The Orafol Group is expanding its production infrastructure at its Oranienburg site in Germany with a new 14,000 m² hall dedicated to laminating and coating special films and adhesive tape systems. As part of this expansion, the company has installed its ninth Oxi.X RE regenerative thermal oxidation (RTO) system from Dürr to treat solvent-laden exhaust air from production. The Oxi.X RE system is designed to meet stringent environmental requirements while maximizing energy efficiency.

The new RTO is the largest plant Dürr has ever built for Orafol.

Orafol, a global manufacturer of self-adhesive graphic products, reflective materials and industrial adhesive tapes, is investing €160 million in its largest infrastructure upgrade to date. In addition to increasing capacity and supporting new technologies, the company aims to further reduce emissions through modern air pollution control systems. The newly installed Oxi.X RE in Hall 10 contributes to this goal by oxidizing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at high temperatures with minimal external energy input.

Energy Efficiency and System Integration

The Oxi.X RE system purifies exhaust air by oxidizing nearly all organic substances at temperatures between 800 °C and 900 °C. Despite the high operating temperatures, the system relies on an integrated regenerative heat exchanger that preheats incoming air using energy recovered from purified exhaust. Once it reaches operating temperature, the system functions autothermally—even at low solvent loads—eliminating the need for additional fuel and reducing energy costs.

Efficiency is further enhanced by ceramic honeycomb bodies in the heat exchanger, which offer high thermal conductivity and surface area. The system reportedly recovers over 96% of the required energy, reducing external energy demand to roughly 4%. In addition, heat from the exhaust air is used to heat thermal oil for the facility’s ovens, covering a significant portion of the plant’s heating needs and lowering its carbon footprint.

System Expansion and Turnkey Delivery

The new RTO is Dürr’s largest installation for Orafol to date and supports three coating systems—up from two in previous configurations. It was delivered as a turnkey solution, including design, installation, piping, air ducts and a boiler for generating process steam from excess heat.

Orafol operates 13 air pollution control systems at its 280,000 m² headquarters, including nine RTOs from Dürr. “Our cooperation with Dürr includes service, modifications and new systems,” said Marcel Janßen, senior vice president of engineering and technology at Orafol. “This partnership enables tailored solutions that meet our purification needs while supporting sustainable development of our infrastructure.”

Heat Management and System Reliability

The RTO includes a new heat management system featuring two advanced control modules. XtraBalance regulates temperature differences between the three media chambers filled with ceramic heat exchange material, while XtraControl calculates and monitors the average system temperature using multiple sensors throughout the heat exchanger and combustion chamber. This ensures stable operation, consistent heat recovery and high system availability—even under fluctuating conditions.

The new regenerative thermal air pollution control system will purify the heavily solvent-laden exhaust air from a new 14,000 m² production hall.

With this latest installation, Dürr continues to support Orafol’s environmental and production goals. Planning is already underway for an additional Oxi.X RE unit to support further expansion of the site’s coating operations.

*Images courtesy of ORAFOL Europe GmbH.