Wolter continues: “Furthermore, CERATIZIT counts on the segments where - thanks to our expertise – we can achieve the best customer benefit and growth opportunities.” Today, CERATIZIT is already the world-market leader for carbide products in wood and stone machining as well as Europe's largest supplier for industrial wear parts. The Luxembourgers are also gaining strength in the USA where we are catching up in the ranking.
In the coming years CERATIZIT will focus on Cutting Tools and consistently implement their multi-channel strategy. They will concentrate on niches and develop exclusive solutions for the automotive, engineering, aerospace and oilfield sectors. “We prefer to be the number 1 in selected segments than the number 3 overall”, says Board member Wolter.

“Ever since its foundation CERATIZIT has grown notably quicker than the market. This is how we want to continue, amongst others through targeted acquisitions”, continues Wolter. “In this context new companies have to adapt to the CERATIZIT group strategically, culturally and also financially.
With a turnover of approx. 600 million euros the carbide producer ranks among the TOP 5 worldwide. We are now striving for a turnover of one billion euros by 2012. In order to reach this ambitious goal we have several levers that we can activate efficiently.”

Pressing ahead with internationalization
CERATIZIT has a strong position in Central and Eastern Europe, and as global player in the field of carbide solutions was able to benefit extraordinarily from the economic growth in Eastern Europe. CERATIZIT will extend this success further.
CERATIZIT is excellently positioned in the NAFTA area, which is still the strategically most important market in the world. CERATIZIT has companies in the USA and in Mexico where they have been gaining market shares for years. After the acquisition of Newcomer Products last year CERATIZIT has become a ‘household name’ also in the American Cutting Tool sector.
Latin America is an independent market with high potential for CERATIZIT (headquarters in Luxembourg). For years the company has achieved double-digit growth rates, and after Eastern Europe and East Asia, Latin America will remain the growth region where CERATIZIT will be investing most intensively.
Member of the Board Thierry Wolter: “East Asia is at the top of our agenda, as we have companies in the three most important markets, China, Japan and India which contribute in a higher-than-average way to the group’s growth. We will certainly press ahead with our efforts in the Asian markets.”

“We consistently optimize our processes”
“Rationalization is always a topic as the cost pressure from competitors never ceases”, says Board member Wolter. “This does not however mean that we are trying to attain the cost structure of our Asian - namely our Chinese - competitors. And we will also not be moving our entire production to low-wage countries as we obviously want to maintain our high standard with regard to quality, products and services and above all our customer proximity. This however does not rule out production being transferred in single cases.
In the framework of our current project, FOCUS FUTURE, our aim is to interlock production and sales, also geographically, in such a way that the customer's requests are fulfilled as quickly and efficiently as possible. At the moment this project basically concerns the West European production sites. But the more we grow in Asia and Latin America, the more we will extend our production in these regions to maintain customer proximity.
We want to optimize all the processes which are necessary to fulfill the customer’s requests. For this purpose we have to continuously increase efficiency in all areas, i.e. research & development, acquisition, sales, production and logistics. CERATIZIT and our employees have already attained a lead over competitors.”
In a globalized world suppliers must have a high presence worldwide, but also be available at any time and in any place as well as ready to deliver. These dynamics obviously carry all kinds of challenges, but CERATIZIT understands them as a chance to win new markets and customers for our products. Accordingly, CERATIZIT will show its strong position with selected products in the company’s business segments at AMB and will focus on Automotive, Mechanical Engineering and product innovations. Here are some of the products which are used mainly in the automotive industry.

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World innovation: save costs and cooling lubricant when machining aluminium wheels with MaxiCool
One of the special fields of the carbide expert CERATIZIT is aluminium wheel machining. The recently developed MaxiCool system now allows the complete dry machining of wheels without refitting machines. In this way CERATIZIT once again is able to support their customers in the automotive industry when it comes to the decisive topic of cost reduction.
Conventional cooling in the field of aluminium wheel machining through cooling lubricants is cost intensive. Both the recycling of the chips and the coolant causes considerable costs. While machining a wheel between four and six kilos of swarf are produced. The recycling costs are about 20 cent per kilo or approximately one euro per wheel. For tens of thousands of aluminium rims where dry machining is applied instead of wet machining attractive saving is realized very quickly. With the latest world innovation MaxiCool from CERATIZIT, aluminium rim producers can save money, optimize their profit and distinguish themselves from competitors.

