April, 01 2026
Briquetting press reduces costs and increases revenue By compacting aluminium chips in a briquetting press, Carbomill AG reduces logistics costs, saves valuable coolant and increases revenue from recycling.
Hunkeler Systeme AG, our Swiss distribution partner, has been successfully selling RUF briquette presses for many years. Thanks to its expertise and excellent customer service, it plays a key role in promoting our briquette presses and raising their profile in the region.
Carbomill AG produces integrally milled parts with a machining volume of up to 99.3 percent. As part of a major aerospace order, the company invested in a new machining centre from Maschinenfabrik Berthold HERMLE AG. With the commissioning of the HERMLE C62UP and the automatic pallet changer PW3000, the weekly volume of chips rose to 8 to 10 tonnes of high-strength aluminium. Uncompacted, these chips are hardly manageable and cause high manual and logistical effort. In addition, up to 200 litres of expensive coolant are carried away with the chips every day, massively increasing operating costs. Without the ability to compact the chips quickly and efficiently, space problems were looming in addition to high costs.
Volume reduction by factor 8
Recovery of cooling lubricants
A briquetting press supplied by Hunkeler Systeme AG takes over the chips directly from the machining centre. The chips are fed into the press via a special hopper with a pressing device. By compacting the chips into solid briquettes, the volume can be reduced by around a factor of eight. The discharged coolant is collected and pumped back into the treatment system.
Amortised in less than two years
Only the briquetting press makes it possible to dispose of the enormous quantities of chips efficiently. It is therefore process-relevant. Thanks to a high degree of compaction, the press leads to a massive reduction in internal and external logistics costs. Compared to loose chips, recycling companies pay a significantly higher amount for briquetted material. In addition, Carbomill saves up to 200 litres of coolant per day. The payback period of the investment is likely to be less than two years, says the company owner Patrick Meyer.
"We had already had good experiences with a briquetting press from Hunkeler Systeme AG and always appreciated the quality and high level of service. The consulting and support were also decisive for our decision. The new system is absolutely process-relevant for our production – without it, machining on this scale would not be possible. We expect a payback period of under two years, which further justifies the investment.“
– Patrick Meyer, Owner of Carbomill AG
Service provider for the high-tech industry
Carbomill AG, based in Seon (Aargau), was founded in 2011 and specialises in high-end CNC machining of composite materials and metallic integral milled parts. The company serves customers from the aerospace industry, motorsport, research, medical technology as well as mechanical and apparatus engineering.
Highest quality and innovative solutions
Carbomill AG is EN 9100-certified (quality management standard for the aerospace and defence industry) and stands for highest quality, innovative solutions and flexibility. Since 2020, the company has been training polymechanics EFZ and relies on state-of-the-art infrastructure and continuous training.
