Privacy Policy

1. Data protection at a glance

General information

The following notes provide a simple overview of what happens to your personal data when you visit this website. Personal data means any data by which you can be personally identified. For detailed information on the subject of data protection, please refer to our privacy policy set out below this text.

Data collection on this website

Who is responsible for data collection on this website?
Data processing on this website is carried out by the website operator. The operator's contact details can be found in the legal notice (Impressum) of this website.

How do we collect your data?
On the one hand, your data are collected when you provide them to us. This may, for example, be data you enter into a contact form.

Other data are collected automatically, or after you give your consent, by our IT systems when you visit the website. These are primarily technical data (e.g. internet browser, operating system or time of the page request). These data are collected automatically as soon as you enter this website.

What do we use your data for?
Some of the data are collected to ensure that the website is provided free of errors. Other data may be used to analyse your user behaviour.

What rights do you have regarding your data?
You have the right at any time to obtain, free of charge, information about the origin, recipients and purpose of your stored personal data. You also have the right to request the rectification or erasure of these data. If you have given consent to data processing, you may withdraw that consent at any time with effect for the future. Furthermore, you have the right, under certain circumstances, to request the restriction of processing of your personal data. In addition, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority.

You may contact us at any time at the address given in the legal notice regarding this and any other questions on the subject of data protection.

Analytics tools and third-party tools
When you visit this website, your browsing behaviour may be statistically evaluated. This is done primarily with cookies and with so-called analytics programmes. Detailed information on these analytics programmes can be found in the privacy policy below.

2. Hosting and Content Delivery Networks (CDN)

External hosting

This website is hosted by an external service provider (host). The personal data collected on this website are stored on the host's servers. This may include, in particular, IP addresses, contact enquiries, meta and communication data, contract data, contact details, names, website access data and other data generated via a website.

The host is used for the purpose of fulfilling our contractual obligations towards our potential and existing customers (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR) and in the interest of a secure, fast and efficient provision of our online offering by a professional provider (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR).

Our host will process your data only to the extent necessary to fulfil its performance obligations and will follow our instructions with regard to these data.

Conclusion of a data processing agreement
In order to ensure processing in compliance with data protection law, we have concluded a data processing agreement with our host.

3. General information and mandatory disclosures

Data protection

The operators of these pages take the protection of your personal data very seriously. We treat your personal data confidentially and in accordance with the statutory data protection provisions and this privacy policy.

When you use this website, various personal data are collected. Personal data are data by which you can be personally identified. This privacy policy explains which data we collect and what we use them for. It also explains how and for what purpose this is done.

We would like to point out that data transmission over the internet (e.g. when communicating by e-mail) may be subject to security vulnerabilities. Complete protection of data against access by third parties is not possible.

Note on the controller

The controller responsible for data processing on this website is:

SBS Refractory Service GmbH
Hermann-Oberth-Str. 31
85640 Putzbrunn

Telephone: +49 89 541 960 200
E-mail: info@sbs-rs.de

The controller is the natural or legal person who alone or jointly with others determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data (e.g. names, e-mail addresses or the like).

Withdrawal of your consent to data processing

Many data processing operations are only possible with your express consent. You may withdraw consent you have already given at any time. An informal notification by e-mail to us is sufficient for this purpose. The lawfulness of the data processing carried out prior to the withdrawal remains unaffected by the withdrawal.

Right to object to data collection in specific cases and to direct marketing (Art. 21 GDPR)

If data processing is carried out on the basis of Art. 6(1)(e) or (f) GDPR, you have the right at any time to object to the processing of your personal data on grounds relating to your particular situation; this also applies to profiling based on these provisions. The respective legal basis on which processing is based can be found in this privacy policy. If you object, we will no longer process the personal data concerned unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for the processing which override your interests, rights and freedoms, or the processing serves the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims (objection pursuant to Art. 21(1) GDPR).

If your personal data are processed for the purposes of direct marketing, you have the right to object at any time to the processing of personal data concerning you for the purposes of such marketing; this also applies to profiling to the extent that it is related to such direct marketing. If you object, your personal data will subsequently no longer be used for the purposes of direct marketing (objection pursuant to Art. 21(2) GDPR).

