How DynaMate Cuts 22,800 Meters of Cardboard with One Blade
When DynaMate AB developed a robotic box opening station for a major pharmaceutical manufacturer, blade life became critical for uptime and maintenance planning. With a Sollex solid tungsten carbide pointed blade, the process achieved 22,800 meters of cutting per blade — almost 9 times longer than the original target.
At Sollex, we sometimes get a very difficult question from our industrial customers: "How long does the blade last?"
DynaMate AB, a leading Swedish industrial service provider experts in automation and optimizing production processes, asked us this exact question. Guided by their mission to develop the industry of the future, DynaMate was commissioned to build a highly efficient, robotic opening station for corrugated boxes in a clean medical production environment for a major pharmaceutical manufacturer.
The results from the production floor completely shattered initial expectations, proving once again that when it comes to industrial automated cutting, material selection is everything.
The Challenge: Unpredictable Lifespans in Abrasive Materials
DynaMate's robotic machine needed to continuously cut the lids off corrugated cardboard boxes (approximately 250x380mm with a thickness of 1.5mm ± 0.25mm).
At full production capacity, they calculated that the system would need to cut roughly 2.6 kilometers of cardboard per month.
"We chose to have the robot open every other carton clockwise/counterclockwise, this way manual work of turning the knife was avoided 😊"
To deliver the high productivity and low maintenance, DynaMate’s automation engineering team reached out to Sollex with a specific goal: they wanted a single blade to last one week.They asked if this was a reasonable assumption and if we had statistics to back it up. Our answer was honest: You have to test it in the Gemba (the actual industrial reality).
Cutting corrugated cardboard is surprisingly demanding. Paper fibers, combined with the additives used in modern packaging, are highly abrasive and wear down steel edges rapidly. Furthermore, the lifespan of a blade depends heavily on how the material is tensioned and fixed as it feeds into the knife. While we knew our premium blades outperformed standard steel, the exact mileage always depends on the physical realities of the machine.
The Solution: Going Straight for Maximum Durability
Because time was tight and DynaMate was building for a strict Big Pharma environment where downtime is costly, there was no room to waste time evaluating substandard blades. Sollex worked closely with DynaMate's team to optimize the material selection and knife type for the robotic arm.
They skipped standard steel options (like the Martor 761) and went straight for the ultimate durability upgrade: The Sollex Pointed Blade 761V.
Blade Specifications:
- Model: Sollex 761V Pointed Blade (33.7 x 26 x 0.90mm)
- Material: Solid Tungsten Carbide
- Design: Single-ground, two-sided
Solid tungsten carbide is exceptionally resistant to the abrasive wear caused by cutting cardboard, making it the perfect choice for high-volume automated packaging lines.
The Result: 22.8 Kilometers of Cutting Power
After commissioning the equipment and running the 761V in the live automated environment, DynaMate shared their findings in a 5-star review:
"DynaMate AB was commissioned on behalf of a customer to build a robotic opening station for corrugated boxes. Sollex AB helped us with material selection and the type of knife in an excellent way. After commissioning the equipment, we can conclude that each blade (Pointed blade 761) cuts 22,800 meters before it is time for a change, which is a very good result and a highly satisfied end customer"
Let’s break down that number. DynaMate originally hoped a blade would last one week (2.6 km total, or 1.3 km per edge).
By choosing solid tungsten carbide, they achieved 11,400 meters per edge. Because the blade is two-sided and both edges were used, each blade delivers a massive 22,800 meters of total cutting. This means a single knife keeps the robotic automation machine running flawlessly for nearly nine weeks—far surpassing the target of one week.
Key Takeaways for Automated Cutting
- Expert Consultation Pays Off: Partnering with cutting specialists early in the machine design phase ensures the right blade material is chosen from day one, skipping costly trial-and-error phases with substandard steel.
- Skip the Steel for Abrasive Materials: Cutting corrugated cardboard, paper, or plastics with chalk/titanium additives will destroy standard carbon or stainless steel rapidly. Upgrading to solid tungsten carbide is an investment that drastically reduces machine downtime.
- Test in the Real World: Statistics and lab tests are helpful, but the only way to know true blade longevity is to run it in the specific machine under normal production conditions. In DynaMate's case, the real-world results outperformed estimates by almost 900%.
Looking to optimize your automated cutting process? If your production line struggles with frequent blade changes, poor cuts, or excessive downtime, contact Sollex today. We offer a wide range of solid tungsten carbide, ceramic, and advanced coated blades designed to keep your machines running longer.
