R&D at KMC: Our Process

Small changes in a refractory mix or investment casting slurry can have a big impact on performance.

We know how our products perform in different applications, and we work closely with customers to evaluate ideas, test changes, and understand the impact of those adjustments.

Most projects begin with a conversation. A customer may come to us with a specific challenge, or our team may see something happening across the industry where we think our products and experience could help.

Starting with the Right Questions

The first step is usually a discovery meeting focused on a simple question: what are we trying to accomplish, and how do we get there together?

During these conversations, both teams work to define the goal, align expectations, and decide what success looks like before testing begins. These discussions may happen face to face or over a video call with teams in different parts of the world, but the goal stays the same: making sure everyone is working toward the same outcome.

From there, projects can take a few different paths depending on the customer’s needs, resources, and level of involvement.

“A to B” Testing

Many of our projects follow a straightforward “A to B” process, comparing a customer’s current mix (A) with a version that includes adjustments or optimizations from our team (B).

Materials are brought in and evaluated, potential changes are identified, and testing is performed to better understand how those changes affect performance.

Throughout the process, we stay in close communication with customers, sharing updates, discussing timelines, and providing reports that explain what was changed and what the results show.

Different Levels of Support

Every customer approaches R&D a little differently.

Some companies have large technical teams and advanced labs and simply request samples to test on their own. Others want a more collaborative process or need support conducting testing and evaluating results. We’re flexible and happy to support customers in whatever way makes the most sense for their process.

Not every customer is comfortable sharing their full recipe. We’re always willing to sign non-disclosure agreements and work within whatever level of information a customer is willing to provide.

Even without a full recipe, we can still run testing based on what we know about the application and the materials involved.

Learning From Industry Challenges

A big part of R&D is staying connected to what’s happening across the industry.

One challenge we’re currently working through is the industry-wide shortage of silica fume. Twenty years ago, we co-authored a white paper exploring how micronized kyanite could partially replace silica fume in certain refractory applications. Today, with a shortage affecting the market, we’re working with 12 different companies to test replacement approaches and share samples, technical insight, and recommendations.

This kind of collaboration brings together different technical experience and insight to help solve real industry challenges.

Up Next

To close out our R&D series, we’ll take a closer look at the team, labs, equipment, and testing capabilities that support the work.