DIE DRAHTWEBER

NEW DIMENSIONS
IN WATER TREATMENT
Filter elements made of metal wire mesh for safety and efficiency

H AV E R & B O EC K E R
 CONTENT

THERE IS NO SUBSTITUE FOR CLEAN WATER......................................................................................................3

Clean water concerns us all........................................................................................................................................ 3

Microplastics............................................................................................................................................................... 4

Decisive factor: mechanical treatment....................................................................................................................... 4

METAL WIRE MESH OFFERS FIRST-CLASS PROPERTIES......................................................................................5

Keyword: high flow rate.............................................................................................................................................. 5

Keyword: optimum filter fineness.............................................................................................................................. 6

Keyword: the materials............................................................................................................................................... 6

Keyword: stability....................................................................................................................................................... 6

DOWN TO ULTRA-FINE WITH UTMOST PRECISION: MINIMESH®-S FILTER MESH............................................7

MINIMESH® RPD HIFLO-S for water treatment:

Flow rate: twice the flow with the same pore size..................................................................................................... 8

Filter fineness: excellent selectivity and stability....................................................................................................... 9

Variety of materials: special corrosion- and temperature-resistant materials.......................................................... 9

Regenerability: optimum dirt holding capacity and cleaning performance............................................................. 9

NOW FOR MORE IN-DEPTH INFORMATION: BROAD RANGE OF METAL WIRE MESH APPLICATIONS...... 10

For the future: MINIMESH® RPD HIFLO-S filter cloths............................................................................................ 10

MISSION HYGO: Modern hydrogen technology in Namibia.................................................................................. 11

MISSION ZERO: future-orientated wastewater treatment in Norway.................................................................... 12

MISSION RO: Efficient seawater desalination in drought regions.......................................................................... 13

METAL MESH FILTERS WITHSTAND HIGHEST PRESSURES................................................................................ 14

Material overview with information on corrosion resistance and suitability for welding....................................... 15

Contact persons....................................................................................................................................................... 15

References................................................................................................................................................................ 15

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HAVER & BOECKER
 THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR CLEAN WATER

Global warming as a result of climate change, the

growing world population and the continuing in-
crease in pollution of oceans, lakes and rivers mean
that access to and availability of clean water is be-
coming increasingly critical worldwide. The responsi-
ble use of this valuable resource is thus becoming all
the more important, as are high-performance solu-
tions for the filtration and treatment of wastewater
from households, trade and industry.

In the following, we provide you with an overview of

the possible applications of modern metal wire mesh
in water treatment, point out the advantages that in-
novative 3D metal wire mesh has to offer, particularly
when used in high-performance filters, and introduce
you to pioneering examples of practical applications.

Clean water concerns us all We can all contribute every day to preserving what
Water filtration is employed in innumerable industrial is probably the most precious commodity for us
applications. It serves different purposes depending humans. This can be achieved in the private sector
on the application – accordingly, the emphasis is by saving water and avoiding plastics, at B2C level by
on different filtration properties in order to master developing efficient household appliances, in produc-
application-specific challenges and achieve the best tion by providing our own process and cooling water
results. treatment and in the field of plant engineering by de-
veloping ever more efficient water treatment systems.

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HAVER & BOECKER
 Microplastics It is virtually impossible to completely eliminate the
The pollution of water by microplastics is equally and use of plastics in industry and households. It is there-
urgent as well as long-term issue. Modern analytical fore important to at least avoid the ingress of micro-
methods show just how far-reaching and devastating plastics into the environment to the greatest possible
the impacts of microplastic emissions are for nature, extent. Filter elements designed for use in domestic
the environment and ultimately for us humans. Micro- and industrial cleaning processes are capable of filter-
scopically small particles are not only used in industry, ing out the finest of particles such as microplastics in
among other things, but they are also produced by industrial plants and household appliances. In addi-
the use and weathering of plastic products and, last tion to reducing water pollution, they also minimise
but not least, by tyre abrasion in road traffic. First the consumption of key resources.
and foremost, it is natural precipitation and wastewa-
ter – a mixture of dirty water, rainwater run-off and
mixed water – that carries microplastic particles and Plastic particles ranging in size ≤ 5 mm
introduces them into rivers, standing bodies of water are referred to as microplastics.
and the soil.

