DieBot V3 replaces the highest-risk, highest-variance manual task on the 84" Vertical Centrifugal Machine with a recipe-controlled automated cell — delivering substantial cycle-time improvements and eliminating burn-in scrap at the machine with Bay 5's highest per-cast quality impact. This proposal is the output of a 14-month continuous-improvement partnership between KIS and MetalTek, grounded in MetalTek's kaizen operating philosophy and the $1.5M kaizen budget framed at the start of the relationship.
An operator stands over a die that is actively spinning, reaches in with a wire brush on a stick, and clears wash residue from the die surfaces. Wash is applied next, by hand, with a manual siphon gun — close range, open machine, elevated temperature, and rotating equipment.
Two operations, both required every cycle, both performed by hand at close proximity to rotating equipment running at elevated temperature. The result is a process that is simultaneously high-risk from a safety standpoint and inherently variable from a quality standpoint. Spray distance, angle, overlap, travel speed, temperature judgment, and coating thickness all vary by operator — and can vary within the same mold. The current cold-water power-washing system at Wisconsin Centrifugal was measured at 3,800 PSI during the KIS demonstration — well below the pressure required for consistent cleaning of die geometries depending upon the different type of wash being applied (white, pink, or blue). The same job description asks operators to "offer recommendations for process improvements" and "participate in Pour Groups and other teams to improve all aspects of casting production" — MetalTek's kaizen operating philosophy stated in its own words. DieBot V3 is the result of that philosophy applied to the one task where manual execution has reached its practical limit.
No currently employed operators were observed utilizing standard PPE respirators during manual wash application and cleaning cycles. This observation was made during KIS site visits in the current state. The task involves close-range exposure to atomized wash chemicals and particulate from wire-brush cleaning of hot die surfaces — exactly the conditions that OSHA and standard foundry practice guidance identify as requiring respiratory PPE. DieBot V3 removes the operator from the exposure zone entirely, making the respirator question moot by design rather than by compliance.
Manual wire-brushing inside a spinning die. Repeated every casting cycle. Observed on SD024-06 × 26.
Coating failures from inconsistent operator application. Direct quality and scrap impact. MetalTek-supplied figure, Bay 5 vertical cast machines.
Wire-brush cleaning, manual wash application, and post-extraction debris shoveling. All at close range to hot, rotating equipment. DieBot's vacuum system is scoped to eliminate the debris-shoveling step alongside the other two.
This proposal did not arrive cold. It is the current state of an ongoing continuous-improvement engagement between KIS and MetalTek that began in July 2025 and has produced eight distinct solutions to safety, efficiency, and process-control challenges across Wisconsin Centrifugal.
MetalTek's own job postings describe its operating culture: "continuous improvement is valued." KIS has spent the last 14 months earning the right to make this proposal — through demonstrations, pilots, provided equipment, and no-cost planning engagements, each one addressing a problem MetalTek raised and KIS solved.
First KIS–MetalTek technical engagement. Dry-ice blasting evaluated as a non-abrasive die cleaning method.
Second solution: sub-10,000 PSI pressure cleaning with properly specified rotary spray nozzles — the engineering groundwork for what would become DieBot's Stage 1 cleaning module.
Core focus on repeatability and reliability of the automated wash application — the foundation of the recipe-controlled approach now scoped for the 84" VCM.
KIS funded the thermography equipment usage to facilitate a third-party demonstration — enabling MetalTek to evaluate the technology at zero cost. Became the basis for the integrated thermal camera in V3.
Non-destructive inspection capability demonstration for process-quality diagnostics across the facility.
Facility-level engagement outside the immediate DieBot scope — KIS supporting MetalTek's broader operational hygiene objectives.
Process-safety and environmental compliance planning engagement for MetalTek's Wisconsin Centrifugal operations.
Engineering scope for MetalTek's blasting shop — the ninth KIS-contributed solution in the partnership before this proposal.
The culmination: a $2.4M, single-machine deployment combining air handling, thermography, vacuum system, ultra-high-pressure washing, recipe-controlled wash application, and dedicated two-month on-site engineering support. Not a product purchase. The endpoint of a 14-month continuous-improvement engagement.
"KIS has brought numerous immediate solutions to the conversation, all leading to this proposal and the execution that follows." This is what a kaizen vendor relationship produces at maturity — real problems solved, iteratively, over time, with the vendor earning each successive engagement.
DieBot V3 converts die preparation from an operator-dependent process into a recipe-controlled sequence with measurable, auditable outputs. The unit performs all three between-cast operations under program control.
Motorized nozzle carrier descends into the die cavity at operator-tunable feed rates with independent high/low depth setpoints. Consistent, repeatable residue removal across the full casting surface.
