Shredding steel swarf at the KIA Slovakia engine production facility
sample of steel swarf prior to shredding
shredder from the first group of machines
shredder from the second group of machines
briquetting
DR120/600 shredding chamber
KIA Slovakia’s engine production facility operates as an independent production division of the Žilina factory, specialising in the manufacture and assembly of combustion engines for KIA and the broader Hyundai Motor Group. The plant is a high‑precision, technology‑intensive environment with strict standards for quality, process stability, production cleanliness, and efficient material flow.
The engine plant generates a significant amount of steel swarf from the machining of engine components. A large share of this material consists of long turnings produced during lathe operations. Efficient handling of these waste streams has a direct impact on operational safety, logistics, cost efficiency, and the facility’s environmental performance.
Centralised swarf‑processing solution.
The solution the engine plant has gradually implemented is a typical example of a centralised system for processing steel swarf from machining. The machining centres are divided into two separate technological groups, each equipped with its own central swarf‑processing unit.
The steel swarf generated by the first group of machines is transported into a single material stream via a conveyor system. At the end of this line, a CASTULIK DR120/600 twin-shaft shredder is installed, operating continuously to reduce the volume of the swarf before it is discharged into the collection container.
The shredder runs in a single‑shift operation, five days a week, with the exception of four weeks per year allocated for planned maintenance of the entire production technology. Its processing capacity is approximately 85 kg of steel swarf per hour, which corresponds to around 156 tonnes of shredded material annually.
Continuous operation and subsequent material recovery
The steel swarf from the second group of machining centres is processed by a second, identical CASTULIK DR120/600 shredder, which forms part of a system operating continuously in 24/7 mode. With an hourly throughput of approximately 115 kg of material, this shredder processes up to 635 tonnes of steel swarf per year, after accounting for the four‑week annual maintenance shutdown.
The shredded swarf is subsequently briquetted, and the cutting fluid is separated and returned to the production process. This approach delivers significant economic savings, reduces the consumption of operating media, and improves the environmental performance of the facility.
Operational reliability and system redundancy.
To ensure high system resilience against both planned shutdowns and unexpected failures, the engine plant is equipped with a spare DR120/600 shredding chamber. Their maintenance team can replace this chamber in‑house, reducing the time required for servicing or repairs of the shredder to just a few hours..
A major advantage of the setup is that both shredders are identical in design, meaning a single spare shredding unit can fully support both processing lines. This approach significantly increases operational reliability, maintenance flexiblity, and overall system availability.
Published: 5. July 2026