Decisive factor: mechanical treatment and downstream cleaning processes. The associated
There is a multitude of contaminants in polluted savings in energy and space requirements as well as
water. They range from coarse soiling to small and ul- the reduced use of chemicals not only mean signifi-
tra-fine particles to organic substances and chemical cant cost savings, but also a significant reduction in
residues. Accordingly, the water treatment process the impact on the environment.
generally involves several stages: mechanical, biolog-
ical and chemical. Precise mechanical filtration of the A high flow rate coupled with precise filtration
water is a decisive factor in also achieving efficient efficiency is highly relevant for machine manufactur-
and thus economical, but above all sustainable water ers. Depending on the size, shape and type of device,
treatment processes. The more solids including the the limiting factors here are the requirements for the
finest of microplastics that can be separated straight smallest possible size and the stability of the filter
away, the less effort is required for the intermediate element.

Illustration of the common

mode of operation in municipal
wastewater treatment plants.

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HAVER & BOECKER
 METAL WIRE MESH OFFERS
FIRST-CLASS PROPERTIES

Metal wire mesh offers a whole range of advantages Keyword: high flow rate
that make it virtually unbeatable for use as a filter Metal wire mesh allows uniform filtering efficiency
medium for treating water. This is because the per- over the entire filtering surface. Thanks to their high
fect interaction of the functional properties of metal flow rate and high dirt holding capacity, they increase
wire mesh guarantees optimum process reliability and the efficiency, safety and stability of filtration pro-
outstanding mechanical filtration performance, even cesses. The decreased blocking tendency, in compar-
under extreme operating conditions. ison to alternative filter media – such as fleece – and
the optimised cleanability enable plant operators
With metal wire mesh, a distinction is made between to extend cleaning intervals and reduce the burden
open square or rectangular meshes and optically involved in mechanical and chemical cleaning.
closed dutch weave types. The open area is mainly
influenced by the distance between the vertical and Wire cloth with open meshes generally achieve higher
horizontal wires to each other. In plain dutch weaves, throughput than dutch weaves, which in turn offer
these warp or weft wires are woven so close together advantages in fine filtration.
that they are called zero aperture meshes. In con-
trast to classic mesh sizes, these meshes have what
are known as geometric pore sizes, defined by the
diameter of a sphere that can just pass through the
filter cloth.

In combination with the selection of a suitable mate-

rial, the mechanical, chemical and physical properties
of these filter meshes can be optimally adapted to
the requirements of the respective application.

A wire mesh filter medium can be integrated into existing systems.

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HAVER & BOECKER
 Keyword: optimum filter fineness
Depending on the area of application, the decisive
factor for the selection of filter mesh is primarily the
filter fineness required for the specified treatment
standard.

The finer the required filter mesh, the higher the

proportion of foreign particles filtered out and the
„cleaner“ the water is after filtration. Wire mesh can
filter out the finest particles down to a size of 5 μm
and thus contribute to the best possible filtration
of unwanted foreign substances such as suspended Welding together gives filter elements their usually
cylindrical shape.
organic matter and microplastics.

Manufacturers of large filter systems in particular Keyword: stability

choose for the central layer – the filter layer – even The following applies to the design of a water treat-
with coarser pore sizes a dutch weave. Square mesh ment system: the maximum mechanical load capacity
usually contain wires with a diameter smaller than the of the metal mesh filter at constant pressure decreas-
required mesh size. Thicker wires can be woven into es with the increase in the size of the filter elements.
the dutch weave so that together with the specific There are various technical solutions available for
structure, a significantly higher strength and stability ensuring the stability without lowering the pressure.
is achieved. Particularly effective options are, for example, mesh
laminates with a multi-layer structure or the protec-
Keyword: the materials tion of fine filter layers with additional mesh layers.
Not all stainless steel alloys are suitable for water fil- Depending on the given process requirements, a
tration, as the filter mesh not only has to be resistant variety of configurations can be realised by com-
to corrosion from salt and fresh water, but may also bining the mesh type, type of weave as well as the
need to be resistant to certain chemicals. The mate- suitable support and drainage layers.
rial-specific welding properties are similarly relevant
for the selection of the material, as in many cases
Possible construc-
filter elements are joined using a special joining tech- tion of a filter
element for water
nology in order to retain their dimensional stability. treatment:
1. Protection layer
2. Filtration layer
3. Protection layer
4. Support layer
(from above)

