Manufacturer of clinker bricks, facing bricks, brick slips and ceramic facade solutions since 1888.
Deppe Backstein-Keramik GmbH
Uelsen-Lemke (Lower Saxony)New on Amplifa
About Deppe Backstein-Keramik
Deppe Backstein-Keramik GmbH is a family-owned manufacturer of clinker bricks, facing bricks, brick slips (Riemchen), special-shaped bricks and customised ceramic solutions for architectural and construction projects. At its Uelsen-Lemke site in Lower Saxony, the company has been producing facade materials since 1888 – today in the fifth generation – using the extrusion, water-struck and handmade processes. Raw material preparation is carried out with pan mills, roller mills and mixers using clay extracted regionally, followed by drying in drying chambers and firing in a tunnel kiln at up to 1100 °C. At full capacity, around 25 million bricks (NF) are produced per year, roughly 80,000 bricks daily. In addition to standard products, Deppe develops individual colour and surface concepts, special formats made to drawing, as well as the Recycling Brick with up to 70 % recycled content. Customers include architects, construction companies and the building materials trade in Germany and Europe; the export share is around 30 %, with the Netherlands as the most important export market.
- Site
- Uelsen-Lemke
- Processes
- Brick/clinker production – extrusion process (facing bricks), Brick/clinker production – water-struck process, Brick/clinker production – handmade process, Special-shaped bricks/special formats made of clinker (machine-based, manual shaping and, Recycling Brick – processing of demolition bricks (cleaning, crushing, homogenisation,, Lean Brick® production – water-struck and extrusion facing bricks in the reduced format 240 × 65 ×, Brick slip production (thin-format brick slips 0.5–2.5 cm, sawn), Raw material preparation (pan mill, roller mills, mixers – crushing and homogenisation of the clay)
- Materials
- Clay (regional, clay pit near company premises), Demolition bricks/recyclates (Recycling Brick), Clay (regional), Handmade process, Water-struck process, Extrusion process, Recycling Brick, Lean Brick®
- Certificates
- DIN EN ISO 50001:2018 (Energy management system), DIN EN ISO 50001:2018 (Energy management)
- Founded
- 1888
- Employees
- ca. 90
- Industries
- Residential construction, Commercial and office construction, Public buildings, Educational buildings, Healthcare, Renovation and heritage preservation
- 01
Raw material extraction (regional clay pit near the company premises)
- 02
Raw material preparation (pan mill, roller mills, mixers)
- 03
Shaping (extrusion, water-struck, handmade)
- 04
Drying in drying chambers
- 05
Setting the green bricks onto kiln cars
- 06
Firing in the tunnel kiln (up to 1100 °C)
- 07
Quality control and sorting
- 08
Packing station and packaging
- 09
Shipping/logistics
Materials and Manufacturing Processes
Clay (regional)
Regional clay from a clay pit near the company premises, enriched with additives to optimise the firing properties.
Handmade process
The clay ball is pressed into the mould with sand as a release agent; the typical Roberto surface structure remains visible after firing.
Water-struck process
Shaping with water as a release agent, resulting in comparatively smoother surfaces.
Extrusion process
The clay is pressed under pressure into a column from which the green bricks are cut; more homogeneous bricks.
Recycling Brick
Processed demolition bricks (cleaning, crushing, homogenisation, test firing) with up to 70 % recycled content in new clinker bricks.
Lean Brick®
Facing brick in the reduced format 240 × 65 × 71 mm with around 40 % less material volume and weight.
