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Selection and pre-series validation of a new micro-vacuum extrusion system for complex, small-diameter cemented carbide geometries, developed in cooperation with ECT-Kema GmbH and paired with dedicated forming tool and anti-twist technology development.
Cemented Carbide Manufacturing
Micro-Extrusion Equipment
Technical Specification & Pre-Series Trials
Implemented
Paraffin-bound cemented carbide presslings with complex, small-scale geometries, down to 1 mm in diameter, push conventional extrusion equipment to its limits. On the existing line, achieving the required dimensional accuracy meant accepting a low yield of good parts, long cycle times, and a process highly sensitive to variation.
The goal was a purpose-built extrusion system capable of far finer process control than the existing equipment, validated through pre-series trials before committing to production, and paired with dedicated forming tools and a way to keep the extruded strand straight and free of twist.
The scope covered three areas at once: selecting and validating the extrusion machine itself, developing the forming tools that shape each geometry, and solving strand twist, a problem that only becomes visible at small diameters.
Clear division of responsibilities between BS PM Solutions and ECT-Kema GmbH.
The extrusion system combines a vacuum de-airing chamber with a precision screw drive, capable of speed steps as fine as 0.001 revolutions per minute and independent temperature control at both the press and the forming tool. At rod diameters as small as 1 mm, this level of control is what separates a viable process from a scrapped batch.
An electronically adjustable extrusion angle addresses a defect that is easy to overlook until it appears: strand twist. Left uncorrected, a rotating strand drifts out of tolerance well before it reaches the downstream handling equipment; the adjustable angle keeps the strand straight from the forming tool onward.
Exact temperature control spans the entire material path, from the material intake and feed zone through the vacuum chamber to the extrusion zone itself, holding every stage within its required temperature window throughout the process.
An intelligent exchange of information links mass temperature measurement at the extruder directly to the setpoint control of the temperature system, keeping the process self-correcting rather than relying on fixed values alone. This is the ideal foundation for extruding dimensionally stable tool blanks.
Pre-series trials on real production material validated the new process against the existing baseline, before the machine was ever ordered.
| Pressing | Baseline | Extrusion Trial |
|---|---|---|
| Max. forming pressure [bar] | ~280 | ~100 |
| Press speed [mm/s] | 20.63 | 100 |
| Relative press speed | — | 4.85x |
This project demonstrates the successful selection, trialling and specification of a new micro-extrusion system for complex cemented carbide geometries, developed in close cooperation with ECT-Kema GmbH.
By combining machine selection, dedicated forming tool development and anti-twist technology, and validating all three together through pre-series trials, the project delivered an extrusion process that is dramatically faster while holding material quality fully within specification.
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