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HAVER & BOECKER
 DOWN TO ULTRA-FINE WITH UTMOST PRECISION:
MINIMESH-S FILTER MESH®

The specific properties of filters made of metal wire ultimately a reduction in operating and overall costs
mesh – whether coarse or very fine – can be precisely compared to other filter media.
defined mathematically by the type of weave, wire
diameter and mesh count. In the development of new
meshes, both the geometric pore size and the perme-
ability can be precisely calculated and the filtration
behaviour can be simulated even before the new
weave goes into production. This reliability is a win-
win situation for both manufacturers and customers.

Using a MINIMESH® Dutch weave with precision

pores as a filter layer has proven its effectiveness in
Dirt holding capacity of a HIFLO 30-S.
various water treatment systems in which particles left: loaded, right: unloaded

down to the micrometre range starting at 5 μm must

be filtered out precisely and economically. The MINIMESH® RPD HIFLO-S member of the
MINIMESH® S series opens up new dimensions in
With MINIMESH® S metal filter cloth, the dirt absorp- filtration. The basis is a weaving technology devel-
tion capacity and flow rate are maintained signifi- oped by Haver & Boecker designed to produce a
cantly longer than with conventional filter media. The three-dimensional pore geometry, which gives the
blocking tendency is lower and cleaning is also easier. MINIMESH® RPD HIFLO-S filter cloths their excep-
This results in consistently precise filtration, a longer tional filtering performance.
service life and longer filter element life cycles and

The decisive factor for the choice of mesh specification is the pore
size and therefore the maximum size of the particles that can pass
through the filter cloth.

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HAVER & BOECKER
 The independent and internationally renowned institute
Whitehouse Scientific carried out glass bead tests which have
confirmed the excellent properties of MINIMESH® S filter
cloth. The high level of uniformity of the „precision pores“
is particularly effective for ultra-fine meshes with pore sizes
of less than 20 μm. As an additional quality assurance
measure, Haver & Boecker uses the bubble point test as
a further test method.

MINIMESH® RPD HIFLO-S

FOR WATER TREATMENT

Flow rate: twice the flow with

the same pore size
Experience shows that small pore sizes in the production process lead to reduced
flow rates and a significant pressure drop. In comparison to traditional filter cloths,
the MINIMESH® RPD HIFLO-S virtually eliminates this loss of efficiency. This is thanks to the
special 3D mesh structure, which increases the number of pores and thus significantly increases the
amount of open surface area within the same space. The effect: compared to a Dutch twilled weave, the
flow rate can be doubled at the same pore size. Furthermore, the flow conditions are optimised and turbulences
around the filter cloth are effectively avoided.

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HAVER & BOECKER
 Flow behaviour of a RPD HIFLO-S (right) compared to a twilled weave (left).

Filter fineness: Regenerability:

excellent selectivity optimum dirt holding capacity and
and stability cleaning performance
The pore sizes of the new MINIMESH RPD HIFLO-S®
The underlying structure of MINIMESH® RPD HIFLO-S
filter cloth can be calculated precisely in advance achieves high separation efficiency for ultra-fine par-
and adapted to the individual requirements. These ticles without blocking rapidly. This leads to longer
precision pores have been proven to achieve both filter life cycles and extended cleaning intervals. The
excellent selectivity and high dimensional stability. dirt collection capacity and cleaning characteristics
have been confirmed as excellent. Filtration process-
Variety of materials: es become more efficient, more reliable and more
special corrosion- and temperature- stable along with the longer service life of the filter
resistant materials elements.
MINIMESH RPD HIFLO-S filter cloths can be
®

manufactured using relatively strong wires. This All the properties of

means that special materials such as AVESTA 254 MINIMESH®-S filter cloth at a glance:
SMO, Alloy 310 S, Inconel 600, Superduplex, Duplex, ■ Precise filter characteristics
Hastelloy C 22 and titanium can now also be woven ■ Flow-optimised mesh structure
in the small pore spectrum, which to date was not ■ High selectivity
possible. With MINIMESH RPD HIFLO-S, highly
®
■ Glass-bead tested precision pores
corrosion-resistant and temperature-resistant filter ■ High flow rate
cloth with pore sizes smaller than 40 μm are thus ■ Easy cleaning
available for the first time. ■ Low blocking tendency
■ Long filter life cycles

