Oldroyd reduces environmental impact with KraussMaffei technology and sea plastics

Working together to promote sustainable tunnel construction (from left): John Oldroyd Cheetham (founder of Oldroyd), Linda A Celin (CEO Oldroyd), Rolf Kjønnerud (KraussMaffei Agent SAXE) and Carl Kremer (Product Development/Operator Oldroyd) in front of one of the CX 160-750

Tunnels and hiking boots may seem completely unrelated, but they have something in common: a membrane that prevents rain ingress. In the case of tunnels, this is crucial to prevent water from penetrating the soil and damaging the concrete structures. The Norwegian company Oldroyd is an expert in this field and has a unique approach to waterproofing against rain using recycled materials and innovative technology.

Thanks to the company's innovative strength and focus on injection molding technology, Oldroyd holds over 90% of the market share for waterproofing against rain in the Nordic countries. With the help of KraussMaffei, Oldroyd operates three hydraulic CX 160-750 machines that produce spacers in a cycle time of roughly 15 seconds. These spacers, which weigh approximately 150 grams, create a distance between rock and membrane and are essential for tunnel construction. There are around 20 different models of spacers varying in diameter and height, and 300,000 to 400,000 are required for one tunnel alone.

The construction of the Stockholm Bypass (a series of underground motorway tunnels) is currently the world's largest tunnel project. Thousands of spacers from Oldroyd are also used here.

To produce these spacers ecologically, Oldroyd uses 100% sea plastics, consisting of roughly half PP and half PE. The company collects the remnants of broken fishing nets and plastic ropes on the coast of Norway and crushes, washes, and regranulates them. The subtle fish scent does not need to be removed for tunnel construction.

Efficient automation is required to produce plastic products competitively in Europe, and all Oldroyd machines are equipped with oversized LRX robots from KraussMaffei. These robots can stack up large quantities of manufactured products, starting with a ground-level pallet up to a height of two meters, making it possible to produce products during "ghost shifts" at the weekend without human intervention.

The so-called spacers, curved products with grid structure, create a distance between rock and membrane, like here, e.g., in the

 Sandoy tunnel in the Faroe Islands

Oldroyd's founder, John Oldroyd Cheetham, has developed a 2-component platen called RoadStar, secured on the steel rods connecting the concrete wall and the rock layer. These platens have a TPE layer on one side for sealing and a PE layer on the other for impact resistance. The RoadStar has a service life of 120 years, saving resources compared to the previous metal platens that corroded and needed replacement after roughly 50 years.

The success of the RoadStar on the market means that more 2-component machines with this technology will make their way north from Munich. KraussMaffei, a leading manufacturer of machinery and systems for producing and processing plastics and rubber, has been instrumental in helping Oldroyd achieve its goals. With more than 180 years of experience, KraussMaffei offers cutting-edge technologies in injection molding machinery, extrusion technology, reaction process machinery, and standardized and individual product, process, digital, and service solutions.

Seaplastics such as fisher nets and ropes are collected and then recycled to 100 per Cent in order to be used in the tunnel construction

In 2016, the Chinese state-owned company ChemChina became the majority shareholder of KraussMaffei. In 2018, the company was listed as KraussMaffei Company Ltd. in Shanghai, opening up access to the Chinese capital market and local investors.

Oldroyd's innovative use of recycled materials and injection molding technology, combined with efficient automation and the support of KraussMaffei, has allowed the company to become a top player in waterproofing against rain in the Nordic countries. This is a great example of how innovation, sustainability, and collaboration can lead to success in business.

For more information, visit www.kraussmaffei.com.