When people ask what an industrial burner of the future should be able to do, three properties come up above all: the burner of the future must be efficient, low-emission and (fuel) flexible.
Today, it should be a matter of course for new systems and modernizations to achieve combustion efficiencies between 80 and 90% and NOx emissions below 100 mg/Nm³. These two aspects have already been solved at WS for over a decade and have proven themselves on the market. The combustion of Hydrogen is considered to be widely mastered and is possible with almost all WS burners to 100% if the furnace design fulfills certain boundary conditions.
The future tasks lie in preparing for changing fuels such as natural gas, Hydrogen, and even Ammonia. If you want to burn these fuels flexibly, you already have to take this into account when designing the heating system or the entire furnace design. Also, there is still a need for further research in combustion technology, particularly in the field of ammonia.
Additive manufacturing has been an integral part of WS's program for years, particularly in order to shorten development cycles and bring innovations to market even faster. While the initial focus was on model making for professional trade fair appearances and simplifying sales work, 3D printing of metallic materials has long since become a focal point.
Especially for the purpose of Research & Development additive manufacturing is ideal for this. Without having to wait for casting models or external service providers, new developments can often be implemented overnight and tested immediately. This is an aspect that our 95-year-old senior developer Dr. J. A. Wünning is particularly important.
In the conception phase, however, the aim is still to develop new products in such a way that they can still be manufactured using traditional production methods. Only when the desired technical properties can no longer be achieved using traditional shaping processes should designs that can only be manufactured using additive manufacturing be considered.
Despite all the euphoria, it must be emphasized that 3D printing is not a value in itself. It is a relatively new and expensive manufacturing process that has to prove itself alongside long-established processes such as casting or classic welded constructions. All processes have specific strengths and weaknesses and are scalable to varying degrees. The important thing is to select the right process for the right application.
Until a few years ago, the search for the best heat exchanger seemed to be the main development goal in industrial burner construction. Technically, it is relatively trivial to build a very efficient heat exchanger. However, if you want to produce a highly efficient heat exchanger at a cost appropriate to the application, the task becomes more difficult. If the product is then also to meet the demanding operating conditions of thermal process technology, some effort is required to achieve a coherent overall product.
On the one hand, heat exchangers from the 3D printer allow compact structures of high complexity that enable good heat exchange. On the other hand, the manufacturing costs are still very high today and will not be competitive with conventional manufacturing processes in the foreseeable future, especially for volumetrically large parts. In addition, there are problems with cleaning complex three-dimensional structures and the often inadequate repairability in the event of damage.
If you now consider that WS has been working for well over 15 years with the gap flow recuperator and regenerative burners air preheating rates that are already very close to the physical limit, it becomes clear that the task of heat exchanger optimization for industrial burners was already adequately solved a long time ago. Additive manufacturing therefore comes into play here above all if the costs should fall unexpectedly sharply.
The situation is different with other thermally highly stressed components of industrial burners. Innovative geometries in the area of the burner mouth, which were previously almost impossible to manufacture, make it possible to further improve the technical properties of the end product. These improvements are often particularly aimed at enabling flexible fuel use or achieving lower emissions. Corresponding volumetrically small components can already be produced competitively in small series using 3D printing.
The WS Group was blessed with beautiful weather on April 30, 2025 when almost 500 guests accepted the invitation to "Dance into May" to celebrate the inauguration of two newly built halls in Renningen. With a large number of employees, customers, suppliers and political guests, the day was an entertaining experience that included in-depth technical discussions as well as joint networking.
Federal Cross of Merit for WS founder Joachim A. Wünning: As part of a festive ceremony, Joachim A. Wünning was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit on March 28, 2025. Awarded by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and presented by Klaus Brenner, the award honors Wünning's life's work.
New CNC lathe at WS - high-end solution for precision and quality in in-house production and new development. The lathe from SPINNER Werkeugmaschinenfabrik GmbH will complement the extensive machine park at WS in the future.
Just in time for the start of the year, the WS Service department is delighted to have taken over and used the new WS Service Center. After extensive conversion work in the newly acquired building, nothing now stands in the way of its use as the new control center for our service department.
There was a lot to celebrate at the WS Summer Party 2024. Around 250 guests spent a thoroughly successful day in Renningen in the best weather and found out about the many new developments in the WS Group. Good food and a cold drink or two ensured a great atmosphere and fond memories.
Several high-ranking delegations from China visited WS in Renningen to find out about the best industrial burner technology available. The focus of the visit was on the low-emission and efficient heating of electric conveyor belt systems. Due to the increasing production of electric vehicles, this market segment is currently experiencing an upswing, particularly in Asia.