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HAVER & BOECKER
 NOW FOR MORE IN-DEPTH INFORMATION:
BROAD RANGE OF METAL WIRE MESH
APPLICATIONS
Ranging from industrial to household applications, to In addition, more and more companies, institutes and
water treatment plants and pioneering infrastructure start-up companies are becoming actively involved in
projects, filter elements made of metal wire mesh are the battle against climate change. As well as the utili-
implemented the world over and excel even under sation of renewable energies, this includes in particu-
the most demanding of conditions with their reliability, lar the development of future-oriented solutions for
efficiency and long service life. the conservation of water resources and the sustaina-
ble production of drinking and process water.

For the future:

MINIMESH® RPD HIFLO-S filter cloths
Thanks to their excellent properties, filter cloths such
as MINIMESH® RPD HIFLO-S are already setting new
standards in mechanical water treatment in many
successful projects. The following references provide
a cross-section of these projects.

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HAVER & BOECKER
 HygO domestic water module
with H&B filter element

MISSION HYGO: mechanical water treatment. The oxygen released

Modern hydrogen technology in Namibia during electrolysis is used to purify wastewater, which
HygO is a jointly funded project of the Federal is then made available to local farmers as process
Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, water for other purposes such as irrigating fields and
Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV), the livestock farming.
Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming
Technology (IWU) as well as various industrial part- The wastewater first passes through a multi-stage
ners from the fields of environmental technology and filtration process: metallic foams retain coarse dirt
water treatment. The aim is to develop self-sufficient particles while filter cartridges equipped with the
energy systems in the form of what are referred to as MINIMESH® RPD HIFLO 5-S filter out all particles from
microgrids in Namibia in order to create an effective, 5 µm to 40 µm in size thereby preventing clogging of
robust and economical alternative to the environ- the final textile membrane. The purpose of fitting the
mentally harmful fossil-fuel generators that are widely intermediate filter cartridges with metal wire mesh is
used in South Africa. to ensure sustainability, filter fineness and flow rate.

The compact 8-kW hydrogen microgrid unit comprises It is above all this combination with effective domestic
the complete power-to-power sector coupling with water production that is helping the new system to
solar cells to generate climate-neutral energy and an achieve a breakthrough for hydrogen technology in
electrolyser to produce hydrogen, which can then be this region, which is known for its extreme scarcity of
stored and used to generate electricity on demand. water. The HygO microgrid is thus significant and rele-
vant for the selected location in several respects.
The decisive innovation is that the HygO microgrid
also features an additional circuit for biological-

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HAVER & BOECKER
 MISSION ZERO: be turned into wastewater recovery facilities (WRRF =
future-orientated wastewater treatment in Norway Water Resource Recovery Facility) and thus into net
Domestic and industrial wastewater is treated for the energy generators by implementing what is referred to
most part in municipal or industrial wastewater treat- as carbon harvesting. A fundamental conversion of this
ment plants to produce process water. A vast amount kind can significantly reduce the dependence on fossil
of energy is required for this extensive wastewater fuels and decrease CO2 emissions.
treatment process. The more than 10,000 sewage
treatment plants in Germany, most of which are opera- Renasys has developed a system concept that filters
ted by municipalities, are among the country’s largest 99 % of dirt particles and suspended solids larger than
energy consumers with an annual energy consumption 5 μm out of the wastewater. Fitted with a filter belt – in
of around 3,200 GWh [UBA2014]. A major proportion this case the MINIMESH® RPD HIFLO 5-S – this system
of this energy is needed solely for aerating the aera- is used directly at the point where the wastewater
tion tanks during the biological purification process arrives. Large-scale clarifiers (sedimentation tanks) are
[LENA2015]. no longer required.

