A customised solution triumphs Kaltex selects Körting to supply state of the art Caustic Recovery Plants
The Mexican Kaltex Group is one of the biggest vertically integrated textile factories on the American continent. Recently they invested in top of the class environmental technology from Körting Hannover GmbH, in form of two Caustic Recovery Plants (CRPs) for mercerising lye.
Kaltex is known, in North and Central America above all, for producing denim, workwear and home textiles. As a vertically integrated textile factory, Kaltex has the whole production process under one roof – from the raw material to the finished product. As a result, it’s very efficient, can manage quality precisely and control production costs better.
Körting supplied two CRPs, its biggest single order for the textiles industry to date. The installations can process 14,000 litres of lye per hour for denim and 30,000 litres of lye per hour for white fabrics.
Greener and more cost efficient
A caustic recovery plant involves advanced engineering that effectively cleans and reuses lye from the mercerisation process. In turn, this means far lower chemical consumption and way less effort in wastewater treatment, making the process greener and more cost efficient.
Since the commissioning of the CRP plants in early 2024, they have already delivered impressive results in their first year of operation. The CRP plant for white fabrics alone promises potential annual savings of over USD 4 million. Consequently, the solution offers a remarkable return on investment, which was achieved after just a few months at full production capacity. Therefore, Kaltex isn’t just boosting its ecological standards, but also cost efficiency.
“We’re very pleased with the plants,” stresses Rafael Kalach, owner of the Kaltex Group. The CRPs score top marks for quick installation, easy commissioning and top performance during operation. Kaltex achieves outstanding lye quality for denim production – without the need for full desizing. The vapor condensate can easily be returned to the mercerisation process as water for washing. The results in real-world full scale conditions mirror those from the laboratory tests at the quote phase.
Customised service and partners working hand in hand
This success story was the result of both sides working closely together. The solution was geared to Kaltex’s requirements. Support from an experienced team of engineers from Germany and hard work by local personnel played a huge role in the project’s success. As Rafael Kalach confirms after the first year of the plants’ operation: “Our decision to go down this route with Körting proved to be the right one. Körting is a very skilled and reliable partner.” Even after commissioning, Körting provides robust service to ensure everything runs smoothly.
This investment means Kaltex and Körting are setting standards in sustainable and efficient textile production.