EG BRASS DW®
Walcownia Metali “Dziedzice” S.A has received a grant from the European Union for the project “EG BRASS DW® (extra grade brass for drinking water) – a new assortment group of extruded and drawn brass products with increased resistance to dezincification, dedicated to drinking water installations.”
Programme: European Funds for Smart Economy
Priority: FENG.01 Support for entrepreneurs
Action: FENG.01.01 SMART Path
Project no.: FENG.01.01-IP.01-0012/23
Period of implementation: 01.12.2023 – 31.12.2025
Project value (total value of the project): PLN 36,487,544.15
Total value of the contribution under the European Funds: PLN 18,813,126.08
The project will involve the implementation of two non-related modules: the R&D Module and the Greening Enterprises Module. The R&D Module focuses on semi-finished products in the form of extruded and drawn bars made from a new type of brass. This brass is corrosion resistant and is produced from 100% available secondary raw from recycling. It has a unique set of properties that guarantee above-average corrosion resistance, good machinability and ability for plastic shaping and forming to plastics processing. The material also meets the 4MS requirements for drinking water installations, ensuring a limited content of toxic components. These partially processed products will be manufactured using a newly developed technology within the project. Another benefit of the project is the implementation of renewable energy installations (Greening Enterprises Module), ensuring the realisation of the company’s development strategy to reduce the carbon footprint of its products and generate savings in electricity production.
The product obtained as a result of the implementation of the project is going to be used for the production of components for drinking water installations meeting the requirements of the EU Directive 2020/2184, which will improve the health of all people, including people with disabilities. Photovoltaic system, recycled material use and prolonged material life cycle (by improving corrosion resistance) will all reduce negative impact on natural environment and human health.
R+D Module
Three tasks (industrial research: tasks 1 and 2, development work: task 3) will be carried out in cooperation with the Research Unit of the Stanislaw Staszica AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow during the implementation of the R&D Module.
Task 1 will involve research to determine the chemical composition of secondary raw materials and the concentration of elements in the new EG BRASS DW® brass, as well as the essential processing conditions. Task 2 will include research into the influence of cold forming and heat treatment sequences on these brass alloys, together with a demonstration of a prototype process under real-life conditions. Task 3, on the other hand, involves research and evaluation of the product and manufacturing technology to verify the fulfilment of the design assumptions.
The successful completion of the above tasks is expected to lead to the development of an innovative product with new functionalities that will differentiate it in the market.
- improved resistance to dezincification (target value <100 µm), which allows for increased service life (strength and water tightness) of drinking water fittings, reduce of sediment buildup containing bacteria and micro-organisms on contact surfaces, and avoiding water transport system failures due to corrosion inhibition, ensuring the integrity of the water system.
- limiting the content of harmful substances (lead: Pb max 1.7%; arsenic: As max 0.1%) in the context of limiting their permeation into drinking water for human consumption compared to typical brass available on the market, thus ensuring that water quality complies with the guidelines of EU Directive 2020/2184.
- machinability – minimum of 70% efficiency in machining operation comparing to standard CW614N leaded brass.
Greening Enterprises Module
Investing in a zero-emissions power source is part of the current mega-trend aiming to reduce production costs, significantly reduce carbon footprints and make production more competitive. Within the module, two tasks will be carried out simultaneously, the first related to the construction of a photovoltaic installation and the second to the construction of a connection that will allow the connection of one’s own photovoltaic power source to the existing infrastructure.
The result of the module will be a photovoltaic farm where all the electrical energy produced can be consumed by the company itself, allowing the use of renewable energy in production processes, contributing to approximately 7% of total annual electricity consumption.
