Production with guaranteed quality - from the raw material to the finished ball
About three billion balls annually – and each of them is perfect. To ensure things stay that way in the future, all our balls, from the origin of the raw material to the packing unit delivered, undergo a transparent production process, which is continuously traceable. We can therefore guarantee our customers 100 percent batch purity. We guarantee this through controlled processes and complex testing procedures – because we refuse to compromise on quality and precision.
Our production process
Raw material wire → Tacking / Pressing → Rolling → Hardening → Grinding → Lapping → Polishing → Washing → Sorting → Final check
Ausgangsmaterial für die KGM-Kugelproduktion ist Draht. In kleinen Stiften wird er zur Kugel zusammengepresst und grob geschliffen. Eine anschließende Wärmebehandlung verleiht dem Produkt die nötige Härte. Bis zur gewünschten Größe und Oberflächengüte folgen diverse Schleifprozesse, zwischen denen die Kugeln gewaschen, getrocknet, sortiert und auf vielfältige Weise auf Fehler überprüft werden. Mit der Politur erhalten die runden Produktionen schließlich ihre glatte Oberfläche. Erst nachdem einwandfreie Qualität attestiert wurde, wird die Ware verpackt und über das KGM-eigene Logistik-System zügig zum Kunden gebracht.
Raw material wire
What is subsequently to become round, usually starts off at KGM as a wire. The raw material is the basis for the further manufacturing process.
Tacking / Pressing
In order to make a ball out of the wire, it is first cut into small tacks and finally pressed into shape.
Rolling
The “equatorial ring” in the half of the ball resulting from the pressing is completely eliminated during subsequent rolling between two rough grinding wheels.
Hardening
The coarsely ground ball is subjected to a heat treatment process right after rolling, giving it the appropriate hardness.
Grinding
After the round in the kiln equipped with the desired hardness, the ball is finally, using various grinding processes, brought into shape with diameters and surface finish.
Lapping
After initial testing, sorting and detection of faulty results, the ball that has “passed” the lapping heads for the finishing touches.
Polishing
Next comes the polishing that ultimately gives the ball its smooth surface.
Washing
With so many steps, which the ball that has now reached the manufacturing process has gone through, all the abrasive particles are removed during the washing process.
Sorting
Screening is now done once again: any ball that survives this ends up in the final check – the last step in the manufacturing process.
Final check
Every single ball is accurately examined in the final check once more for shape, dimensional accuracy, incorrect material and surface finish. Even the smallest variances lead to failure – only a 100% high-quality ball ultimately leaves the KGM production.