Right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority

In the event of infringements of the GDPR, data subjects have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the Member State of their habitual residence, place of work or the place of the alleged infringement. The right to lodge a complaint is without prejudice to any other administrative or judicial remedy.

Right to data portability

You have the right to have data which we process automatically on the basis of your consent or in performance of a contract handed over to you or to a third party in a commonly used, machine-readable format. If you request the direct transfer of the data to another controller, this will only be done to the extent technically feasible.

SSL or TLS encryption

For security reasons and to protect the transmission of confidential content, such as orders or enquiries that you send to us as the site operator, this site uses SSL or TLS encryption. You can recognise an encrypted connection by the fact that the address line of the browser changes from "http://" to "https://" and by the padlock symbol in your browser bar.

When SSL or TLS encryption is activated, the data you transmit to us cannot be read by third parties.

Access, erasure and rectification

Within the framework of the applicable statutory provisions, you have the right at any time to obtain, free of charge, information about your stored personal data, their origin and recipients and the purpose of the data processing and, where applicable, a right to rectification or erasure of these data. You may contact us at any time at the address given in the legal notice regarding this and any other questions on the subject of personal data.

Right to restriction of processing

You have the right to request the restriction of processing of your personal data. You may contact us at any time at the address given in the legal notice for this purpose. The right to restriction of processing exists in the following cases:

• If you contest the accuracy of your personal data stored by us, we generally need time to verify this. For the duration of the verification, you have the right to request the restriction of processing of your personal data.
• If the processing of your personal data was/is unlawful, you may request the restriction of data processing instead of erasure.
• If we no longer need your personal data but you need them for the exercise, defence or establishment of legal claims, you have the right to request the restriction of processing of your personal data instead of erasure.
• If you have lodged an objection pursuant to Art. 21(1) GDPR, a balancing of your interests and ours must be carried out. As long as it has not yet been determined whose interests prevail, you have the right to request the restriction of processing of your personal data.

If you have restricted the processing of your personal data, these data may — apart from being stored — only be processed with your consent or for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims or for the protection of the rights of another natural or legal person or for reasons of important public interest of the European Union or of a Member State.

4. Data collection on this website

Cookies

Our web pages use so-called "cookies". Cookies are small text files and do not cause any damage to your device. They are stored on your device either temporarily for the duration of a session (session cookies) or permanently (persistent cookies). Session cookies are automatically deleted at the end of your visit. Persistent cookies remain stored on your device until you delete them yourself or they are automatically deleted by your web browser.

In some cases, cookies from third-party companies may also be stored on your device when you enter our site (third-party cookies). These enable us or you to use certain services of the third-party company (e.g. cookies for processing payment services).

Cookies have various functions. Numerous cookies are technically necessary, as certain website functions would not work without them (e.g. the shopping basket function or the display of videos). Other cookies are used to evaluate user behaviour or to display advertising.

Cookies that are required to carry out the electronic communication process (necessary cookies) or to provide certain functions you have requested (functional cookies, e.g. for the shopping basket function) or to optimise the website (e.g. cookies for measuring the web audience) are stored on the basis of Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR, unless another legal basis is specified. The website operator has a legitimate interest in storing cookies for the technically error-free and optimised provision of its services. If consent to the storage of cookies has been requested, the cookies concerned are stored exclusively on the basis of this consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR); consent may be withdrawn at any time.

You can set your browser so that you are informed about the setting of cookies and allow cookies only in individual cases, exclude the acceptance of cookies for certain cases or in general, and activate the automatic deletion of cookies when the browser is closed. If cookies are deactivated, the functionality of this website may be restricted.

Insofar as cookies from third-party companies or for analytics purposes are used, we will inform you separately about this within the framework of this privacy policy and, where applicable, request your consent.

Cookie consent

This website uses its own cookie consent solution to obtain your consent to the storage of certain cookies on your device and to document this in compliance with data protection law. No data are transferred to external consent service providers in the process.

