Research and Development
‘FlexiDraw’ research project
What is the objective of FlexiDraw?
Industrial wire production is facing major challenges: increasingly smaller batch sizes and growing demands for flexibility, precision, and sustainability require new solutions. Conventional wire drawing processes are inflexible, time-consuming to reconfigure, and result in significant material losses and energy consumption due to changeovers and subsequent processing.
FlexiDraw addresses these challenges with the aim of developing an innovative machine capable of varying the wire diameter flexibly and continuously in real time – without the need for tool changes or lubricants.
At the core of the project is the integration of machine learning (ML) and finite element methods (FEM) into an intelligent control system. Sensors continuously collect all relevant process data, while an AI system analyzes and controls the production process, automatically adjusting the parameters to changing requirements.
This makes it possible, for the first time, to manufacture wires with variable cross-sections directly and efficiently, as required, for example, for innovative springs, specialized components, or electronic applications.