Ingenious: MaxiCool cools utilizing the Joule-Thomson effect
"There were already various external air cooling systems available in the market, however, their effect was satisfactory to a limited degree. The nozzle was too far away from the tool, too much cold air was lost,” explains Michael Steiner in charge of the development of the new MaxiCool tool at the CERATIZIT development department.
With MaxiCool the CERATIZIT research department has solved this problem. The cooling unit is directly integrated into the CERATIZIT tool. The compressed air from the machine goes through the tool into the MaxiCool unit and is then cooled to minus temperatures through a physical effect known as Joule-Thomson effect. Then it immediately hits the insert and the work piece.
The cold air reduces the temperature of the swarf and enabling the tool to decrease and in a lot of cases ideally avoids the tendency of adhesion of aluminium.

The CERATIZIT programme for dry machining
Currently the following grades are available for dry machining of aluminium wheels:
    CTP4115  (PVD –TiAlN lubricating layer; K10)
    CTD4110  (medium fine diamond grains; DP-K01)
Die Sorte CTP4115 verfügt über eine bewährte PVD-Beschichtung mit hohen Gleiteigenschaften. CTP4115 is a tried and tested PVD coating with good low-friction properties. Its advantages can mainly be seen when machining aluminium alloys with low silicon content (Si = 3 %) in combination with strong built-up edge.
In grade CTD4110, PCD (polycrystalline diamond) being an extremely hard cutting material is characterised by high abrasion resistance and long service life. This grade is particularly suitable for aluminium alloys with increased silicon content (Si = 12 %), for polish turning of mirror faces and the machining of high-quality wheels and components in aluminium.
The standard programme includes three MaxiCool units with various assembly sizes:
    MAC 13-100  dimensions: Ø 13 mm; total length 100 mm
    MAC 20-145  dimensions: Ø 20 mm; total length 145 mm
    MAC 20-170  dimensions: Ø 20 mm; total length 170 mm
The smallest assembly size is designed for tools with shank (25x25mm) and tools which require limited space. The two largest units are suitable for all boring bars with sufficient space. MaxiCool is only available together as an assembly with a CERATIZIT tool.

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The new aluminium milling cutter MaxiMill HPC 12 offers a unique milling concept with high saving potential
With its segment strategy in the business unit end-users of the cutting tool division, the carbide expert CERATIZIT is particularly successful as the company counts on segment-specific and customer-specific products as well as on tailor-made solutions. In this way the global player in the field of advanced carbide solutions also proves its competence in niche markets, for instance with the unique milling concept for the automotive industry, namely the aluminium milling cutter MaxiMill HPC 12.
A new flexible tooling concept should be developed which would be suitable for the majority of applications in aluminium milling for the automotive industry. This development project brought the MaxiMill HPC12 concept into being. The idea was to develop a milling concept where the number of teeth, the form of the cutter body, the coolant, the cutting edge geometry, the rake angles and the cutting materials (CBN, PCD) could be modified.

MaxiMill HPC 12 – the properties
• Low cutting forces thanks to positive rake angles
   - Reduced deformation of the components
   - Reduced built-up edge
   - Increased tool life
• Tool body made of steel
   - Precise repeatability during insert change
   - Very high stability and longer tool life
   - Options: bimetallic version (steel ring and aluminium core).
• High speed – high performance
   - Reduced work piece heating
   - Maximum productivity
   - Optimised design of tool and insert seat
• Axial fine adjustment
   - Short setting time through easy handling
   - Fine adjustment = 0.1 mm