Pneumatic Venturi pulls contaminated wash water out of the cavity in-process, before evaporation can leave residue behind. No mechanical pumps in the wet path. Self-draining, low-maintenance.
Programmable wash delivery lays down a consistent, repeatable film of die release. Integrated thermal camera enables temperature-modulated wash application. Coating thickness is engineered into the recipe through the volumetric calculation described below.
Each die is 3D-scanned on-site to determine the exact square-centimeter area of its wash surface. KIS supplies and leaves on-site a handheld 3D scanner that MetalTek retains after the two-month implementation — meaning MetalTek can build recipes for new die geometries independently going forward.
After successful first-run tuning, this becomes the permanent recipe for that specific die, indefinitely. The thermal camera provides 100% die-surface thermal coverage from an elevated center-point; for irregular geometries, the camera is lowered into the VCM to capture thermography not visible from above. The encoding system guarantees millimeter-precision travel speed and position tracking for every pass.
Two interchangeable modes of operation. Programmable Automated Mode runs die-specific recipes with parameters tunable per die. Augmented Manual Mode permits the operator to adjust and override in real time via sealed push-buttons and rotary speed controls without exiting the work cell. Recipe control is handled through a separate industrial-grade HMI dedicated to recipe management, distinct from the manual-override panel. The full control package is IP67-rated for the splash-prone, elevated-temperature environment immediately adjacent to the die.
This is a working simulation of the DieBot V3 control interface. Set a target depth, choose a spray mode, and run a cycle. Every parameter shown corresponds to a real, configurable setpoint on the deployed unit.
Every interaction in this simulation maps to a real configurable parameter on the V3 unit. When deployed, recipes are saved per die and recalled by selecting a job from the unit's operator interface.
Every component is CAD-modeled, dimensioned to tolerance, and built around an IP67-rated control core. The drawings below are derived directly from the deployed unit's engineering files.
| 01 | Stepper Drive NEMA-frame · belt-coupled · top-mounted |
| 02 | Linear Rail 1300mm extrusion · ±0.05mm repeatability |
| 03 | Control Enclosure IP67 · WiFi/BT controller · sealed switchgear |
| 04 | Carriage Block Twin linear bearings · belt-driven Y travel |
| 05 | A-Frame Arm 75° diagonal compression · spray reaction load path |
| 06 | 2" Ø Mount Pin Locator pin into pre-drilled platform hole |
| 07 | Spray Head Rotating HP nozzle + Venturi wash applicator |
| Y-axis travel | Up to 59" stroke · stepper-driven · ±0.05mm rail repeatability |
| X-axis positioning | Manual lever-arm with 2" Ø locator pin · pre-drilled platform mount holes · automation-ready |
| Control core | Next-gen controller · onboard WiFi + Bluetooth · electronics housed in positive-pressure enclosure located ~10 ft from die to isolate sensitive components from the thermal zone |
| Recipe interface | Industrial-grade HMI, dedicated to recipe management · distinct from manual-override panel · supports volumetric recipe calibration per die |
| Operating modes | Programmable Automated (recipe-driven) · Augmented Manual (operator override via sealed push-buttons, V1 holdover for operator confidence) |
| Stage 1 — Cleaning | 7,000 PSI high-pressure water-jet · rotating conical tip · figure-8 spray pattern (proprietary KIS, tuned per die geometry + wash viscosity) |
| Stage 2 — Evacuation | Venturi pneumatic vacuum · no mechanical pumps in wet path · self-draining |
| Stage 3 — Wash application | Volumetric recipe engine · 100% thermal coverage via DieBot-arm-mounted thermal camera · temperature-modulated pass timing · engineered coating thickness per cycle |
| Post-extraction debris handling | 3-inch heat-safe vacuum system · arm-mounted over 84" VCM · operator-controlled |
| 3D die scanning | Handheld 3D scanner · supplied by KIS · retained by MetalTek post-implementation for independent recipe calibration of new die geometries |
| Mounting | Single-leg 2" Ø locator pin into pre-drilled operator-platform holes · no modifications to die or pit |
| Compressed air required | Minimum 20 PSI from facility · supplies positive-pressure electronics enclosure |
| Electrical required | 480V three-phase for vacuum system · existing Bay 5 service sufficient |
| Utilities provided in scope | 7,000 PSI pressure washer system (vs 3,800 PSI current MetalTek equipment measured during KIS demo) · fittings · plumbing · integration labor |
| Lead time | 4–6 weeks from PO to operational install |
| Implementation support | One dedicated KIS engineer on-site, 40 hours/week, first shift M–F, for two months · includes die scanning, recipe calibration, operator training |
| Service · Spare parts | Kuehl Industrial Services direct · stocked in Dane, WI |
| IP protection | Patents pending |
Six years of wash-related scrap data from Wisconsin Centrifugal show one machine as the single largest source of loss. The 84" Vertical Centrifugal Machine — the machine this proposal deploys DieBot on — has consumed $453,013 in wash-related scrap over the FY21–FY26 period, more than any other machine at Wisconsin Centrifugal.