Your consent is stored in a cookie or in your browser's LocalStorage so that the request does not have to be repeated on every page view. The data collected in this way are stored until you request us to delete them, you delete the consent cookie yourself, or the purpose for storing the data no longer applies.

Technically necessary cookies are set without consent (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR). Analytics and marketing cookies are only activated after your express consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR in conjunction with § 25(1) TDDDG, the German Telecommunications Digital Services Data Protection Act).

Withdraw consent: Change cookie settings

Server log files

The provider of the pages automatically collects and stores information in so-called server log files, which your browser automatically transmits to us. These are:

• Browser type and browser version
• Operating system used
• Referrer URL
• Host name of the accessing computer
• Time of the server request
• IP address

These data are not merged with other data sources.

These data are collected on the basis of Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in the technically error-free presentation and optimisation of its website — for this purpose, the server log files must be collected.

Contact form

If you send us enquiries via the contact form, your details from the enquiry form, including the contact details you provide there, will be stored by us for the purpose of processing the enquiry and in case of follow-up questions. We will not pass on these data without your consent.

These data are processed on the basis of Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR if your enquiry is related to the performance of a contract or is necessary for carrying out pre-contractual measures. In all other cases, the processing is based on our legitimate interest in the effective handling of enquiries addressed to us (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR) or on your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR) if this has been requested.

The data you enter in the contact form remain with us until you request us to delete them, you withdraw your consent to their storage, or the purpose for storing the data no longer applies (e.g. after your enquiry has been dealt with). Mandatory statutory provisions — in particular retention periods — remain unaffected.

E-mail delivery via Postmark

The messages you send via our contact or application form are delivered to our mailbox via the Postmark service. The provider is AC PM, LLC, 1 North Dearborn Street, 5th Floor, Chicago, IL 60602, USA.

In the process, the content of your message, your contact details and any attachments are transferred to Postmark's servers. Postmark stores the content and metadata of the e-mails for 45 days so that delivery can be traced; they are then deleted.

This service is used on the basis of Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR insofar as your enquiry serves the initiation of a contract, and otherwise on the basis of our legitimate interest in the reliable delivery of your messages (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR). The transfer of data to the USA is based on the standard contractual clauses of the EU Commission.

Data processing agreement
We have concluded a data processing agreement with the provider; it forms part of Postmark's terms of use.

Links to social networks

On our website, we link to our profiles on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. These are simple links, not embedded plugins: no data are transferred to the operators of the networks when you access our pages. Only when you click on a link are you taken to the page of the respective provider, and its privacy provisions then apply. The same applies to the “Share this article on LinkedIn” button below our technical articles.

Enquiries by e-mail, telephone or fax

If you contact us by e-mail, telephone or fax, your enquiry, including all personal data arising from it (name, enquiry), will be stored and processed by us for the purpose of dealing with your request. We will not pass on these data without your consent.

These data are processed on the basis of Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR if your enquiry is related to the performance of a contract or is necessary for carrying out pre-contractual measures. In all other cases, the processing is based on our legitimate interest in the effective handling of enquiries addressed to us (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR) or on your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR) if this has been requested.

The data you send to us via contact enquiries remain with us until you request us to delete them, you withdraw your consent to their storage, or the purpose for storing the data no longer applies (e.g. after your request has been dealt with). Mandatory statutory provisions — in particular statutory retention periods — remain unaffected.

Use of SalesViewer technology

On this website, data are collected and stored for marketing, market research and optimisation purposes using the SalesViewer technology of SalesViewer GmbH on the basis of the website operator's legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR).

For this purpose, a JavaScript-based code is used which serves to collect company-related data and the corresponding usage. The data collected with this technology are encrypted using a non-reversible one-way function (so-called hashing). The data are immediately pseudonymised and are not used to personally identify the visitor to this website.

The data stored in connection with SalesViewer are deleted as soon as they are no longer required for their intended purpose and no statutory retention obligations preclude their deletion.

You may object to the collection and storage of data at any time with effect for the future by clicking this link to prevent future collection by SalesViewer within this website. An opt-out cookie for this website will then be placed on your device. If you delete your cookies in this browser, you must click this link again.

