Manufacturer of custom polyurethane wheels, rollers and molded parts for industrial applications since 1971
LUC Group (Limburgse Urethaan Chemie BV)
Brunssum (NL) · Maasmechelen (BE) · Jüchen (DE) · Esztergom (HU) · Merthyr Tydfil/Dowlais (UK) · Conroe, TX (USA)New on Amplifa
About LUC Group
The LUC Group, headquartered in Brunssum (Netherlands), develops and manufactures customer-specific components made from polyurethane elastomers: coated wheels, rollers and roller coverings as well as molded parts such as friction pads, bearing blocks, spring elements and wear parts. The core process is hot casting and curing of PUR; rubber elastomers are also processed. With more than 500 in-house material grades, including licensed Vulkollan® as well as proprietary systems such as LUCANYL, LUCOLLAN and LUCHYD, components are optimized for load, wear, temperature and chemical resistance. The service portfolio includes engineering with FEA, complete assembly including cores, shafts and bearings, refurbishment of worn rollers as well as qualification and wheel testing up to 300 km/h on an in-house ride simulator. Customers include steel and aluminum plants, offshore energy, amusement parks, the food industry, packaging and logistics. Production takes place at sites in the Netherlands, Belgium, Hungary, the UK and the USA; the LUC Urethan Kunststoff GmbH in Jüchen is responsible for the German-speaking region.
- Site
- PB Brunssum
- Processes
- Hot casting and curing of polyurethane elastomers (PUR), Manufacture of polyurethane wheels (PU covered wheels), Manufacture of polyurethane rollers and roller coverings (PU covered rollers), Manufacture of polyurethane molded parts (moulded parts), Re-coating / re-covering of rollers (PU and rubber), Refurbishment & repair (strip & inspect, mechanical repair, re-coating), Complete assembly solutions (cores, shafts, hubs, bearings, seals, protective coatings), Design & Analysis (load calculations, FEA, material recommendations)
- Materials
- Polyurethane (hot cast & cured PUR), Vulkollan®, Adiprene®, Baytec®, LUCANYL, LUCTHAAN, LUCHYD, LUC-THS/R
- Founded
- 1971
- Industries
- Steel & Aluminum, Offshore Energy, Amusement Rides, Food Industry, Plastic & Fiberglass, Packaging
- 01
Design & Analysis (FEA, material models)
- 02
Material selection / material development
- 03
Hot casting & curing of PUR / rubber coating
- 04
Complete assembly (cores, shafts, hubs, bearings)
- 05
Qualification & wheel testing
- 06
Refurbishment & repair
Materials & Processes
Hot-cast polyurethane (hot cast & cured)
LUC's core process since 1971 for wheels, roller coverings and molded parts.
Vulkollan® (licensed)
High-performance elastomer with high load capacity and dynamics, licensed at all production sites.
LUCANYL
For extreme dynamic loads and high-temperature applications.
LUCOLLAN
Low rolling resistance and high wear resistance for drive wheels.
LUCHYD
Resistant to strong acids and alkalis even under dynamic loading.
LUCTEC
High friction and solvent resistance for drive rollers.
LUCOCEL
Cellular, water-resistant PU for damping and sealing.
Adiprene® / Baytec®
Classic commercially available PU systems in the processing portfolio.
Proprietary systems based on NDI, TDI, MDI, PPDI, CHDI
Polyether and polyester polyols with various crosslinkers for custom formulations.
Rubber elastomers (NBR, HNBR, SBR, NR, EPDM, CR, CSM, VMQ, FKM)
Rubber roller coverings, especially at the Dowlais (UK) site.
Locations
Brunssum
NLHeadquarters, production, R&D and laboratory
- Materials
- PUR (Vulkollan®, proprietary brands), rubber
- Production plant for polyurethane elastomers (6000 m²)
- Ride simulator for roller coaster wheels (up to 300 km/h, 70 kN)
- Lab-scale dynamic wheel test rig
- Friction and compression test rigs
Maasmechelen
BEProduction (Limburgse Urethane Castings NV)
- Materials
- PUR
- Production plant for polyurethane elastomers (6000 m²)
Jüchen
DESales & service center (LUC Urethan Kunststoff GmbH)
Esztergom
HUProduction & sales for Eastern Europe/Austria (LUC Kft.)
- Materials
- PUR
- Polyurethane production plant (incl. 1000 m² extension from 2008)
Dowlais (Merthyr Tydfil)
UKProduction PU & rubber (LUC (UK) Ltd.)
- Materials
- PUR, rubber elastomers
- 1200 m² manufacturing facility for rubber and PU coverings
Conroe, TX
USProduction (LUC Urethanes, Inc.)
