Chesterfield-based Dormer Pramet — a global manufacturer and supplier of cutting tools for the engineering industry, including drilling, milling, threading and turning tools — is developing new and innovative ways to reduce energy consumption in the production process, as part of its ‘Make the Shift’ 2030 Sustainable Business Programme, which aims to help the environment while still providing customers with high-quality tooling.

A recent example of this was a project for shortening coating cycles.

By adding new insulation to the furnace coating, Dormer Pramet was able to shorten the cycle time significantly and reduce energy consumption.

This also improved the deposition conditions, which affect the evenness of the coating on the company’s inserts.

In addition, the company (www.dormerpramet.com) has modified the sintering cycle during the production phase.

This involved a redesign of the gas flow passing through the charge and making the furnace more efficient.

The project succeeded in shortening the length of a single sintering cycle by 100min (10% of the total length of the cycle), while maintaining the quality of the process.