11/16/2018
State-of-the-art Vossloh foundry starts operations in Outreau
The first major phase of the "OT 2020” project has been completed more than two years after the project was launched. The new foundry officially kicked off production during a ceremony attended by over 100 guests from the world of politics and business. Prior to construction, the engineering offices and staff rooms were moved to a renovated building and an entire wing of the historic foundry building was demolished. While production continued in the remaining buildings, a new foundry was built on the brownfield site with a modern electric smelting furnace to replace the existing furnace from 1950.
Many Vossloh customers and public figures, including Frédéric Cuvillier, the former French minister and current mayor of Boulogne-sur-Mer, attended the opening ceremony and witnessed the casting of the first manganese steel common crossing. Plant manager David Souilah was extremely pleased: "We met our deadlines, the budget is on track, and we had zero accidents during construction and installation. This achievement is the result of excellent teamwork and was only possible because everyone involved at all levels of the company worked together toward a common goal.”
In its "OT 2020” project, Vossloh is thoroughly renovating the buildings and production facilities at the common crossing site in Outreau. Located in northern France, not far from the entrance to the Eurotunnel near Calais, the plant is one of the largest of its kind in Europe and a center of excellence for foundry technology for Vossloh. Outreau Technologies, which Vossloh acquired in 2013, is specialized in the supply of crossings that are pre-hardened by explosion. The company received some EUR 36 million in investments to build an efficient and sustainable factory. The opening of the foundry marks the start of the second phase, called "machining & welding”, during which two plants for machining/milling and welding will be built. By 2020, after completion of the second phase the state-of-the-art site, with its new electric furnace and optimized material flow, will operate in a 25,000-square-meter facility instead of the former 45,000-square-meter plant. Sustainable and clean production will be ensured through a closed-loop water circulation system, use of solar energy with the help of a photovoltaic system, reduction of emissions, as well as prevention of sand and dust during production.
Contact data:
Olivier Coustillon
Communication Manager
Vossloh Cogifer S.A.
21 avenue de Colmar
92500 Rueil-Malmaison
France
Phone: +33 (0) 1 55 47 73 71
Email:
olivier.coustillon@vossloh.com
Vossloh Cogifer is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of turnout systems. With numerous production locations in over 20 countries, Vossloh products include switch actuators and locking devices, signaling products, manganese frogs, switch points and rail monitoring systems. Vossloh’s products cover all applications, including standard, high-speed, special and heavy haul switches manufactured in accordance with all international standards, as well as solutions for urban networks.