- Materials
- PUR
- Polyurethane production plant (1850 m²)
Components
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hot casting and curing of polyurethane elastomers (PUR)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Polyurethane (Vulkollan, Adiprene, Baytec, LUCANYL, |
| Manufacture of polyurethane wheels (PU covered wheels)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Polyurethane, Vulkollan, LUCANYL, LUCOLLAN |
| Manufacture of polyurethane rollers and roller coverings (PU covered rollers)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Polyurethane, Vulkollan, Adiprene, Baytec |
| Manufacture of polyurethane molded parts (moulded parts)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Polyurethane |
| Re-coating / re-covering of rollers (PU and rubber)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Polyurethane, Rubber (Nitrile, HNBR, SBR, Natural rubber, Hypalon, EPDM, |
| Refurbishment & repair (strip & inspect, mechanical repair, re-coating)Surface | – | – | – | – | Polyurethane, Rubber, Metal |
| Complete assembly solutions (cores, shafts, hubs, bearings, seals, protective coatings)Assembly | – | – | – | – | Metal, reinforced plastic, Polyurethane |
| Design & Analysis (load calculations, FEA, material recommendations)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Wheel testing / running wheel testing (wheel testing)Testing | – | – | – | – | Polyurethane |
| Friction testingTesting | – | – | – | – | Polyurethane |
| Compression testing of tensioner padsTesting | – | – | – | – | Polyurethane |
| Ride simulator tests for roller coaster wheels (up to 300 km/h, 70 kN, 20 m/s², 5–40°C)Testing | – | – | – | – | Polyurethane |
| Qualification testing / material qualificationTesting | – | – | – | – | – |
| Research & Development (material development, property measurement, failure analysis, feasibility)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Materials testing / quality control (mechanical properties, chemical resistance)Testing | – | – | – | – | Polyurethane |
| Total Cost of Ownership analysis / process consultingEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
12 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ride simulator (full-scale test for roller coaster wheels) | – | – | Max. 300 km/h, max. 70 kN, 20 m/s², 0.1 s time interval, 5–40°C test environment | – | Netherlands/Belgium (R&D centralized) |
| Lab-scale dynamic wheel test rig | – | – | – | – | Netherlands/Belgium |
| Lab-scale friction test rig | – | – | – | – | Netherlands/Belgium |
| Full-scale friction tester for tensioner pads | – | – | – | – | Netherlands/Belgium |
| Compression test rig for tensioner pads | – | – | – | – | Netherlands/Belgium |
| Test equipment for mechanical properties | – | – | – | – | Netherlands/Belgium |
| Chemical resistance test rig | – | – | – | – | Netherlands/Belgium |
| Production plant for polyurethane elastomers (6000 m²) | – | – | 6000 m² production floor space | 1980 | Brunssum, Netherlands |
| Production plant for polyurethane elastomers (6000 m²) | – | – | 6000 m² production floor space | 1993 | Maasmechelen, Belgium |
| Polyurethane production plant (1000 m²) | – | – | 1000 m² | 2008 | Esztergom, Hungary |
| Production plant for rubber and PU manufacturing (1200 m²) | – | – | 1200 m² | 2009 | Dowlais, Merthyr Tydfil, UK |
| Polyurethane production plant (1850 m²) | – | – | 1850 m² | 2015 | Conroe, Texas, USA |
Additional services
History
- 1971
Foundation of Limburgse Urethaan Chemie BV in Brunssum by Mr. and Mrs. Winkens
- 1980
New production plant in the Bouwberg industrial estate, Brunssum
- 1984
Expansion of the Brunssum plant
- 1988
Expansion of the Brunssum plant
- 1993
Opening of the Maasmechelen production plant (Limburgse Urethane Castings NV) and foundation of LUC Urethan Kunststoff GmbH in Neuss
- 1999
Doubling of production floor space in Maasmechelen to 6000 m²
- 2000
Foundation of LUC Kft. with production plant in Piliscsaba, Hungary; expansion of Brunssum
- 2003
Relocation of LUC Kft. to Esztergom, Hungary
- 2004
Relocation of the German branch to Jüchen and establishment of a service center
- 2005
Acquisition of the South Wales Roller Company in Newport, Wales
- 2008
Expansion of the Esztergom site by 1000 m²; renaming of the UK company to LUC (UK) Ltd.
- 2009
Relocation of LUC (UK) to a new 1200 m² facility in Dowlais
- 2014
Foundation of LUC Urethanes, Inc. in Conroe, Texas
- 2015
Opening of the new 1850 m² production plant in Conroe, Texas
- 2020
Expansion of the Brunssum plant to 6000 m² of production floor space