HPC 12 allows savings up to 30 %!
The automotive industry in particular places high demands on their tools. The processes in this field must not only be quick and stable, they also need to be highly consistent and predictable. Furthermore, in most of the cases productivity has also to be improved. In a test with an AHPC 100R12.12 milling cutter MaxiMill HPC 12 showed its abilities and its saving potential at a CERATIZIT customer's who produces gear box cases made of aluminium AS7.
Applying the HPC 12 milling cutter the CERATIZIT customer was able to reduce the machining time by 11.3 seconds (at the beginning the machining time amounted to 30.5 seconds and was reduced to 19.2 seconds thanks to MaxiMill HPC 12). A surface quality of Rmax < 6µ – was requested, and CERATIZIT even obtained 4.42µ. The test is also very significant for its extreme cutting data:
   vc=4,712 m /min 
   n=15,000 rev./min
   f=25,200 mm/min
   fz=0.14mm
These excellent results can be attained with the HPC 12 milling cutter thanks to its stability and its simple and precise fine adjustment.
“I consider the tooling system HPC 12 a real ‘door opener’ for companies of the automotive industry,” says Tinus Zuetenhorst, sales manager of CERATIZIT Nederland. “Ever since we presented this tool we have had a much stronger presence and actively invited to carry out tests. We have already been successful at three companies with the tool!“

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This is possible with MaxiMill: maximize performance and reduce tooling costs
The recently launched face milling system MaxiMill HEC offers maximum cutting performance and milling cutter stability The MaxiMill HEC accepts CERATIZIT precision-manufactured inserts of either carbide, ceramic or CBN material, which provide up to eight useable edges. These tangentially-mounted inserts are mounted in such a way as to ensure maximum cutting performance and cutter stability, while at the same time reducing the power required to operate them at their optimum, making them suitable to a much wider range of machine tools.

Maximum productivity and cost saving for the end-users
The result is a face milling cutter that will generate high table feeds, long and consistent tool life, economic application and process security. While MaxiMill HEC can be used in virtually any C.I. face milling application it will be of real interest to those companies supplying the automotive sector where the volumes and component types will suit its particular characteristics and generate the maximum productivity and cost savings for the end-user. Typical application areas for MaxiMill HEC would be cast iron components such as contact faces of crank cases, cylinder heads, turbochargers and pump cases, etc.
“MaxiMill HEC is the result of an ongoing and extensive development programme at CERATIZIT," says Klaus Kucher, CERATIZIT UK’s Sales Manager. “HEC is a welcome extension to the existing MaxiMill range and will provide many of our automotive customers with the opportunity to maximise their machine capacity while reducing tooling costs.”

MaxiMill HEC achieves high cutting parameters
With the LNHX 1106PNER inserts available in grades CTC3215 (carbide), CTN3105 Si3N4 (ceramic) and segmented CBN, the cutting data achieved is impressive. For example, machining GG25 material at a hardness of HB 180-220 is achieved at 200 m/min, 0.25 mm/tooth feed rate with up to 5 mm depth of cut and 79 mm width of cut. Similarly, GGG 70 material at a hardness of HB 240-300 can be cut at 180 m/min at a feed of 0.2 mm/tooth.

No matter whether it is a tanker or a luxury cruise liner, a motor yacht or a passenger ferry - all these vessels have one thing in common: shafts transmit the force from the engine to the propeller. The production of such shafts is a speciality of the Scana company. For turning operations, Scana relies on inserts and tools from CERATIZIT.

Scana Björneborg in Sweden is part of the Norwegian Scana Industrier ASA, which manufactures steel products for the following five industry sectors: energy (components for generators and turbines), ship building (propeller shafts and hubs), machines and transport (axles, clutches and forks for fork lifts), steel (rolls, forged components and profiles) and offshore products (valves and joints for drilling platforms). The entire group has 1,850 employees, 320 at the Björneborg site.

Inserts for international customers
The Björneborg site looks back on a long forging tradition: the first forge was built as far back as 1656. Scana Björneborg has its own steelwork, its own forge with a 3600/4500 ton press, a facility for heat treatment and a machine hall for finishing.  Per year about 2,500 products are manufactured for ABB, Siemens, Rolls Royce, DEW, Wärtsilä, Metso and Shell. In the field of turning Scana applies inserts and tools from CERATIZIT.

Interview with Magnus Dåverhög, production and process engineer at Scana:

Which material are the shafts made of?
Dåverhög: “The shafts are made of steel. The alloy is adapted to the application and requirements. Every product we manufacture is therefore unique.”

