How installations worldwide helped shape better machines
When Sebald Zement GmbH, a long-running fertilizer producer in Germany, faced the challenge of upgrading a 35-year-old granulation plant without interrupting operations, Agglotec stepped in. Through precise engineering, smart project management, and sustainable design choices, Agglotec delivered a full modernization in record time — transforming legacy infrastructure into a benchmark for efficiency and reliability.
The Challenge: Modernizing Without Stopping Production
For over three decades, Sebald Zement GmbH, relied on its original granulation lines — until aging systems began to limit efficiency, consistency, and reliability. The plant needed a full modernization, but there was one catch: partial production had to continue throughout the installation.
Space inside the existing building was tight. The automation system was outdated. Reject handling and dosing lacked control. Yet halting operations wasn’t an option. That’s when the customer turned to Agglotec — known for delivering turnkey plant solutions under real-world constraints.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Location: Germany
- Type: Brownfield Modernization / Turnkey
- Project Duration: 1.5 years
- Demolition/ installation: 5 months (under operation)
- Capacity: 26 tonnes/hour total
The Solution: Smart Engineering, Sustainable Thinking
Agglotec took full responsibility as general contractor, managing the project from dismantling the 35-year-old system to installing a state-of-the-art granulation plant — all within the same building envelope.
Key decisions reflected technical mastery and environmental responsibility:
- Reusing the existing building, reducing waste and construction time.
- Engineering a twin-line system (2 × 13 t/h) for flexibility and reliability.
- Integrating intensive mixers, pelletizing discs, rotary dryers, and coolers for precise control and uniform granules.
- Delivering complete mechanical equipment, steel structure (112 t), and on-site installation — in only five months.
- Collaboration with strategic partners like Cemtec, AGIS and Eirich ensured smooth assembly and fast progress on site.
Brownfield Expertise in Action
- Installation performed safely under partial ongoing production: thanks to thorough planning and advance stock preparation, the modernisation was executed while parts of the plant remained operational, ensuring uninterrupted supply to all customers until the full shutdown.
- Integration of old and new components achieved with millimetric precision.
- Tight coordination between engineering, logistics, and field teams ensured zero unplanned downtime.
Technical Snapshot
| Equipment/Scope | Details |
| Pelletizing | 2x Pelletizing discs Ø 5 m |
| Mixing | 2x Intensive mixers with binder addition |
| Drying | 2x Rotary drum dryers |
| Cooling | 2x Product coolers |
| Structure | 112 t steel structure |
| Capacity | 26 t/h total (2 × 13 t/h lines) |
The Result: Efficiency, Stability, and a New Benchmark
Despite space constraints and ongoing operations, Agglotec completed the modernization in record time—just five months from dismantling to restart—setting a benchmark for fast-track plant upgrades under real production conditions. The new plant now produces 26 tonnes per hour of high-quality mineral fertilizer granules (2–6 mm) with residual moisture below 0.8 % and compressive strength up to 50 N.
Performance Highlights
| Metric | Result |
| Throughput | Increase by 33%, now it’s 26tph |
| Product | 2–6 mm fertilizer granules |
| Minerals | Dolomite, gypsum, fertilizer compounds |
| Energy saving | 50% |
| First-pass good product | >85% |
Agglotec didn’t just replace equipment — they helped us rethink our process. Their coordination, flexibility, and technical depth allowed us to modernize without losing a single production cycle.
Sebald Zement GmbH Plant Manager
Sustainability and Takeaway
By reusing the existing building, the project avoided significant material waste — a tangible commitment to sustainability and resource efficiency. Even without exact figures, this approach clearly reduced material and energy use compared with a new-build plant, demonstrating Agglotec’s focus on responsible modernization.
Modernization doesn’t have to mean disruption. With the right partner, it can mean renewal — more output, better quality, and a more sustainable future. Agglotec delivers turnkey modernization projects that keep production moving while raising performance standards.
Why Agglotec
This project exemplifies Agglotec’s DNA: Engineering precision, flexibility, and partnership.
- All from a single source — from design to delivery.
- Proven brownfield expertise — working safely within active plants.
- European engineering quality — robust, reliable, and built to last.
- Sustainability at heart — minimizing resource use and maximizing lifetime value.