Smets Technology and Reprotex: A fruitful cooperation for the protection of water
Since we at Smets Technology ™️ we always aim to have an eco-friendly solution, we have collaborated with Reprotex for advanced performance on runway rubber removal.Reprotex treats highly soiled process water and puts it back into the working process. Because of this technology we were able to to provide airport operators with the best ecological solution with saving the costs and guaranteeing a high enveironmental standard.
We had a chat with the Founder of Smets Technology ™️ Stephan Smets and the CEO of Reprotex Helmut Burger:
Smets Technology and Reprotex: A fruitful cooperation for the protection of water. But let us start from the beginning! Why did you start your cooperation?
Stephan Smets:
As a company working with water, we feel responsible to protect this natural resource. This is the reason why we developed our rubber removal, demarking and retexturing systems in a way that it operates with the lowest possible water consumption per treated m2. However, this is not enough. We want to recycle every single waterdrop used during operation. The beautiful thing about this idea is that it benefits the environment as well as our customers since they may operate longer without the need to refill fresh-water. However, we work under ultra-high pressure conditions which lead to high water temperatures (around 70 degrees). A wrong recycling system may harm the ultra-high pressure pump. We have thus looked for absolute experts in the field of water recycling to achieve the best recycling results and to protect the ultra-high pressure pumps. And we found Reprotex!
Helmut Burger:
The technological development of the Reprotex system had its starting point in the construction industry: the large quantities of waste water from concrete removal by robots (hydrodemolition) prompted our company-founder Mr. Gerhard Mayerhofer to think about a sustainable recycling system. The result was the container-based mobile wastewater treatment system Reprotex MFD_R200.
In the course of time new, additional applications were added, e.g. in the maritime industry. Airport service is a logical next step for Reprotex and therefore Smets is a well experienced partner for this.
We love water – How does that sentence describe your companies?
Helmut Burger:
Water is an extremely valuable commodity, that will become significantly more important in the future, especially against the backdrop of climate change. With our solution, we help to conserve this valuable resource, and we are very proud of this.In recent years Reprotex has therefore also received national and international awards, which also shows how our innovative product and technology is appreciated.
Stephan Smets:
As already mentioned, we try to reduce the water consumption to a minimum. We are extremely proud that we use the lowest water quantity per treated sqm of all systems world-wide. This may only be realized by an extreme high nozzle rotation speed, which is not only key for the water-consumption but also for the gentle treatment of the surface.
Why are Smets Technology vehicles and Reprotex protecting water during high-water-pressure operations?
Stephan Smets:
In all our trucks, solids can be separated from liquids. The liquids can be filtered and lead into a sewer network (confirmed by many authorized laboratories). But the most friendly method is the recycling of the used water, which we realize by our partnership with Reprotex. Next to the site a container terminal will be placed where our truck dumps the wastewater. The waste-water will then be treated in a second filter-container before it will be pumped into a storage container from which our vehicles will be filled with water for further operation.
Helmut Burger:
Two things are at stake here: on the one hand, pollutants must be discharged from the wastewater in an orderly manner after the UHP work process. And then we aim to conserve the resource water by reusing it several times in the cycle.
How does the Reprotex water filtration device work in combination with a Smets Technology vehicle?
Helmut Burger:
Together with Smets, we want to find a solution to treat the wastewater to the highest quality and then use it in the high-pressure pump in such a way, that the pump has the longest possible service life. this way we also want to be a pioneer in airport service applications.
What innovations can be expected from your companies and your cooperation in the near future?
Stephan Smets:
We are seriously working on a recycling system that allows full water recycling during operation. The biggest hurdle is the water temperature. Too hot water temperatures are likely to damage the ultra-high-pressure pump and cause a lot of wear and tear. Therefore, the water must be cooled down before it is reused for operation. This is – together with a fully electrical oil spillage remover – our main R&D focus for next year!
