Circular cooler for sintering

Year of construction: 1970
In operation: 16 years until the closure of the smelter

In terms of construction history, the sinter cooler is part of the "last works extension" of the Völklingen Ironworks. The decision to build a sinter cooler in the smelter was taken relatively late. From 1929 to 1970, the hot sinter was transported to the blast furnaces in the steel overhead railway wagons. What initially appeared to make economic sense turned out to be an enormous strain on people and machinery as the company continued to operate.

In the sinter cooler, which went into operation in 1970, the hot sinter was cooled with air on a huge rotating disc. The dust-laden cooling air was cleaned in the subsequent sinter dedusting process. The "cold sinter" obtained in this way was transported to the blast furnaces in overhead railway wagons or transported to the burden shed via conveyor belts and stored there.