Wash-related scrap on the 84" VCM only. For Bay 5 vertical castings, in the data set used to capture conservative scrap avoidance through automation. Scrap only; castings reworked and saved are excluded, so true cost is meaningfully higher.
The 84" VCM produces the largest castings in Bay 5. When wash application fails on a die of that size — burn-in, coating adhesion failure, thickness variation — the resulting scrap is proportionally more expensive than any other machine at Wisconsin Centrifugal. The failure modes are also the ones DieBot is specifically engineered to address.
Defect code B02 — "casting burned into die" accounts for 82% of wash-related scrap in this dataset. Burn-in is the failure mode driven by inadequate, uneven, or improperly-temperature-matched wash application — the exact conditions DieBot's recipe-controlled system is engineered to prevent. On the 84" VCM specifically, this is the primary loss mechanism.
Wash-related burn-in is driven by four controllable process variables. Manual application cannot hold any of them to spec across a shift, across operators, or across the surface of larger dies. DieBot delivers all four by design.
DieBot's thermal camera integration ensures wash is applied at the correct die surface temperature. Manual application on a cold die causes gassing-off of the wet coating; on a hot die, poor adhesion. Both produce burn-in on the next cast.
A fixed carrier holds the nozzle at exactly the design distance from the die surface. Manual application varies — too close causes drips and saturation; too far causes wash to dry in the air before contact, producing little or no adhesion.
Programmed travel speed plus consistent applicator distance produces an even coating thickness across all corners and surfaces. Every square inch of the die gets equally protected from erosion during casting. No thin spots, no thick spots, no bare corners.
DieBot's articulating nozzle can coat features that are currently uncoated in the standard process — including flange undersides. Today those require removing the die from the machine, suspending it in the air, and spraying with fall protection deployed. That process introduces overspray, ergonomic risk, and coverage inconsistency. DieBot eliminates it entirely.
Wisconsin Centrifugal has logged two die-related safety incidents directly on the 84" VCM since May 2024. At an average cost per die-related incident of $69,956, that represents approximately $140,000 in avoidable incident cost. Industry-standard indirect-cost multipliers (3–10×) would put the true cost meaningfully higher.
DieBot eliminates operator exposure during the two highest-frequency tasks in die preparation on the 84" VCM: wire-brush cleaning of the spinning die cavity and manual wash application at close range.
Assumes cost absorbed by a self-insured business using OSHA SafetyPays estimator at the conservative 1.1× indirect-cost multiplier.
Metrics below are measured performance of a prior DieBot revision under trial testing at Wisconsin Centrifugal (job SD024-06 × 26 on the 46" VCM). The delivered unit for the 84" VCM builds on this platform with the additions scoped in Section 1. The 97% wash-defect reduction target reflects DieBot V3's initial recipe-controlled performance envelope, with an achievable long-run target of >99% defect-free based on recipe stabilization through on-site tuning.
Vs. 3,800 PSI measured on MetalTek's current cold-water power-washing system during the KIS demonstration. ~84% pressure increase over current equipment — the technical lever that enables consistent cleaning of larger die geometries.
9–12 min manual cleaning → 45 sec average DieBot cycle. Per mold. Every cycle. Trial reference: SD024-06 × 26.
Measured against the current manual wash cycle only: 116 min to 99 min per 3-cast cycle, trial testing. Total cycle improvement will exceed this materially once DieBot's combined cleaning + wash application is deployed — the 12–16× cleaning multiplier has not yet been combined with this figure. True combined cycle reduction will be re-measured post-implementation.
Efficiency gains from the 17.2% throughput improvement (1.55 → 1.82 castings/hr) translate to roughly 15 additional EAF cast days available annually — added capacity to allocate against Wisconsin Centrifugal's demand book.
Target residual wash-defect rate of ~3% based on DieBot's initial performance under recipe-controlled application, with an achievable long-run target of >99% defect-free. Up from the current ~10% defect rate on Bay 5 vertical cast machines.
HP cleaning captures particulate at source; Venturi vacuum extracts before evaporation. The remaining atmospheric exposure comes from the human labor element — removed entirely under DieBot V3.
No manual operator contact with the spinning die during the cleaning or wash cycle. Vacuum system eliminates the post-extraction debris shoveling step. All three operator exposure tasks removed.
Defaults reflect Wisconsin Centrifugal's internal accounting for the 84" VCM: ~8 wash-scrap events per year at an average scrap cost of $35,000 per event, and ~2 die-related safety incidents since May 2024. Move any input to test scenarios.