Nevertheless, every cubic metre of wastewater also

contains plenty of energy i.e. in the sewage sludge.
In order to optimally exploit this potential, microscreen
systems are used for the mechanical cleaning process.
These systems filter out a maximum proportion of
solids even before the actual wastewater treatment
process occurs. The collected sewage sludge is used
in bio-gas plants, for example, where, in the absence
of atmospheric oxygen, it ferments and thereby contri-
butes towards the generation of energy.

In Førde, Norway, start-up company renasys is

demonstrating how wastewater treatment plants can The compact system operates autonomously in a closed circuit,
is modular in design, energy-efficient and scalable.

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HAVER & BOECKER
 MISSION RO: ■ pre-filters (micro sieve) filter out coarse and fine
Efficient seawater desalination in drought regions particles
The use of seawater desalination plants to produce ■ depth filters filter out suspended and turbid matter
drinking water in arid regions is not without con- ■ ultrafiltration modules trap suspended particles
troversy. This is due to the large quantities of brine
produced, which in turn ends up in the oceans. As a rule, self-cleaning mechanical filter systems
Nevertheless, the desalination of water is often the equipped with multi-layer filter cloth remove particles
only way to ensure the supply of freshwater to the as small as 20 μm and even 5 μm when MINIMESH® S
populace. The most common methods implemented filter cloths are used. The flow rates here may some-
here are membrane processes and thermal distillation times reach several thousand cubic metres per hour
or vaporisation processes [BT2008]. in a limited space. Plant operators also benefit from
enormous energy savings, which are attributable to
Over the years, the membrane process – primarily the water pressure, which is lower than that of com-
reverse osmosis (RO) – has prevailed over the enor- parable filter cartridges.
mously energy-intensive thermal processes.

1,2
A typical reverse osmosis system comprises pre-treat-
Differential pressure (bar)

1
ment of the water, the actual RO desalination process
0,8
with semi-permeable membranes and post-treatment 0,6

to stabilise the water quality. 0,4

0,2

0
Meticulous pre-treatment of the saline raw water is Course of time
a central requirement for an efficient desalination non-automatic filter with filter cartridges
automatic filter with stainless steel mesh filter
process within an RO system. As the water being
processed is often highly contaminated seawater or Schematic diagram of the average differential pressure of
different filter types.
brackish water, there is a risk of blockage of the RO
membrane if the pre-treatment is inadequate. For this
reason, raw water is frequently pretreated in three Special alloying elements ensure reliable corrosion
filtration stages, whereby precision metal mesh – protection even under the harshest of conditions,
whether single-layer, multi-layer or sintered – has especially good backwashability and an above-aver-
proved particularly effective for pre-filtration: age service life.

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HAVER & BOECKER
 METAL MESH FILTERS WITHSTAND
HIGHEST PRESSURES

Whether in cylindrical form as a screen cloth or as Depending on the water conditions, chemical stress
a filter plate – in order to achieve maximum effec- refers to chemical cleaning processes to avoid biolog-
tiveness, depending on the downstream process, ical fouling in wastewater treatment plants or the high
water filters in large treatment and filtration systems salt content in seawater. The corrosion resistance of
must have the highest possible filter fineness and at the filter is also essential here. High-alloy austenitic
the same time be able to withstand mechanical and steels or austenitic-ferritic stainless steels (duplex
chemical stresses. steels) are able to withstand even the challenges of
extreme conditions. Although nickel-copper-based
Mechanical stresses result from the high water pres- alloys are also possible alternatives, their lower tensile
sure, the cavitation effect caused by the alternation strength, however, must be taken into account. The
between positive and negative pressure and – for PREN index (Pitting Resistance Equivalent Number)
automatic filters – regular cleaning processes. Back- for assessing corrosion resistance is a particularly
wash filters made of metal wire mesh withstand these important selection criterion here.
stresses – regardless of the cleaning method selected
for the final filter system such as rotating brushes, Similarly relevant for the selection of a suitable ma-
rotating suction cups or backwashing. terial are its welding properties. During the joining
process, the material is subjected to temperatures
In order to maintain the required burst pressure and of more than 450 °C, which can lead to intergranular
collapse stability of the mesh, fine filter layers can corrosion in the heat-affected zone (HAZ). Post-treat-
be additionally reinforced with what are known as ment of the HAZ is therefore absolutely vital for
protective or support layers and also sintered. HAVER seawater applications.
POROSTAR filter elements are designed according
®

