Kick-off for the new joint project R3skaling at the WOT professorship
The BMWE-funded joint project „R3skaling – Resource optimisation for steel and copper materials along the rolling process chain by modelling scaling and descaling“ was launched on 19.02.2026 with a joint event of all consortium members. The WOT professorship is coordinating the project.
The R3skaling project aims to reduce the scaling of metals, such as steel and copper, within the hot rolling process chain in order to conserve resources and save CO2. This is achieved by combining experimental investigations and simulation-based predictions of the scale within the hot forming process chains. With the help of these approaches, scale formation is to be reduced while maintaining component quality and scale removal measures are to be designed more efficiently. As over 90 % of the copper and steel products manufactured worldwide are hot-formed, the project offers considerable savings potential in terms of more efficient use of resources and energy if the objectives set are successfully realised.
A strong alliance of two universities and industrial partners in the field of steel and copper processing and software development was formed to achieve the desired goals. The Chair of Materials and Surface Technology is coordinating the entire joint project and is working closely with the IBF at RWTH Aachen University. The partners GMH, Dirostahl and Aurubis support us with materials, expertise in process technology and validation tests. For furnace control and descaling, we have two strong partners at our side, GIWEP and Lechler. The alliance is rounded off by the collaboration of Hexagon and Transvalor in the area of modelling forming processes.
The WOT would like to thank all partners for the great start to the project and the Project Management Organisation Jülich (PTJ) and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) for funding the project. We look forward to a productive and successful project!
Image: Consortium of the R3skaling project at the kick-off meeting on 19 February 2026 at Chemnitz University of Technology (from left to right: Nayeem Siddique (TUC), Dr Lisa Winter (TUC), Tim Bergelt (TUC), Dr Guido Mittler (Karl Diederichs GmbH & Co. KG), Jochen Munz (Lechler GmbH), Lena Koch (RWTH Aachen), Lisa-Marie Kobusch (GMH), Samuel Plattner (RWTH Aachen), Sven Hadrian (GIWEP), Prof Thomas Lampke (TUC), Manuel Bryan (GMH) (Photo: WOT).
3.3.2026 – Projects of the professorship ( tim.bergelt@mb… )
