Inside WAMGROUP
The Group's Quarterly Roundup

Developed in Belgium by Etex and Heidelberg Materials Benelux with EU LIFE programme support, CEMLOOP XL transforms fibre cement waste into a secondary raw material for low-carbon cement production. The three-stage process — shredding, CO₂-based carbonation, and clinker substitution — creates a fully circular material loop. Expected annual results include 60,000 tonnes of waste avoided and a 20% reduction in cement CO₂ emissions. For bulk material handling, projects like this signal growing demand for specialised conveying and dosing solutions along circular production chains.

EXTRAC Division has developed the Airless Cement Flow System, an innovative solution designed to optimise cement discharge from silos in concrete batching plants. The system's key component, DUPLOCON™, features a patented internal design that guarantees homogeneous material flow — delivering consistent quality while eliminating the variability typical of conventional fluidisation systems.

Unlike traditional approaches, DUPLOCON™ operates entirely without compressed air. This translates directly into lower energy consumption, minimal maintenance requirements, and simplified plant operations. Built from Carbon Steel RAL 7001 C3M to ISO 12944 standards, it is engineered for durability and long-term reliability.

When combined with WAMGROUP's new ES Screw Conveyor, the system achieves genuine mass flow conditions, effectively preventing bridging and rat holing phenomena. Additional benefits include reduced plant height — enabling space optimisation on site — along with lower noise pollution and decreased manpower requirements. The Airless Cement Flow System also contributes to a reduced environmental footprint, in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, making it a forward-looking choice for concrete plants competing in an increasingly sustainability-driven market.

The Bulk Dischargers Division has commissioned a dedicated test station at WAMGROUP's headquarters, designed to study and validate bulk material handling processes under real operating conditions. An SBB ADS bulk bag discharger, vertical screw conveyors and an RBB Big Bag Filling system create a continuous cycle replicating a complete handling workflow.

The station addresses one of the core challenges in bulk material handling: flowability. Powders and granules can behave very differently depending on particle size, density, moisture, and cohesion — even within the same industrial category.

By sending material samples or full big bags directly to WAMGROUP, customers can simulate real product behaviour, identify potential issues such as bridging or rat-holing, and validate equipment selection before installation.

The test station also functions as a strategic pre-sales tool. Attending live tests alongside WAMGROUP's technical specialists enables a collaborative, application-specific approach — reducing start-up risks, minimising downtime, and increasing confidence in the proposed solution across sectors including food, construction, chemical, and industrial minerals.

WAMGROUP's Valves Division introduces the VPM Multi-Choke Valve, a compact unit engineered to consolidate three distinct process functions — flow interception, controlled discharging, and regulated feeding — into a single standardised component at the FIBC or hopper outlet.

At the core of the VPM's performance is its multi-flap design: multiple adjustable flaps open simultaneously across the full outlet cross-section, generating a true mass-flow discharge profile and homogenising flow velocity throughout the process. The result is consistent, uniform flow with no segregation and no ratholing, regardless of material type or behaviour.

For cohesive powders prone to bridging, the VPM's built-in Integrated Flap Vibrators act directly at the material interface — eliminating blockages without the need for external pneumatic accessories. For free-flowing materials, flow rate is simply controlled via flap opening angle adjustment. The valve also supports pneumatic actuation with position feedback, making it fully compatible with automated process environments.

With proven abrasion resistance, compact dimensions that minimise installed height, and the ability to handle fragile materials such as pellets and granulates, fibrous materials including glass and carbon fibre, and a wide range of industrial powders and abrasive bulk solids, the VPM Multi-Choke enables OEM builders and end users to reduce system complexity, lower operating costs, and achieve reliable continuous flow from any bulk storage vessel.