Ilsenburger Grobblech GmbH is investing more than 2 million euros in a new waterjet cutting system at its site in Ilsenburg. It is an investment that should pay off, particularly for the growing future segment “Defense”.
The Salzgitter AG subsidiary intends to use the waterjet cutting process to meet the requirements of its customers in the field of safety steels in particular. The new waterjet cutting system with an area of 300 m² is being built together with water treatment and an extension in the cutting area of the Ilsenburg plant.
Cold cutting of sensitive steels
The system is relevant for cutting sensitive steel grades, where thermal influences can occur at the cutting edges during flame cutting in oxyfuel or plasma cutting processes. In a cold cutting process such as waterjet cutting, the cutting jet consisting of the components water, garnet sand and air ensures less material loss for high-strength grades in a wide range of thicknesses and guarantees the high quality that customers expect in the field of Secure safety steels.
With a cutting table around 18 m long and a maximum cutting width of over 5 m, the system in Ilsenburg is one of the largest waterjet cutting systems that the system manufacturer H.G. Ridder Automatisierungs-GmbH from Hamm has ever produced in Europe. In contrast to conventional flame cutting with natural gas, the waterjet cutting system is operated with electricity and can therefore be CO2-neutral thanks to the use of renewable energies. The water treatment system uses innovative pump technology to ensure the circular and therefore sustainable use of water. The project is scheduled for completion at the end of the second quarter of 2026.
Commitment to the location
Robert Kühn, Chairman of the Management Board of Ilsenburger Grobblech GmbH, comments: “By investing in the new waterjet cutting system, we are strengthening the Ilsenburg site in the long term and making it future-proof, especially for the market requirements in the growing defense segment.” With this cutting process, the company is expanding its processing options and meeting the quality requirements of its customers. “At the same time, by investing in the waterjet cutting system, we as a subsidiary of Salzgitter AG are taking a further step towards reducing the carbon footprint of our products and thus supporting the Group’s green transformation,” he adds.