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July 10, 2026 – Category: Press Releases

Funding Supports AI Innovation in Centrifugal Casting Technology

Schmidt + Clemens receives funding under the EFRE/JTF Programme NRW 2021–2027

Lindlar, July 10, 2026. Innovation has been an integral part of the Schmidt + Clemens success story for more than 145 years. As an internationally operating family-owned company, we combine tradition with cutting-edge technology and continuously invest in research and development to create sustainable solutions for the industries of tomorrow. It is the foundation of our guiding principle: Passion. Innovation. Tradition.

We are therefore delighted that our research project "KI-Guss – AI-based Sustainable Production of High-Quality Centrifugal Castings in North Rhine-Westphalia" has been selected for funding under the EFRE/JTF Programme North Rhine-Westphalia 2021–2027. The project is co-financed by the European Union and the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Action and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.

The objective of the project is to develop and validate a novel AI-based system covering the entire centrifugal casting process chain. Its primary focus is the significant reduction of energy consumption and CO₂ emissions in horizontal centrifugal casting operations.

To achieve this, the project combines state-of-the-art thermography, high-resolution camera systems, and deep learning technologies. Through intelligent real-time monitoring and control of the production process, material losses will be significantly reduced, thereby improving both energy and resource efficiency. The project aims to cut scrap rates by half, resulting in annual energy savings of up to 2.15 million kWh, equivalent to approximately 1,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions across the energy sources electricity and natural gas.

With the KI-Guss project, Schmidt + Clemens is making an important contribution to the digitalization and sustainable transformation of industrial manufacturing. At the same time, the initiative strengthens the innovation capacity and competitiveness of North Rhine-Westphalia as an industrial location and underlines our family-owned company's commitment to actively shaping technological progress.

This funding once again confirms the innovative strength of Schmidt + Clemens and supports our ambition to manufacture high-quality stainless steel components even more resource-efficiently, energy-efficiently, and intelligently in the future. Together, we are shaping the future of centrifugal casting – driven by Passion. Innovation. Tradition.

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