Automated Cutting Line for Complex Nickel Processing

From heavy manual handling to a fully automated production process

Processing heavy nickel plates requires more than a standard cutting solution. Especially when the material is irregularly shaped, uneven in thickness, and difficult to handle manually. For a customer in South Africa, SafanDarley developed a fully automated cutting line for processing nickel cathodes.

Before this solution, the customer handled the nickel plates manually. This made the process labor-intensive, physically demanding, and less efficient. At the same time, the customer needed a reliable solution to cut the material into custom-sized nickel blocks for further use in applications such as alloys, melting processes, and automotive batteries.

SafanDarley developed a complete, customer-specific automation line: from pallet infeed and material handling to measuring, cutting, weighing, filling, and transport.

The challenge: heavy, irregular, and valuable material

Nickel cathodes are formed through an electrolytic process. As a result, the plates are not perfectly flat or uniform. They can have bends, thickness variations, sharp edges, and irregular dimensions. In addition, the plates are heavy and difficult to handle safely by hand.

This required a smart and robust solution. Not just a machine with enough cutting power, but a complete line capable of assessing, positioning, and processing the material with minimal manual intervention.

The challenge was clear: develop an automated cutting line that could reliably process heavy, irregular nickel plates into blocks of approximately 100 x 100 mm, with high output and operation by just one operator.

The solution: a complete automated cutting line

SafanDarley designed and built a complete cutting line in which material handling, measuring technology, shearing technology, software, and control systems come together in one integrated solution.

The process starts with the infeed of nickel plates on pallets. The plates are then automatically picked, positioned, measured, and assessed. Based on this information, the line determines how the material can be processed most efficiently. The plates are then cut in several steps into smaller blocks. These blocks are weighed, filled into drums, and prepared for further transport.

The entire line was developed around the customer’s specific production process. Not a standard machine, but a tailor-made installation in which every step is aligned with the material, the required output, and the customer’s operational needs.

Built in-house by SafanDarley

SafanDarley is not simply a supplier of separate machine components. We are a specialist in complete sheet metal processing solutions. For this nickel cutting line, the full package was developed and built in-house: from mechanical engineering to shears, handling, software, control, HMI, and safety integration.

This is where SafanDarley makes the difference. By combining in-depth knowledge of shearing technology with automation and customer-specific engineering, we create solutions that go far beyond standard machinery. The result is a production line fully matched to the material, the process, and the required output.

Advanced automation for reliable production

The cutting line is equipped with an advanced control architecture and a large number of integrated sensors, axes, and machine functions. The line includes 300 remote I/O units, 15 servo axes, 2 heavy-duty hydraulic axes, and 8 cameras to monitor critical points in the process.

Through a clear and user-friendly HMI, the operator has full insight into the process and the status of the line. This allows one operator to control and monitor the complete installation. It increases efficiency, improves process control, and contributes to a safer working environment.

High-capacity processing with controlled handling

The automated cutting line is designed for a processing capacity of 2 metric tons of nickel per hour. With this solution, SafanDarley automated a process that was previously manual, physically demanding, and time-consuming.

The result is a more efficient production process, reduced physical strain for operators, better control over material flow, and reliable processing of complex, irregular material.

Why SafanDarley?

This nickel cutting line demonstrates what SafanDarley does best: developing complete, customer-specific solutions for complex production challenges.

Whether it involves nickel, copper, or other heavy sheet materials, SafanDarley looks beyond the machine itself. We analyze the full production process and develop solutions that fit the application, the material, and the desired output.

From individual shears to fully automated processing lines, SafanDarley helps manufacturers make their production processes smarter, safer, and more efficient.

SafanDarley is a global leader in the design and manufacture of stand-alone machines and complete processing lines for cutting and handling nickel, copper, and cobalt cathodes. With almost 40 years of experience in cathode processing, the company has supplied advanced solutions to leading cathode producers and warehouse operators worldwide.

Cutting rough and irregularly shaped cathodes, often up to 30 mm thick, requires highly specialized technology. Since introducing its first cathode shear in 1986, SafanDarley has continuously developed and refined its equipment through ongoing innovation and engineering expertise. As a result, the latest generation of SafanDarley cathode cutting shears delivers industry-leading productivity, reliability, and customer-specific efficiency.

Looking for a custom cutting or processing line?

Do you have a specific challenge in cutting, handling, or automated metal processing? Our specialists are ready to help you find the right solution.

Contact us to discover what SafanDarley can do for your production process.