DieBot V2 replaces the highest-risk, highest-variance manual task on the Wisconsin Centrifugal floor with a recipe-controlled automated cell — and converts 9–12 minute mold cleanings into 30-second cycles.
An operator stands over a die that is actively spinning, reaches in with a wire brush on a stick, and clears casting residue from the cavity. Wash is applied next, by hand, with a manual siphon gun — close range, open machine, elevated temperature.
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.
Manual wire-brushing inside a spinning die. Repeated every casting cycle.
Coating failures from inconsistent operator application. Direct quality and scrap impact.
Wire-brush cleaning + manual wash application. Both at close range to spinning equipment.
DieBot V2 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. Optional integration with infrared cameras for closed-loop temperature-modulated application.
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. 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 V2 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 V2 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 |
| — | Enclosure IP67 · sealed against dust + jet water |
| — | Controller Next-gen core · WiFi + Bluetooth onboard |
| — | Temperature Rating Elevated-temp rated for foundry-floor adjacency |
| — | Switchgear IP67 limit switches · sealed push-buttons |
| — | Speed Control IP67 rotary interface |
| — | E-Stop Mushroom-head · twist-release · side-mounted |
| 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 · elevated-temperature rated · IP67 enclosure |
| Switchgear | IP67 limit switches · IP67 speed-control interface · sealed push-buttons throughout |
| Operating modes | Programmable Automated · Augmented Manual |
| Stage 1 — Cleaning | High-pressure water-jet · rotating conical tip · figure-8 spray pattern |
| Stage 2 — Evacuation | Venturi pneumatic vacuum · no mechanical pumps in wet path · self-draining |
| Stage 3 — Wash application | Programmable wash delivery · optional IR-camera temperature-modulated control |
| Mounting | Single-leg 2" Ø locator pin into pre-drilled operator-platform holes · no modifications to die or pit |
| Utilities required from facility | Compressed air · electrical power |
| Utilities provided in scope | High-pressure washer · fittings · plumbing · integration labor |
| Lead time | 4–6 weeks from PO to operational install |
| Service · Spare parts | Kuehl Industrial Services · stocked in Dane, WI |
| IP protection | Patents pending |
The numbers below are drawn from validated trial testing against the current manual process. Combined, they represent a measurable shift in what a Bay 5 cell can produce in an 8-hour shift, without adding equipment, headcount, or floor space.
9–12 min manual cleaning → 30 sec DieBot cycle. Per mold. Every cycle.
From 116 min to 99 min per 3-cast cycle. Measured in trial testing.
1.55 → 1.82 castings per hour. Same cell, no additional headcount.
Additional castings per shift from the same three-machine cell.
Coating failure rate reduced from ~10% to ~3% under recipe-controlled wash.
Combined cycle-time + defect-reduction improvement per 8-hour shift.
HP cleaning captures particulate at source. Venturi vacuum extracts before evaporation. Measured air-quality improvement facility-wide.
Annual direct + indirect cost avoidance per recordable safety incident eliminated.
No manual operator contact with the spinning die during the cleaning or wash cycle.
Adjust the parameters for your operation. Output updates live.
Phase 2 investment of $1.0M payback period: —
Bay 5 contains four vertical centrifugal dies. The deployment architecture treats them as a single coordinated system — shared service infrastructure, shared spare parts, shared training, and a phased capital plan that ties payment to demonstrated performance at each stage.
Recognition of engineering development to date. Validated proof of concept already in operation at the demonstration cell. Sign-and-approve to release first V2 unit into Bay 5.
40 / 40 / 20 schedule over the 4–6 week delivery window. Each milestone payment due upon successful demo of that milestone's deliverables.
DieBot units for remaining Bay 5 dies, high-pressure washers, fittings, integration labor. KIS provides all utility integration; MetalTek provides air and electrical service points.
All four Bay 5 cells running recipe-controlled die preparation. Operator role shifts from in-cell laborer to supervisor.
Complete Bay 5 automation and process-control buildout. Full program target including ongoing process-control investments beyond DieBot.
Bay 5 operates as a fully recipe-controlled, instrumented production environment with auditable per-cast outputs.
Three issues we expect will come up. Addressed directly.
DieBot deployment maps cleanly to the IRS Four-Part Test for federal R&D credit eligibility. A portion of MetalTek's Phase 1 investment may be recoverable as tax credit, materially improving the effective cost of the engagement.
DieBot V2 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 iteration with trial testing, hypothesis refinement, and measured performance evaluation.
MetalTek's tax advisor (or Baker Tilly's R&D credit practice) can confirm specific eligibility and quantify the credit. KIS will support documentation of the qualifying activities.
Approve the $300,000 Phase 1 contract to release the first V2 unit into production and commit forward to the $1.0M Bay 5 scale-out. Phase 1 delivery in 4–6 weeks from PO. Payment 40/40/20 against milestone demonstrations.