Kyocera will install smelting equipment at its Kawauchi Plant in Kagoshima Prefecture to recycle tungsten carbide from used cutting tools. Operations are targeted to begin in fiscal 2030, and the company expects to receive approximately ¥3 billion in subsidies under a plan certified by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
Kyocera announced that it will install smelting equipment at its Kawauchi Plant in Satsumasendai, Kagoshima Prefecture, to recycle tungsten carbide from used cutting tools. The equipment is scheduled to begin operating in fiscal 2030, with the aim of ensuring a stable supply of tungsten and strengthening the supply chain.
The recycling process will use the company's proprietary amino-acid process-shortening method, and the recycled tungsten will initially be used in Kyocera's own products. Kyocera will establish a collection system by recovering raw materials from scrap generated in its own processes and through cooperation with distributors and collection companies. In addition to extending tool life and regrinding tools, the company will handle recycling, further strengthening resource circulation.