Client Challenge:
An Italian ceramics firm sought to improve the efficiency of their glaze grinding process while reducing wear on milling equipment. Traditional zirconia balls showed low fracture toughness in abrasive slurries, leading to frequent ball breakage and contamination risks.
An Italian ceramics firm sought to improve the efficiency of their glaze grinding process while reducing wear on milling equipment. Traditional zirconia balls showed low fracture toughness in abrasive slurries, leading to frequent ball breakage and contamination risks.
Kegu Solution:
- Developed (roll-formed) SiC grinding balls with:
- Grading optimization: Dominant particle sizes of 10–11mm for optimal impact energy in large-scale mills.
- Surface hardness: 2800 HV (Vickers hardness), 30% higher than standard SiC products.
- Electrical insulation: Non-conductive properties ensured safety in electronic glaze formulations.
- Implemented dual-inspection system:
- Internal: Particle size distribution (D50=10.5mm), moisture content (<0.1%), and purity (SiC ≥99.2%).
- External: Independent analysis by partner universities (e.g., XRD phase composition verification).
Outcome:
- Grinding efficiency improved by 45%, reducing processing time from 8 hours to 4.5 hours per batch.
- Ball wear rate decreased from 0.3%/cycle to 0.08%/cycle, cutting replacement costs by 73%.
- Eliminated contamination risks, enabling the client to achieve ISO 13485 certification for medical-grade ceramic components.