Extrusion without limits
Lehmann-UMT GmbH, a medium-sized German mechanical engineering company, has developed the key technology for defibreing various organic materials with its bioextruder. The extruder is used worldwide in the field of substrate processing for biogas plants. It enables gas yields to be increased and makes lignin-containing substrates, such as straw, usable in biogas plants. The system can also be used to produce fibres from wood, coconut and other materials, which are used in soil production as an environmentally friendly alternative to peat.
High pressure to success – Bioextrusion by LEHMANN
Bioextrusion is based on the hydrothermal decomposition of organic biomass using a steam explosion process. Two counter-rotating screws, which are specially adapted to the material, use high pressure to break down the raw materials down to the cellular level. This process increases the surface area a thousandfold.
More yield from biomass
The LEHMAN-UMT extruder offers biogas plant operators a highly efficient solution for substrate processing that significantly increases the gas yield (by up to 20%). With this innovative technology, agricultural waste and residual materials such as straw and miscanthus can be processed: Straw and miscanthus can be utilised profitably and sustainably – both for energy production in biogas plants and for the production of bioethanol. By increasing the surface area of the source materials, floating layers in the fermenter are reduced. As a result. less stirring energy is required, which significantly reduces energy costs.
Potting soil industry saves CO2 – On course for growth with fibres from the extruder
Peat extraction is a silent climate killer, as it releases large quantities of stored CO2, This is a wake-up call for potting soil suppliers: peat substitutes are becoming indispensable in order to act in a sustainable and future-oriented manner. The LEHMANN-UMT extruder enables the flexible defibration of various source materials such as wood chips, coconut or forest residues. The resulting fibrous materials are characterised by optimum stability and water storage capacity, which qualifies them as a peat substitute in soil production. The largest potting soil supplier in Portugal relies on bioextruders from LEHMANN-UMT – and has been doing so for over 10 years. The soil plant invested in a 90kW extruder back in 2014, and to meet the growing demand, the plant concept was expanded in 2024 to include a new 180 kW extruder from LEHMANN. This increased the production capacities.
The extruder’s green coating is intentional: whether for biogas production or the manufacture of peat substitutes – our system makes resource conservation and environmental protection a reality.
Contact: Lisa-Marie Jacobs
M 037439 744844
www.LEHMANN-UMT.de