Heinrich Georg GmbH: Up to 14 tool changes per shift

Sltting of steel and aluminium coils. The GEORG toolingrobot makes the difference in productivity.

Kreuztal, Germany, 17 November 2025      The GEORG toolingrobot increases the productivity of slitting lines by means of numerous new performance features – such as short handling and set-up times, machine learning capability, and predictive planning.With the toolingrobot, GEORG automates all manual activities associated with tool changing, as well as tasks such as tool cleaning and knife edge inspection. Its design has been tailored specifically to the needs of steel and aluminum service centers, which have to deal with frequent program changes.

Manual tool changing at slitting lines used to be a very time-consuming process and a critical bottleneck in many operations. By enabling up to 14 tool changes per shift, GEORG is now setting a new industry standard. Such a high rate of tool changes has become possible thanks to a number of advanced engineering features. Using intelligent, machine learning (ML) algorithms, the software can plan ahead ensuring that new tooling assemblies are readily available when needed.

The GEORG toolingrobot is of extremely compact, however scalable, design: Thanks to its modular design concept, the system can be flexibly adapted to changing conditions. Contrary to other manufacturers, GEORG uses a handling robot that basically only moves vertically and radially within the circular tool store. This provides the benefit of short traveling distances and shorter tooling times as a result.

Algorithms save time

GEORG also saves a lot of time by implementing an intelligent functionality that enables the picking of several tools at a time. The self-learning logistics software, for example, stores tool combinations that are frequently used and automatically decides which of these recurring tool packages shall be kept together as fixed entities. All in all, the software reduces the previously typical number of activities by about 25 percent, not considering the fact that the GEORG toolingrobot can perform many preparatory activities autonomously, during the night or on weekends, for example. In this way it sets aside capacity for the next day of production.

Jörn Franz, Head of Finishing Lines at GEORG, sees clear cost advantages for his customers in addition to the process time saved: “Our developers reckon that every GEORG toolingrobot will pay back in less than two years. A ten-percent boost in production – resulting, for example, from just one additional tool change performed in every shift – can result in the RoI period being reduced to just a few months.“

Perfect knives, perfect results

The slitting knives are automatically inspected before being reused. GEORG employs a camera-based solution and intelligent image processing to recognize and categorize defects such as thin cracks and chipping, and the degree of edge wear.

Clean tools around the clock

Also in terms of tool cleaning technology, GEORG is breaking new ground: The washing unit, available as an option, combines the effects of mechanical, chemical and thermal processes. This makes the washing process not only more efficient, but also shorter than in machines available so far. A further novelty is that the washing can run autonomously at any time chosen by the customer – even during the night and on weekends. In this way, the GEORG toolingrobot eliminates another bottleneck that used to impact on the productivity of slitting line operations in the past.

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