$2.4M payback on documented $ value alone: —
Reading the math: Only the documented $ value drives the payback figure. Added production capacity is shown separately in EAF cast days rather than dollars — Wisconsin Centrifugal's internal facility-absorption and lost-facility-time rates convert those days to dollars against the customer's own book, which varies by allocation. Safety savings use OSHA's conservative 1.1× indirect-cost multiplier; industry-standard 3–10× would yield materially higher figures. This model excludes porosity, inclusions, and O.D. surface defects — also wash-related — so true recovery is likely 2–3× higher.
One machine has cost Wisconsin Centrifugal $453,013 in documented wash-related scrap over six years. At the internal per-event scrap cost of $35,000, DieBot's projected 97% reduction returns roughly $272,000 per year in avoided scrap alone — and that figure excludes porosity, inclusions, O.D. surface defects, safety incident avoidance, and ~15 additional EAF cast days of production capacity. This is the conservative floor. The true return runs materially higher.
One dedicated V3 DieBot unit for the 84" VCM in Bay 5, delivered on a 4–6 week timeline from PO. Payment milestones tied to demonstrated performance. Delivery, integration, and service all under a single point of contact at Kuehl Industrial Services.
One V3 DieBot engineered for the 84" VCM in Bay 5. Includes 7,000 PSI high-pressure cleaning, Venturi wash-water evacuation, volumetric recipe-controlled wash application, DieBot-arm-mounted thermal camera, 3-inch heat-safe vacuum arm for post-extraction debris, and industrial-grade HMI for recipe control. 2" locator-pin mount preserves operator flexibility to reposition if operations require.
DieBot V3 is a mature engineered product. Delivery includes on-site installation, integration with MetalTek air and electrical service points, operator training, and commissioning. Working proof-of-concept has been demonstrated at the KIS test cell and across the 14-month solution partnership documented in Section 2B.
Payment tied to demonstrated milestones: 50% upon contract signing, 30% upon delivery and on-site setup, 20% upon on-site implementation acceptance at the end of the two-month engagement. Each milestone payment due only upon successful demonstration of that milestone's deliverables. R&D component available as separate line item for the Baker Tilly tax credit process.
One KIS engineer/technician on-site at Wisconsin Centrifugal, 40 hours per week, first shift Monday through Friday (8:00 AM – 4:00 PM), for the full two-month implementation period. Not a service call — a continuous presence to perform per-die 3D scanning, build the volumetric recipes, tune the system in the live production environment, train operators, and resolve issues in real time. The engineers who will be on-site are the same KIS team members who ran your demo trial, so the continuity from evaluation through deployment is already established.
At the end of the two-month implementation, the handheld 3D scanner used to build the per-die recipes is retained by MetalTek — along with the training to operate it. New die geometries introduced in the future can be scanned and recipe-calibrated by MetalTek independently, without a return engagement from KIS. The capital asset transfers; the knowledge transfers with it.
KIS is the designer, manufacturer, and integrator of DieBot. Post-installation service is provided directly by KIS — no third-party service contract required. Spare parts stocked in Dane, WI, within same-day drive of Wisconsin Centrifugal.
Three issues we expect will come up. Addressed directly.
Per guidance received through MetalTek personnel from Baker Tilly, approximately $1.8M of the $2.4M proposal qualifies as R&D-eligible engineering activity under the IRS Four-Part Test. KIS will document the qualifying work as a separate line item on the $2.4M invoice — enabling MetalTek's tax team to work with Baker Tilly (or the tax advisor of MetalTek's choice) to recover a portion of the investment as tax credit, materially improving effective project cost.
DieBot V3 deployment activities at Wisconsin Centrifugal would be evaluated against each criterion below. We've mapped the work to the test:
Based on mechanical and electrical engineering, control systems, and pneumatic process design.
New process development. Improvements in quality, durability, cost reduction, and performance.
Methodology, design, and capability uncertainty addressed through iterative engineering development.
V1 → V2 → V3 iteration with trial testing, hypothesis refinement, and measured performance evaluation.
The $1.8M qualifying figure reflects guidance Baker Tilly provided to MetalTek personnel in prior consultation. MetalTek's tax advisor can confirm specific eligibility and quantify the final credit at the time of filing. KIS will support documentation of the qualifying activities as part of the standard deliverable.
Approve the $2.4M single-unit deployment to place a dedicated V3 DieBot on the 84" VCM in Bay 5. Delivery in 4–6 weeks from PO. Payment 50/30/20 against milestone demonstrations, with the final 20% released after the two-month on-site implementation is complete. R&D component available as a separate line item for the Baker Tilly tax credit process.