Zanders paper machines: Dismantling requires complex project management

Paper machines are big. The largest paper machine of the insolvent Zanders Paper GmbH is 150 meters long - longer than a soccer field. For the liquidator, however, it is not the gigantic dimensions of the numerous machines that are problematic; rather, the legacy chemicals hidden in the machinery make dismantling them a major challenge. These chemicals are literally in every crack of a machine that has been used for decades. Step-by-step dismantling and cleaning can only be managed with modern software support.

In the case of the insolvent Zanders Paper GmbH in Bergisch-Gladbach, BGH-Consulting, which was commissioned with the accompanying recovery, was able to help sell the heart of the mill. The current task is to dry out the machine, clean it and make it ready for transport. Like the previous tasks at Zanders, the development of a remediation concept and the subsequent sale of about 4,000 tons of paper and 1,350 tons of chemicals, this project is also under time pressure under the direction of our partner Andreas Bauer from the Stuttgart office.

In addition to fibrous materials, water and energy, paper production requires a large number of auxiliary materials. These substances are routed through numerous filters, screens, intermediate containers and a piping system that is completely unclear to the layman. Decommissioned machines therefore contain residual quantities of very different substances, some of which are problematic. Legislation requires that all parts be cleaned, secured and labeled during dismantling and transport. Plants in which substances hazardous to water are used even require a new official dismantling permit, which must be applied for and accompanied by an expert.

At Zanders, the individual steps of the project are currently being planned and implemented in sections in close cooperation with the environmental offices of the district and county authorities. Removal can only begin once the official approvals have been obtained. In order to meet the tight deadlines of the new owners, the cleaning and transport preparations are carried out in sections. In the process, improvisations have to be made time and again without violating safety and occupational health regulations.

The Zanders machine park in Bergisch-Gladbach comprises around 15 large-scale units, three of which are the size of an apartment block: 150 meters long, 20 meters wide and 3 stories high. To control the cleaning teams and keep an overview of the project's progress, all the plants were divided into individual sectors and mapped. With the help of control software, individual tasks can be defined and assigned to the teams. Each team member has an end device that instructs him or her via an app, shows him or her tasks and deployment location on images, and is also used for reporting. As a result, project management not only has reliable status reports at its disposal at all times, but also a comprehensive time recording system.


Andreas Bauer, January 2022