Cut costs! Vomat establishes a material loop for carbide

Vomat’s fine filtration of metalworking fluids makes it possible to recover value from grinding sludge ...

Carbide is a valuable raw material and is currently more expensive than ever. Since the beginning of 2026, the price of ammonium paratungstate (APT), the most important precursor for tungsten carbide, has more than doubled from USD 920/MTU in early January to over USD 2,090/MTU in early March. The effects are already being felt directly: weight based surcharges for carbide rods rose from around €32.90 per kilogram to more than €120 per kilogram over the same period. With carbide containing between 85 and 90 per cent tungsten, its calculated material value alone has now reached around €175 per kilogram, making carbide a strategic material.

Resource efficiency and recycling are therefore becoming increasingly important in the toolmaking and metalworking industries. Demand on the global market is unlikely to be fully met in 2026. Some tool manufacturers have already responded by calculating prices daily or securing carbide through material options. The market is consequently moving away from stable supply chains towards short term procurement strategies.

According to Vomat, the quality of metalworking fluids plays a central role in this context. Clean grinding oils, for example, form the basis for stable and economical processes. At the same time, the recovery of carbide from grinding sludge is becoming increasingly important. Vomat’s fine filtration technology demonstrates how the two objectives can be combined efficiently.

Metalworking fluids remain usable for longer

Vomat has been among the technological pioneers in the fine filtration of metalworking fluids for many years. Both its FA series systems and its central filtration systems enable the complete separation of contaminated and clean oil using a full flow process. With a filtration quality of NAS 7, particles measuring between one and three micrometres are reliably removed.

High performance filters, “intelligent” backwashing cycles and precisely controlled cooling systems ensure that metalworking fluids remain in circulation for as long as possible while retaining their properties. According to Vomat, this results in stable processes and consistently high manufacturing quality. Modern filtration technology therefore enables the clean separation of even the finest carbide particles directly from the process.

The choice of a high performance fine filtration system has a direct impact on manufacturing costs. Vomat’s filtration technology therefore combines efficiency, process quality and resource conservation, a combination that the company considers essential for modern metalworking.

Carbide recovery enhances competitiveness

According to Vomat, filtration only realises its full potential when combined with systematic material recovery. When carbide tools are ground, the company uses a specially developed sedimentation unit that separates the filtered grinding sludge almost completely from the oil. The company says this turns grinding sludge into a valuable raw material that can be marketed directly.

Against the background of current carbide price developments, investment in modern filtration and recovery technology can therefore offer a clear competitive advantage. Thanks to its design, the system achieves a residual oil content of less than six per cent in the sedimented carbide sludge. According to Vomat, this provides ideal conditions for resale to recycling companies.

The filtration system remains in operation throughout the separation process, avoiding production interruptions. The separated sludge is also transferred directly into recycling containers without contaminating auxiliary materials. As the high performance filters operate without consumables such as cellulose or paper belts, the carbide remains free from foreign substances. Vomat says this enables the recovery of unmixed material and maximises potential returns.

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