to this principle and are optimised as metal-wire mesh The following table provides an overview of the cor-
laminated panels especially for use in seawater. If the rosion resistance and weldability of the most common
individual layers are not sintered, they must be pre- materials:
cisely fabricated for the final geometric filter shapes so
that all layers fit tightly and do not vibrate or become
damaged during the filtering and cleaning processes.

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HAVER & BOECKER
 Material overview with information on corrosion resistance and suitability for welding

W-Nr. Trade Mark / ALLOY PREN* Weldability

1.4539 904L 34 easily weldable

1.4529 ALLOY 926 / AL-6XN 42 easily weldable

1.4547 AVESTA 254 SMO 43 easily weldable

2.4602 Hastelloy C22 64 easily weldable

requires special filler materials, specially trained
1.4410 SUPER DUPLEX 43
personnel only
requires special filler materials, specially trained
1.4462 DUPLEX 34
personnel only
1.4404 AISI 316 24 easily weldable

2.4360 Alloy 400 / Monel not required weldable

* The PREN numbers are based on the results of analyses carried out on wire batches. Current actual values are within the target range
according to the specifications for the permissible element composition.

The outstanding properties of metal wire cloths make If you would like further information on metal wire
them ideal for use in water filtration and offer develop- mesh – also for other areas of application – as well as
ers and operators of water treatment plants decisive on Haver & Boecker’s range of products and services,
advantages in terms of performance, reliability, econo- please do not hesitate to contact us!
my and sustainability. Modern development methods
and production processes enable customised mesh
and filter designs that are perfectly adapted to the
respective application.

Contact persons: References:

Tim Gerdes, Business Development Side 12, MISSION ZERO:

Phone: +49 2522 30-162 [UBA2009]: https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/sites/
E-mail: [email protected] default/files/medien/publikation/long/3855.pdf

Christian Fortströer, Filterschichten [LENA2015]: https://lena.sachsen-anhalt.de/fileadmin/

Phone: +49 2522 30-253 Bibliothek/Sonstige_Webprojekte/Lena/Wirtschaft/
E-mail: [email protected] Klaeranlagen/Klaeranlage_ASL_2015/Klaeranlage_ASL_
LENA.pdf
Marcel Hüwelmeier, Filter und Formteile
Phone: +49 2522 30-109 Side 13, MISSION RO:
E-mail: [email protected] [BT2008]: https://webarchiv.bundestag.de/archive/2016/
0617/blob/419288/192bdd55e5088ee4bfa4f6d880
ed89a6/wd-5-102-08-pdf-data.pdf

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HAVER & BOECKER
ABOUT HAVER & BOECKER.
Haver & Boecker began producing wire cloth in Hohenlimburg, Germany in 1887. Today, the company
is a worldwide leading manufacturer of woven wire cloth for industry and engineering as well as archi-
tecture and design.

For more than 135 years, Haver & Boecker has played a decisive role in shaping the technology of wire
weaving. The company develops and has at its disposal manufacturing processes, which enable wire
cloth to be processed into filters and fabricated parts that meet the highest requirements.

Whether in aeronautics, aerospace, the automotive industry, electrical engineering, medical technol-
ogy, chemistry, water filtration, mechanical engineering or plastics processing – Haver & Boecker’s
tailor-made solutions create the basis for efficient production processes, reliable operation, optimum
product quality and distinctive design.

© Haver & Beocker. All rights on any kind of reproduction, in whole or part, reserved.
Photos: Haver & Boecker, iStockphoto

HAVER & BOECKER OHG

Ennigerloher Straße 64 · 59302 OELDE · Germany
Phone: +49 2522 30-433 · Fax: +49 2522 30-404
E-mail: [email protected]
www.haverboecker.com

H AV E R &
HAVER & B O EC K E R
BOECKER