Kempten, 14.10.2026 (PresseBox) - Bar peeling tools often reach their limit with hard edge layers and high feeds needed to achieve outstanding surfaces. BGH Freital and CERATIZIT worked in close collaboration to drive forward EcoPeel and meet precisely these challenges. EcoPeel combines roughing and finishing in a single indexable insert type for less complexity and more process security, even under the toughest conditions.

Bar peeling is a challenging machining process. Often rods with hard 'crusts' (the rolled or forged surface layers) have to be machined, placing high demands on the carbide quality and grade of the tools used and causing an exceptional amount of wear at the same time. What's more, key criteria for a good machining result include high roundness, dimensional accuracy and good surface qualities while maintaining high feeds.

"At BGH our objective for peeling is a cost-optimised and stable process so that we can perform machining efficiently, sustainably and also in a process-secure manner. This ensures all the peeled rods are uniform so we can supply our customers with products of a consistently high standard of quality," says Danilo Kunze, Head of the Bar Peeling Department at BGH in Freital, Germany. The company is therefore always looking for new ideas and solutions to adapt productivity and quality requirements to market conditions.

Turning a defeat into a new opportunity

"As we're always striving to optimise tool systems for our customers, we had a meeting with Danilo Kunze at BGH in Freital in 2023 to propose a tandem solution for bar peeling to him. However, he rejected it outright. It was a bit of a shock for us and we had to process it first," recalls Frank Klostermann, Technical Sales Engineer, Sales Germany Central at CERATIZIT.

Although they could have given up at this point, Frank Klostermann and Roland Friedl, Global Product Manager Carbide Inserts & Cutter Bodies at CERATIZIT, decided to work on a completely new solution. The initial idea of EcoPeel came into being on a napkin! The two of them asked themselves a lot of questions, like why the original tandem solution was rejected and how best to implement the new tool concept. "We both recognised that there was a lot of potential there!" admits Frank Klostermann.

BGH Freital proves to be the perfect sparring partner

The rejection motivated them to develop this innovative approach and work through the initial limiting factors. Once again, they had to consider a long list of questions: What feeds does the customer use? How big can the cutting insert and cartridge be? Which depths of cut best cover the customer's needs to make the product appeal to as many users as possible? Armed with the answers to these questions, Roland Friedl started developing the tool and the first prototypes. Now all they needed was a suitable customer to test it.

So why not approach BGH, who, after all, was the one that got the ball rolling in the first place? Frank Klostermann admits: "It was clear that BGH was the best candidate thanks to the number of peeling machines they have, the extremely wide range of materials they machine and their technical expertise. Plus, the company always wants to progress its operations, so Danilo Kunze welcomed us and allowed us lots of freedom at a very early stage of the project. That was extremely important so that we could drive EcoPeel forward."

80:20 ? the formula for success for 100% performance

Roland Friedl explains: "The basic idea of EcoPeel is to protect the finishing cutting edge. With a single solution, a very short main cutting edge is responsible for 100 percent of the material removal. EcoPeel, on the other hand, divides the chip with a distribution of 80% for the roughing cutting edge and 20% for the finishing cutting edge. This is reflected in the process security and tool life."

EcoPeel also improves chip breakage. With the machining distributed over two inserts, the chip is thinner and therefore easier to control. At the same time, this reduces the chip volume (sometimes by up to 50 percent), which makes a huge difference for some companies. Another advantage is the large radius of the roughing cutting edge; 19 mm for the LN17 insert for example. This means customers can use a much higher feed, significantly increasing the process security and profitability of the system.

EcoPeel as a process booster

"We've definitely made progress in terms of process security with EcoPeel. As two tools are used; one roughing cutting edge and one finishing cutting edge, the depth of cut is distributed across the two so each cutting edge is subjected to lower thermal and mechanical stress, meaning it lasts longer. The process is more stable and the wear on each cutting edge is reduced," says Danilo Kunze.

As the load exerted on each of the cutting edges is lower, they can be sharper, resulting in a reduction in the cutting forces. Overall this exerts less stress on the machine so it runs more smoothly and efficiently with less wear. Danilo Kunze adds: "Due to the higher rate of chip removal, it's sometimes even possible to dispense with an entire operation by carrying out pre-peeling first and then machining the material to the customer's desired diameter straightaway." Distributing the depth of cut over two cutting edges increases the service life of the tool and reduces wear, boosts process stability and produces peeled rods of a more consistent quality overall.

2-in-1 solution for fewer tool changes and stable results

The collaboration between the BGH Group and CERATIZIT is a prime example of an 'innovation circle'. The customer came to CERATIZIT to request help with more efficient machining of a difficult material. Sales Engineer Frank Klostermann and Product Manager Roland Friedl worked together to come up with a solution in the form of EcoPeel, "a unique innovation on the market looking for its perfect match," they both say.

"When I rejected the tandem solution, I merely wanted to avoid filling another compartment in our Tool-O-Mat tool dispensing system with yet another additional tool geometry or grade. EcoPeel combines two tools in one so it only takes up one compartment and I have one roughing cutting insert and one finishing cutting insert that I can use how I like and need. Nothing beats that!" says a satisfied Danilo Kunze.   "We're also nowhere near finished developing EcoPeel. We always keep our ear to the ground and respond to what's needed in production environments by expanding what the EcoPeel system can do to meet new customer requirements," adds Roland Friedl.

CERATIZIT – with passion and a pioneering spirit for hard materials

For over 100 years, CERATIZIT, a member of the Plansee Group, has been a pioneer in developing exceptional hard material solutions for machining and wear protection. The private company, with its registered office in Mamer, Luxembourg, develops and produces highly specialised cutting tools, indexable inserts, rods and wear parts from hard materials. The CERATIZIT Group is the global market leader in several industrial sectors and successfully develops new carbide and cermet grades for wood, metal and stone working and other applications.

With over 7,000 employees at more than 30 production facilities around the world and a sales network comprising over 50 branches, CERATIZIT is a global player in the carbide industry. The company's international network includes the subsidiaries AgriCarb, Stadler Metalle, Xceliron and the joint venture CB-CERATIZIT.

As a technological leader, CERATIZIT is continually investing in research and holds more than 1,000 patents. Innovative hard material solutions from CERATIZIT are used in various sectors, including mechanical engineering and toolmaking, the automotive, aerospace, oil and gas industries and in medical systems.