18/05/2010
Report: contented for the last 17 years - how CERATIZIT became the single-source supplier of stamping specialist Härter
Including interview on the special challenges in the automotive industry |
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Report: contented for the last 17 years - how CERATIZIT became the single-source supplier of stamping specialist Härter
Including interview on the special challenges in the automotive industry
CERATIZIT S. A., Mamer, Luxembourg (headquarters), May 2010.
For 17 years already stamping specialist Härter has been relying on carbide from CERATIZIT. Today CERATIZIT is the single-source supplier of the automotive specialist. Härter has around 1500 employees worldwide (900 employees in Stein, Germany); in 2008 the turnover of the company amounted to 200 million euros. The stamping specialist Härter has an impressive selection of machines: 60 erosion machines, as many grinding machines and more than 100 automatic stamping machines. 80% of the tools produced by Härter are stamped for customers by the company, the remaining 20% is delivered to customers who carry out stamping operations themselves.
In 1992 the first business contacts were established with CERATIZIT at a trade fair in Germany. The specialists from Härter and CERATIZIT were soon sitting around a table discussing the requisites and properties of tools as well as the required carbide grades. “At that time CERATIZIT already made an extremely positive impression thanks to its grade H40”, remembers Roland Kastner, responsible for operations scheduling and technical purchasing at Härter. “With the materials offered by competitors we were often faced with flaking off, surface ruptures and splitting, while grade H40 from CERATIZIT was extremely stable and reliable.”
Since 1993 the Härter group has also been buying rectangular rods in the grades H40S, TSM30 and TSM33 from CERATIZIT, which are used for the manufacture of dies.
At the end of the 1990’s pitting and corrosion during the erosion process represented a big problem for the specialists from Härter. Together with the machine manufacturer Agie, Härter and CERATIZIT therefore developed the CF grades which are characterized by excellent corrosion resistance.
“All these positive developments have contributed to the fact that Härter has been exclusively using carbide from CERATIZIT for the past three years,” says Kastner.
Interview with Roland Kastner (operations scheduling and technical purchasing) and Alexander Kasper (marketing manager) at Härter
Which components does Härter manufacture for the automotive industry?
Kasper: The product portfolio is a very large one and includes stamped parts for windscreen wipers as well as highly complex assemblies for applications such as ABS or ESP.
What are the developments in the automotive industry business according to you?
Kasper: At the moment the automotive subcontractors are facing the biggest challenge ever. We believe the market will recover after the crisis. In the medium term we will benefit from the growth drivers in automotive engineering such as convenience, safety and environment, no matter how many cars are sold.
What used to be considered a luxury feature in the past, is nowadays often part of the standard equipment. Systems for ABS and ESP, adjustable mirrors and seats, electric sliding roof, electric window openers, etc. All these features are electronic and the suitable assemblies includes stamping parts and overmoulded and/or mounted components.
In addition, automotive manufacturers increasingly concentrate on development, sales and marketing while basically outsourcing some production fields to subcontractors. For us this means an increase in the manufacture of complex assemblies. As is known, around 60% of the stamped parts are overmoulded with plastic.
How important is the automotive industry for Härter?
Kasper: As already mentioned, we have a wide range, however, about a third of our turnover is produced in the automotive area. We deliver high-quality stamping products and assemblies to virtually all system suppliers (first tier suppliers).
You not only apply carbide tools but also steel tooling. When is which material preferred?
Kastner: The proportion is 60% steel tools to 40% tools made of carbide. The price of carbide tools is around 30% more than the price of steel tools, but the tool life of the carbide tools and thus their overall output is notably higher. Steel tools are mostly applied for batches below a million pieces.
What are the most important quality criteria for carbide?
Kastner: For us the most important criterion is consistently high quality which is of prime importance when considering erosion. Furthermore we count on long tool life, stability, excellent hardness and toughness.
How long does carbide last on the tool?
Kastner: This really depends on the material that is stamped and with how much pressure and speed this happens. There are carbide tools which stamp up to 15 million pieces, which are then reground; normally it is possible to repeat this eight to ten times.
What percentage of the total price does the carbide account for?
Kastner: On average we are talking about five to ten percent of the total price.
What are the products you are particularly proud of?
Kasper: Each tool is a challenge as it is produced individually for the customer. We process stamping materials with a thickness of 0.05 up to 4 mm on presses weighing between 15 and 350 tons. Obviously, in 45 years since the company’s foundation quite a lot has accumulated.
We are however proud to produce very complex parts on our facilities with over 1,000 strokes per minute, the process being simultaneously 100% monitored by our camera system.
We also stamped barcodes which subsequently were welded on the chassis. That was a real challenge: each part out of a total of one million parts had to be individually different.
What do you appreciate about CERATIZIT?
Kasper: We appreciate the faith which has been built up over the years and now ensures that Härter and CERATIZIT propel each other forward: this business relationship ensures we both develop. We also appreciate the service: CERATIZIT is not a carbide factory whose sales representatives want to sell at any cost – the entire team fulfils our requirements, looks at problems together with us and solves them rapidly. Another highlight is the well-structured product catalogue with which we enjoy working.
Härter was founded in 1964 as a tool making company and then specialized in the stamping of parts for the automotive industry, telecommunications, electronic industry and general industry (furniture mountings or components for watches).
The carbide specialist CERATIZIT is synonymous with “hard material matters”
CERATIZIT S.A. is a pioneer and global player in sophisticated hard material solutions. The company operates from Mamer, Luxembourg. CERATIZIT is the world market leader in unique and consistently innovative hard material products for wear protection and cutting tools and is present in more than 50 countries. In the automotive industry, mechanical engineering, oil industry, medical systems, electronics as well as mould and die making customers benefit from this fact. With more than 400 active patents and 4,000 employees, CERATIZIT is your high-powered partner worldwide.
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