Locations
Uelsen-Lemke
DEProduction site and administration
- Lot size
- ca. 80,000 bricks/day output; capacity of ca. 25 million bricks (NF)/year
- Materials
- Clay (regional), recyclates from demolition bricks
- Extrusion press
- Handmade/water-struck pressing systems
- Pan mill
- Roller mills
- Mixers
- Drying chambers
- Setting machine
- Tunnel kiln (up to 1100 °C)
- Kiln cars
- Packing station
- Sawing hall for brick slips (cutting depth 0.5–2.5 cm)
- Flue gas heat recovery system
- Micro gas turbine
- Photovoltaic system
Components and Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brick/clinker production – extrusion process (facing bricks)Plastics | – | – | – | over 25 million bricks/year (based | Clay, Recycled demolition bricks (recyclates) |
| Brick/clinker production – water-struck processPlastics | – | – | – | over 25 million bricks/year (based | Clay |
| Brick/clinker production – handmade processPlastics | – | – | – | over 25 million bricks/year (based | Clay, Sand (release agent) |
| Special-shaped bricks/special formats made of clinker (machine-based, manual shaping andPlastics | – | – | – | – | Clay |
| Recycling Brick – processing of demolition bricks (cleaning, crushing, homogenisation,Plastics | – | – | – | – | Demolition bricks, Clay, Mortar residues |
| Lean Brick® production – water-struck and extrusion facing bricks in the reduced format 240 × 65 ×Plastics | – | – | – | – | Clay |
| Brick slip production (thin-format brick slips 0.5–2.5 cm, sawn)Machining | – | – | – | – | Clinker brick, Clay |
| Raw material preparation (pan mill, roller mills, mixers – crushing and homogenisation of the clay)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Clay, Additives |
| Drying of the green bricks in drying chambersHeat treatment | – | – | – | – | Clay |
| Firing of the bricks in the tunnel kiln (up to 1100 °C)Heat treatment | – | – | – | ca. 80,000 bricks/day | Clay |
| Quality control, sorting and packing station (special sortings by hand)Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
| Individual colour and surface developments for bricksSurface | – | – | – | – | Clay |
14 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Extrusion press | – | – | – | – | Uelsen-Lemke |
| Handmade/water-struck press (various pressing systems) | – | – | – | – | Uelsen-Lemke |
| Pan mill | – | – | – | – | Uelsen-Lemke |
| Roller mills | – | – | – | – | Uelsen-Lemke |
| Mixers | – | – | – | – | Uelsen-Lemke |
| Drying chambers | – | – | – | – | Uelsen-Lemke |
| Setting machine | – | – | – | – | Uelsen-Lemke |
| Tunnel kiln (up to 1100 °C) | – | – | – | – | Uelsen-Lemke |
| Kiln cars | – | – | – | – | Uelsen-Lemke |
| Packing station (with packing grippers) | – | – | – | – | Uelsen-Lemke |
| Sawing hall with saws for brick slips (cutting depth 0.5–2.5 cm) | – | – | – | – | Uelsen-Lemke |
| Flue gas heat recovery system (heat exchanger) | – | 1 | – | 2024 | Uelsen-Lemke |
| Micro gas turbine (on-site power generation with waste heat utilisation) | – | – | – | – | Uelsen-Lemke |
| Photovoltaic system | – | – | – | – | Uelsen-Lemke |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality and Certification
After firing, around 80,000 bricks daily pass through quality control: with packing grippers, the bricks are inspected brick by brick, sorted and partly packed by hand as special sorting, ready for installation. Only quality-inspected products leave production, packaged on pallets.
| Evidence | Uelsen-Lemke |
|---|---|
| DIN EN ISO 50001:2018 (Energy management) |
History
- 1888
The Deppe family begins clinker and brick production at the present Lemke site near Uelsen; previously, Simon August Deppe had operated a brickworks in Bauerhausen near Uelsen for around 25 years.
- 2005
Dr. Dirk Deppe follows his father Wilhelm Deppe into the management.
- 2009
Dr. Dirk Deppe becomes sole managing director.
- 2016
Launch of the regular architecture newsletter series.
- 2024
Commissioning of the flue gas heat recovery system and electric packaging system, and first certification according to DIN EN ISO 50001:2018 (11.10.2024).