Analysis of machine downtime: how to prevent it with Kersint®

What Are Machine Downtimes and Why They Are So Costly in Industry

Machine downtimes are one of the most critical and underestimated issues in industrial processes. These are unplanned interruptions of the production cycle caused by malfunctions, component wear, emergency maintenance, or other unexpected events. In the wire drawing industry, where productivity is tightly linked to continuous operation, every second of downtime can result in significant financial losses, both in output and maintenance costs.

The main causes of downtime include accelerated wear of key components such as drawing cones, rollers, capstans, and pulleys, which are subject to high mechanical stress and constant friction with the wire. When these parts are not made of high-performance materials, their lifespan shortens, increasing the need for replacements or repairs.

This is where the adoption of advanced ceramic materials, such as Kersint®, makes a difference. Kersint® is a super-sintered zirconium oxide-based ceramic, specifically developed to withstand extreme conditions, reduce wear, and minimize unplanned machine downtimes. Integrating it into critical components allows manufacturers to optimize production, enhance wire quality, and lower operational maintenance costs.

Understanding the root causes of machine downtimes is the first step to eliminating them effectively. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at how Kersint® can become a strategic tool to boost efficiency, reduce production interruptions, and increase competitiveness in the wire drawing sector.

Looking to reduce downtimes in your facility? Contact us to find out how to integrate Kersint® into your components.

READ ALSO: How to Prevent Downtime in Wire Drawing with the Right Coatings

Why Kersint® Is the Ideal Solution to Reduce Component Wear

In the wire drawing industry, component wear is one of the leading causes of machine downtimes. When cones, rollers, rings, or wire guides can no longer maintain precise tolerances or begin to deform, the entire production line is at risk of stopping. Companies are then forced to frequently carry out corrective maintenance, incurring direct and indirect costs: purchasing spare parts, labor, lost production time, and delivery delays.

Kersint®, developed by Paganoni, is a high-performance sintered ceramic material designed to offer a concrete solution to these issues. Composed of zirconium oxide and rare minerals, it features unique characteristics: exceptional resistance to chemical corrosion, outstanding surface hardness, and a negligible wear rate, even under heavy mechanical loads.

One of Kersint®’s most significant advantages is its dimensional stability over time. Even after hundreds of hours of continuous operation, components made with this material maintain ultra-low roughness values (Ra) and a smooth, homogeneous surface. This leads to reduced friction between the wire and the component surface, and consequently, a notable decrease in component degradation.

By adopting Kersint®, manufacturers can significantly extend maintenance intervals, optimizing production cycles. In environments where machine downtimes can heavily impact a company’s monthly balance sheet, implementing such a durable and reliable material becomes a strategic move for competitiveness.

Wondering if Kersint® is the right fit for your plant? Contact us now for a personalized technical consultation on your critical components.

Strategic Components in Kersint®: Where to Apply It for Maximum Benefit

To achieve a real and measurable reduction in machine downtimes, it’s essential to understand where Kersint® should be applied within the production line. Not all components are exposed to the same levels of mechanical or chemical stress, but some — if made from conventional materials — become actual bottlenecks in the production process. These are the critical areas where intervention is most effective to maximize system efficiency.

Among the most effective applications for Kersint®, we find:

• Rollers for multi-wire machines: constantly stressed by high-speed wire passage, they require abrasion-resistant materials with high dimensional stability.
  
• Rings for coppering tanks: exposed to corrosive acidic environments, where Kersint® ensures superior durability compared to metal or other ceramics.
  
• Cones for dry and wet wire drawing: subject to continuous wear, they benefit from the low surface roughness of Kersint®, which minimizes abrasive contact.
  
• Pulleys with inserts and wire guides: crucial for wire alignment and tension, often exposed to micro-fractures caused by friction.
  
• Wire spreaders and bushings: small yet impactful components that contribute directly to process smoothness.
  

Implementing Kersint® in these strategic areas enables enhanced mechanical performance, higher quality in the finished wire, and most importantly, a dramatic decrease in unplanned machine downtimes. This approach goes beyond simple replacement—it’s about engineering durability into the core of the production process.

Curious which components in your system could be upgraded with Kersint®? Get in touch with our technical team for a free evaluation.

Reducing Downtime: Data, Benefits, and Return on Investment (ROI)

When it comes to machine downtimes, it’s essential to move from theoretical considerations to concrete metrics. Companies that have implemented Kersint® in their wire drawing plants have reported up to 70% reductions in unplanned interruptions, with a direct and immediate impact on productivity. This is because components made with Kersint® not only last longer, but also maintain consistent performance over time, avoiding gradual degradation and unexpected failures.

Here’s a real-world example: a company involved in copper wire drawing in acidic environments — where high corrosion and mechanical stress coexist — switched to Kersint® rings. The result was a maintenance frequency reduction from once a month to once every five months, saving dozens of labor hours and reducing overall annual maintenance costs by over 40%.

But the most powerful competitive advantage lies in production continuity. Every avoided shutdown means more output, less waste, better delivery timelines, and improved service quality. A stable process also enables better raw material efficiency, cutting down on scrap and rework.

From an ROI perspective, Kersint® pays for itself quickly: the initial investment is more than compensated by savings from reduced wear, fewer replacements, less downtime, and increased production hours. In many cases, the break-even point is reached within the first six months of regular use. This makes switching to Kersint® not just a technical upgrade, but a strategic business decision.

Want to know what ROI you could achieve with Kersint®? Let’s talk: we can simulate the impact on your costs and performance.

READ ALSO: How to Prevent Downtime in Wire Drawing with the Right Coatings

Conclusion: Kersint® as an Industrial Lever for Operational Efficiency

In the wire drawing industry, operational continuity is not a luxury — it’s a strategic necessity. Machine downtimes not only generate direct costs, but also compromise product quality, increase pressure on technical staff, and undermine the reliability of the entire production chain. That’s why every technical decision must aim not just for durability, but for intelligent longevity: solutions that reduce corrective interventions and keep processes stable over time.

Kersint® fits perfectly into this vision. Thanks to its unique properties — chemical resistance, mechanical stability, minimal surface roughness, and exceptional durability — it is one of the few materials truly capable of eliminating production stoppages at the root. It’s more than just a technical material: it’s a tool for generating efficiency and improving the entire life cycle of industrial systems.

Replacing or reconditioning critical components with Kersint® means investing in quality, reducing unexpected failures, and building a more stable and sustainable production process. The companies choosing this path today are the ones leading the market tomorrow — with greater production capacity, better cost control, and a concrete competitive advantage.Looking to boost efficiency and reliability in your plant? Get in touch today: our technical team is ready to support you in choosing and implementing Kersint® components.