Sandvik Coromant, a metal cutting and machine tools organization, in collaboration with the broader Sandvik Group, is introducing an enhanced tool recycling initiative, building on the success of its existing buyback program. The upgraded recycling scheme aims to simplify the repurposing of worn carbide machine tools for customers and contribute to material circularity within the supply chain.
Sandvik Coromant is working extensively to drive a sustainable future alongside their valued customers and partners to provide cutting-edge tooling solutions to the world’s engineering industries. With over eight decades of practical experience, Sandvik Coromant has amassed extensive expertise in metal-cutting and machining. This proficiency allows the company to turn every challenge into an avenue for innovation, collaboration, and forward-thinking solutions. The mission of the company is to instigate positive change by championing sustainability, efficiency, and growth, shaping a future where innovation flourishes. As an integral part of the global industrial engineering group Sandvik, Sandvik Coromant is actively contributing to shaping a collaborative and sustainable future.
For several decades, Sandvik Coromant has been a proponent of recycling cemented carbide. In 1997, Sandvik acquired Wolfram Bergbau und Hütten, a world-leading producer of tungsten powder and tungsten carbide, initiating a buyback scheme that continues to recycle carbide material. This program has become integral to Sandvik Coromant’s production cycle, creating a closed loop in manufacturing where customers can sell their worn-out tools, and the materials are extracted and reused in the production of new cutting tools. The recycled powder undergoes chemical purification to retrieve materials with properties similar to the originally extracted tungsten. Sustainability is a key focus, with elements like cobalt retrieved from used tools being sent to third parties for recycling. Notably, Sandvik Coromant’s recycling program accepts carbide tools from all manufacturers.
With the recent upgrades to the program, Sandvik Coromant is introducing a more streamlined and data-driven recycling process for its customers. Through an online portal, customers seeking to sell recycled tools can receive an instant price quote, schedule an order pick-up time, and receive recycling boxes in advance. The portal also provides data on the environmental impact of customers’ recycling efforts, including the reduction in carbon emissions resulting from the recycled metal. To simplify the logistics of sending recycled tools, Sandvik Coromant has collaborated with market-specific carriers to manage transportation. Users of the service can order containers, receive automatic price quotes, and book transport with authorized carriers, aiming to make recycling as straightforward as possible.
Antonia Dåderman, Program Manager EPMO at Sandvik Coromant, emphasized the sustainability aspect, noting that approximately 95% of a used carbide insert can be recycled, with tungsten constituting around 75% of the carbide. Recognizing the importance of preserving tungsten reserves, estimated at around seven million tonnes or 100 years of consumption, Sandvik Coromant aims to raise awareness of the benefits of recycling. The upgraded program allows customers to understand the financial gains from recycling tools and gain insights into the carbon emissions reduced through the process. Global pilot schemes for the enhanced recycling program are currently underway, with plans to roll out the initiative to all customers by 2025. This initiative underscores Sandvik Coromant’s commitment to sustainability and circularity in material use, aligning with global efforts to promote responsible environmental practices in manufacturing.