Zinc Reclaim Recycling
Development and industrial implementation of a complete thermal zinc reclaim recycling line for cemented carbide manufacturing.
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Complete engineering, development and industrial implementation of a fully automated high-precision extrusion line for twisted cemented carbide rods used in high-performance micro cutting tools.
Cemented Carbide Manufacturing
Automated Extrusion
Engineering Project Lead
Completed
A new generation of twisted cemented carbide rods required manufacturing capabilities that exceeded the limits of the existing production technology.
Neither precision, productivity nor process stability could be achieved using conventional extrusion equipment. A completely new manufacturing concept was therefore developed to enable reliable production of extremely small twisted rods with demanding dimensional tolerances.
The objective was to combine ultra-high precision, fully automated handling, inline quality inspection and autonomous production within one integrated manufacturing system while significantly reducing manufacturing costs and quality defects.
The project covered the complete engineering and industrial implementation of a fully automated extrusion line, from manufacturing concept development through equipment selection, commissioning and serial production.
Installation and integration of the fully automated production line.
A high-precision laser measurement system was integrated directly into the extrusion process to inspect the geometry of every twisted carbide rod immediately after extrusion.
Helix angle, dimensional accuracy and process stability were continuously monitored, allowing immediate detection of deviations before the material entered the next production step.
Combined with automated process data acquisition, the system created the foundation for predictive process control and future machine learning applications.
Following extrusion, each green rod is automatically transferred through an air transport system without manual handling.
The integrated handling solution positions every rod safely for inline inspection before transferring it to the downstream tray loading system.
Automated handling eliminates operator influence, improves process consistency and enables reliable high-volume production with minimal manual intervention.
A fully automated storage and handling system was developed to supply graphite trays and continuously load extruded rods without manual intervention.
The integrated tray magazine provided sufficient storage capacity for long unattended production while maintaining accurate positioning of every green rod.
The complete manufacturing cell was designed to operate autonomously for up to 60 hours, significantly reducing operator workload while increasing productivity.
The new production line established previously unattainable manufacturing capabilities while significantly improving automation, quality, productivity and manufacturing efficiency.
CAPEX Investment
Rods / Year
Cycle Time
Scrap Rate
Autonomous Operation
Manufacturing Cost
After sintering, the twisted cemented carbide rods achieve their final density, dimensional stability and mechanical properties, ready for precision grinding and cutting tool manufacturing.
Sintered twisted cemented carbide rods ready for precision grinding.
The project demonstrates the successful development of a fully automated manufacturing line from the initial engineering concept through commissioning and serial production.
By combining advanced production engineering, automation, inline metrology and intelligent process control, the manufacturing system established new production capabilities while significantly improving quality, productivity and manufacturing costs.
The resulting production line enables autonomous operation for up to 60 hours while producing ultra-high precision twisted cemented carbide rods for high-performance micro cutting tools.
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