Some companies consider ‘sustainability’ to be just a popular buzzword. In CERATIZIT’s corporate approach, however, sustainability is an established pillar, so this is a field where we make every effort to point the way through innovation. An outstandingly high recycling rate and conscientious energy management are just two examples of this. With our "upGRADE" grades, which fall into the category with the lowest PCF, we went one step further. These include our CT-GS20Y rods.
Resource efficiency and low consumption of raw materials, recovering secondary raw materials from recycled carbide cutting tools and the development of innovative solutions with a minimal ecological footprint – all these are for us a top priority.
Cemented carbide and the components and tools produced from it are precious as they contain a high proportion of cobalt (Co) and tungsten (W), metals that are in great demand. Extracting cobalt and tungsten from ore is very costly and energy-intensive. To obtain one ton of tungsten, 250 tons of ore have to be mined and processed. So resource efficiency and low consumption of raw materials are our first concern. In parallel to this, secondary raw materials must be recovered from recycled carbide cutting tools over the product lifecycle so they can be used again.
At CERATIZIT we constantly work on the development of innovative products which will allow our customers progressively to increase the efficiency of their machining processes. At the same time we are always looking for solutions with a low ecological footprint, something we have now accomplished with CT-GS20Y: it combines the performance of a premium carbide grade with a deliberately sustainable production process.
Over 99% of the new carbide grade CT-GS20Y consists of high-quality secondary raw materials – that is to say recycled carbide recovered from decomissioned milling cutters, drills and solid carbide tools. But even that was not enough for CERATIZIT. In addition, we ensure low-CO2 production through low-emission production processes and energy sources, as well as by consistently short transport routes throughout the entire process chain. The result is an unprecedented low CO2 footprint for a premium carbide grade with maximum performance. By using this carbide for their cutting tools, CERATIZIT customers as well can significantly reduce the carbon footprint of their products. Using recycled cemented carbide allows for better price stability and positively influences our replenishment times impacting the reliability of supply – without losing even a micron (µ ) in terms of performance or repeatability.
10% submicron grades, with a tungsten grain size ranging from 0.5 to 0.8 µm, account for 70 per cent of drilling and milling tools in solid carbide and represent the most important grade group. So it made sense first of all to launch on the market a sustainable grade for this wide field of applications. The decision gains support from the outcome of in-depth milling tests where CT-GS20Y was compared with well-established premium carbide grades and a downcycled grade produced by our own company – which yielded excellent results. The new CT-GS20Y grade at once scored results which were in some cases better than the premium grade, and always clearly superior to the downcycled product.
Our goal is to establish a common standard on the market for calculating and classifying the carbon footprint of cutting tools, hard material solutions and tungsten carbide powders.
In partnership with a local cardboard producer we have developed an innovative packaging system, which is ideal for heavy carbide rods in terms of product safety and handling. With the help of internal and external bandaging, the carbide rods are excellently protected against slippage. Special tear strips allow the packaging to be opened conveniently and make it tamper-proof. In addition, when an open package is stored at the customer’s, it can immediately be seen whether it is is a full package or a partial unit. Using ecological cardboard is not just the ideal solution for product safety. CERATIZIT’s customers also stand to benefit – cardboard can be recycled without any problem, and in many countries you even get money back when paper and cardboard waste is returned to recycling centres.
