operates in the glass industry, offered interesting insights into container glass production. Following a presentation about the company, the scientific staff and students were given a tour of the plant. This provided fascinating insights into the various production steps in glass processing.
The first item on the excursion’s agenda the next day was a visit to Tenova LOI Thermprocess in Duisburg. The company is active in the field of heat treatment and provided the IOB with valuable insights into the technologies for tempering steel and other materials. This took the form of informative presentations on Tenova LOI Thermprocess projects, with a special focus on walking beam furnace 5 (HBO5), which was planned and built by Tenova LOI Thermprocess in thyssenkrupp’s hot strip mill 2, as well as a digital tour of the furnace using virtual reality glasses. The IOB and the students had the opportunity to see this innovative technology for themselves.
The IOB then made its way to thyssenkrupp, which is also based in Duisburg. There they were given an insight into the steel industry. During a guided tour of the extensive thyssenkrupp plant, the IOB was given a wealth of information on the various furnaces and was given an impressive insight into the processes of the hot strip mill. Of particular interest was the HBO5, which the participants had previously been introduced to at Tenova LOI Thermprocess.
The third day of the Studi excursion was dedicated to companies in Essen. At TRIMET’s headquarters, the IOB received interesting presentations on the processes involved in primary and secondary aluminum production. This was followed by a guided tour of the Essen plant, during which the participants were given an insight into the large number of electrolysis furnaces used to extract aluminum. This was followed by a tour of the foundry. The day ended with a guided tour of the Stauder brewery, during which the IOB and the students were able to observe the brewing process from mashing to bottling.
On the way back to Aachen, the IOB visited the ZINKPOWER coating plant in Meckenheim. This provided valuable insights into zinc and powder coating technologies.
It was impressive to see the passion with which all the companies that the IOB and the students visited during the week are working on sustainable solutions to contribute to a climate-neutral society and a competitive industry in Germany and Europe.
We would like to thank everyone involved from Gerresheimer, Tenova LOI Thermprocess, thyssenKrupp, TRIMET Aluminium SE, Zinkpower and the Stauder Brewery for making our Whitsun excursion so interesting. We are already looking forward to the next joint excursion!