5. Analytics and Marketing Services

Google Analytics 4

This website uses Google Analytics 4, a web analytics service of Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland (“Google”).

Google Analytics enables us to analyse the behaviour of visitors, for example which pages are accessed, how long visitors stay and by which routes they reach our site. We also record whether a form has been submitted or a practice sheet has been downloaded. For this purpose, cookies are set (_ga, _ga_*) and information about your device and your use is transferred to Google. According to Google, IP addresses are not logged or stored in Google Analytics 4.

Google Analytics is only loaded if you have consented to the “Statistics & analysis” category in the cookie settings (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR, § 25(1) TDDDG). The data are stored for up to 14 months. A transfer to the USA is possible; it is based on the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, under which Google is certified.

Withdraw consent: Change cookie settings Further information is available in Google's privacy policy.

Meta Pixel and Conversions API

This website uses the Meta Pixel of Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland (“Meta”). This allows us to measure whether visitors who come to us via advertisements on Facebook or Instagram subsequently submit an enquiry, and to display advertisements in a more targeted manner.

The pixel sets cookies (_fbp, _fbc) and transmits information about your use, such as pages accessed and the submission of the contact form, to Meta. In addition, we send these events to Meta from our server via the so-called Conversions API. In the process, your IP address, your browser identifier (user agent), the aforementioned cookie identifiers and – if you submit the contact form – your e-mail address and telephone number in encrypted form (SHA-256 hash value) are transferred. Meta may associate these data with your user account if you are logged in there.

The pixel and the Conversions API are only active if you have consented to the “Marketing” category in the cookie settings (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR, § 25(1) TDDDG). Without this consent, no data are sent to Meta. The cookies are stored for up to 90 days.

We and Meta are jointly responsible for the collection and transmission of the data (Art. 26 GDPR). The details are set out in the joint controller agreement. Meta alone is responsible for any further processing. A transfer to the USA is based on the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, under which Meta is certified.

Withdraw consent: Change cookie settings Further information is available in Meta's privacy policy.

Google Ads conversion measurement

We place advertisements via Google Ads, a service of Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland. In order to find out whether visitors who have reached our website via one of our advertisements subsequently submit an enquiry or download a practice sheet, our Google Analytics account is linked to Google Ads. For this purpose, Google Analytics transmits these events to Google Ads. We only receive aggregated evaluations and cannot identify you personally through them.

This transmission only takes place if you have consented to both the “Statistics & analysis” category and the “Marketing” category in the cookie settings (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR, § 25(1) TDDDG). A transfer to the USA is based on the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, under which Google is certified.

Withdraw consent: Change cookie settings Further information is available in Google's privacy policy.

HubSpot

This website uses HubSpot, a service of HubSpot Ireland Ltd., 1 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2, Ireland, for visitor statistics and for managing newsletter sign-ups and contact data (CRM). For this purpose HubSpot sets cookies (including __hstc, hubspotutk, __hssc) and records pseudonymised usage data such as pages visited and time spent. Processing takes place on servers within the European Union.

The HubSpot script is only loaded if you have consented to the “Statistics & analysis” category in the cookie settings (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR, Sec. 25(1) of the German TDDDG). You can withdraw your consent at any time: withdraw consent: Change cookie settings Further information is available in the HubSpot privacy policy.

6. Plugins and Tools

Google Maps

On our contact page, you can display a Google Maps map to see our location and the route to us. The provider is Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland.

The map is not loaded automatically. A connection to Google's servers is only established when you click on “Load map”. In the process, in particular your IP address and information about your browser are transferred to Google, and cookies may be set. We store your choice in your browser's local storage (entry “karteFrei”) so that the map appears directly on your next visit; you can delete this entry at any time via your browser settings.

This service is used on the basis of your consent, which you give by clicking on “Load map” (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR, § 25(1) TDDDG). A transfer to the USA is based on the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, under which Google is certified.

The “Plan route” button is a simple link: it opens Google Maps in a new window; no data are transferred to Google beforehand.

Further information is available in Google's privacy policy.