Manufacturing of foundation sheets / beeswax processing

How Are Our Beeswax Foundation Sheets Made?

Beeswax foundation sheets play a crucial role in beekeeping, providing bees with a stable base on which to build their combs. But how are these foundation sheets actually made? Here is an overview of the various production methods available and the ones we use:

1. Rolling (Manual and Automated)

The rolling process is one of the most traditional and commonly used methods for producing beeswax foundation sheets. The process is as follows:

- Wax Cleaning: First, the beeswax is thoroughly cleaned and impurities are removed.
- Melting and Cooling: The cleaned wax is then melted and poured into large, flat sheets.
- Rolling: These sheets are passed through two rotating rollers that imprint a precise honeycomb pattern onto the wax, determining the desired thickness and structure of the foundation sheets.
- Cutting: Finally, the foundation sheets are cut to the required size.

Advantage: The rolling process produces particularly stable foundation sheets.

Disadvantage: The rolling process can slightly elongate the honeycomb cells, resulting in cells that are not always symmetrical.

2. Roll Casting

Roll casting combines the benefits of casting and rolling and is a more modern method of producing foundation sheets:

- Cleaning and Melting: As with rolling, the wax is cleaned and melted.
- Casting: The liquid wax flows between two rotating rollers where the honeycomb pattern is formed. The process is water-cooled, allowing the wax to solidify more quickly.
- Cutting: The embossed wax sheet is then automatically cut to the desired height and length.

Advantage: Roll casting allows for extremely precise production of foundation sheets with nearly perfect honeycomb cells (99.9% accuracy).

Disadvantage: At low temperatures, the foundation sheets can become brittle.

3. Casting

Pure casting is another traditional method, but it is less commonly used in large-scale production because it is more labor-intensive:

- Cleaning and Melting: The beeswax is cleaned and melted.
- Casting: The liquid wax is poured into special molds that contain the honeycomb pattern. These molds are typically operated manually.
- Solidification: The wax cools and hardens in the molds. Once solidified, the finished foundation sheets are removed.

Advantage: This process requires less specialized equipment, making it suitable for smaller beekeeping operations or hobbyists.

Disadvantage: The precision of the foundation sheets can vary, and the production process is slower than the other methods.

Our Manufacturing Process at Zschopautaler Imker

At Zschopautaler Imker, we rely on state-of-the-art technology and use the roll casting method on two machines in our production.

The production process always begins with the careful cleaning of the beeswax. Additionally, since the summer of 2024, we have been eco/bio-certified, allowing us to offer this service to our organic beekeeping customers.

The cleaned wax is disinfected at 140°C to eliminate all potential pathogens such as American foulbrood or Nosema. After filtration through filter paper, the wax enters our machines, which can hold up to 120 kg of liquid wax. At approximately 80°C, the wax flows between two rotating rollers that form the hexagonal honeycomb pattern. We use special roller sets for each cell size (4.9 mm, 5.0 mm, 5.1 mm, and 5.4 mm). These rollers are made of zinc or aluminum and are cooled with a special, biodegradable water-release agent containing only 0.1% of the agent.

Finally, the continuous wax strip is cut to the desired size. Rotary cutters ensure the exact height, and a guillotine cutter trims the length. This results in a wax sheet that is cut to the exact height and width in 5mm increments.

The entire manufacturing process is closely monitored to ensure that the foundation sheets meet the highest quality standards. Our organic certification guarantees that our production is not only high-quality but also sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Our foundation sheets not only provide bees with a stable base but also help them save energy by reducing the amount of work required to build their combs. The result is healthier bees and more efficient honey production—a win for beekeepers and nature alike.

How Does the Beeswax Get to Us?

It's simple. You can drop off the wax in person at our address: Kopernikusstrasse 2, 09669 Frankenberg, or send it as a package to our address with a note including your address, cell size, and comb size. We’ll take care of the rest and notify you when everything is ready. The processing time typically takes 2-4 weeks, depending on our workload.

What Happens to Your Wax?

Your wax is stored in special containers labeled with your name and address to prevent any mix-ups until processing. During cleaning, there will be some losses due to dirt, water, and machine operation. After production, there is usually a residual amount of about 1.5-4kg, which you will naturally get back. You only pay for the amount of foundation sheets produced. The packaged foundation sheets will also be labeled with your name or customer number. Once everything is finished and paid for, you can either pick up your foundation sheets or we can send them back to you by package.