The majority of all industrial processes used today with temperatures above 1,000 °C are heated using fossil fuels.
The goal of defossilizing these processes is particularly complex. Although some processes can in principle be heated electrically, they do not offer the load flexibility to follow the fluctuating generation of renewable energies. Less flexible processes can be heated with sustainable fuels such as fossil fuels. green hydrogen be heated.
For economic reasons, the switch to climate-neutral heating can only take place gradually. After all, there are billions in value in the existing plant fleet. In many cases, new construction is neither ecologically nor economically desirable. On the other hand, retrofitting for climate-neutral heating is technically easy to implement. And there is also potential in process management to further reduce overall energy requirements.
Joachim Wünning was appointed as the new curator of the research field. His aim is to drive research and development forward through regular exchanges and networking between a large number of stakeholders. As an expert in energy-efficient and low-emission combustion technology, Wünning brings the necessary tools to achieve real progress. At the same time, he emphasizes that an open-minded approach is essential. Without a technologically unbiased analysis, there is a risk that the best solutions will be overlooked.
Similar goals to the newly formed research field have been pursued for years by the VDMA's Research Association for Industrial Furnace Construction (FOGI). Close cooperation is therefore a logical step.
"The research field of thermal process technology and the research community for industrial furnace construction can benefit from each other and complement each other well in their work. Similar players with similar interests are represented in both networks - competition can be left out of the equation in order to solve common problems. The research field also offers an incentive for medium-sized plant manufacturers to be a driving force in the field of research funding for politicians" says Joachim Wünning in the Interview with the project management organization Jülich.
Successful networking of interdisciplinary research should therefore help to make thermal process technology fit for the energy transition.
Energy efficiency and environmental protection are the focus of the steel industry: WS delivers major order - retrofitting industrial burners instead of building new plants. The most economical way to comply with emission limits and maximum efficiency.
The targets set for CO2 savings and the reduction of NOx emissions at a well-known automobile manufacturer were achieved by using WS burners with ceramic finned recuperators in gas-fired pusher-type furnaces.
WS has been known worldwide for decades as the undisputed technology and market leader in the field of industrial burner technology for the thermoprocessing industry. For next-generation products, state-of-the-art manufacturing processes such as additive manufacturing are of course also used.
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.