Where do you buy the steel?
Dåverhög: “We buy steel scrap within a radius of 150 km and melt it ourselves. The waste produced at our company during machining is also recycled. The raw material department machines about 80,000 tons of steel per year. We use 100 different steel grades.”

How much swarf is produced per month?
Dåverhög: “That depends on the parts we machine. On average these are around 1000 tons per month.”

How long does it take on average to machine a shaft?
Dåverhög: “After forging the shafts are subject to heat treatment and are then transported to the machine hall. Most of the time the parts are only rough machined, which takes between 15 and 30 hours. If the shaft has to be finish-machined (as in the case of naval shafts) we are talking about several hundred hours.”

What is so special about this kind of machining?
Dåverhög: “We produce shafts with a length up to 25 metres and a diameter of up to two metres. All shafts are produced through open-die forging.  As every shaft is unique, their manufacture can be considered as a special art. It takes many years to train a good machine operator so that he is able to carry out turning and milling operations reliably. We are therefore very happy to have more than 350 years of experience at the Björneborg site!”

How do you assess the relationship of Scana and CERATIZIT?
Dåverhög: “We strive continuously to optimize our processes. In this respect the tools in the workshop are an important element. We work together very closely with some companies, and CERATIZIT is one of them. CERATIZIT always provides tools which correspond to the state of the art of carbide technology.”

One of the special fields of the carbide expert CERATIZIT is aluminium wheel machining. The recently developed MaxiCool system now allows the complete dry machining of wheels without refitting machines. In this way CERATIZIT once again is able to support their customers in the automotive industry when it comes to the decisive topic of cost reduction.

Conventional cooling in the field of aluminium wheel machining through cooling lubricants is cost intensive. Both the recycling of the chips and the coolant causes considerable costs. While machining a wheel between four and six kilos of swarf are produced. The recycling costs are about 20 cent per kilo or approximately one euro per wheel. For tens of thousands of aluminium rims where dry machining is applied instead of wet machining attractive saving is realized very quickly. With the latest world innovation MaxiCool from CERATIZIT, aluminium rim producers can save money, optimize their profit and distinguish themselves from competitors.

Ingenious: MaxiCool cools utilizing the Joule-Thomson effect
"There were already various external air cooling systems available in the market, however, their effect was satisfactory to a limited degree. The nozzle was too far away from the tool, too much cold air was lost,” explains Michael Steiner in charge of the development of the new MaxiCool tool at the CERATIZIT development department.
With MaxiCool the CERATIZIT research department has solved this problem. The cooling unit is directly integrated into the CERATIZIT tool. The compressed air from the machine goes through the tool into the MaxiCool unit and is then cooled to minus temperatures through a physical effect known as Joule-Thomson effect. Then it immediately hits the insert and the work piece.
This causes the air to be divided into a warm and a cold stream (depending on the setting). The cold air exits on the front of the insert through the lateral holes on the tool. The air temperature on the cutting edge is then in sub-zero range and efficiently cools both work piece and tool. About 6 bar and 400 l/min capacity are the prerequisite.
The cold air reduces the temperature of the swarf and enabling the tool to decrease and in a lot of cases ideally avoids the tendency of adhesion of aluminium. The cooling intensity depends on the quantity of air supplied, its entrance temperature, the quality of the air and the tool settings of MaxiCool.

The CERATIZIT programme for dry machining

• CTP4115  (PVD-TiAlN lubricating layer; K10)
• CTD4110  (medium fine diamond grains; DP-K01)

CTP4115 is a tried and tested PVD coating with good low-friction properties. Its advantages can mainly be seen when machining aluminium alloys with low silicon content (Si = 3 %) in combination with strong built-up edge.
In grade CTD4110, PCD (polycrystalline diamond) being an extremely hard cutting material is characterised by high abrasion resistance and long service life. This grade is particularly suitable for aluminium alloys with increased silicon content (Si = 12 %), for polish turning of mirror faces and the machining of high-quality wheels and components in aluminium.
The standard programme includes three MaxiCool units with various assembly sizes:

• MAC 13-100  dimensions: Ø 13 mm; total length 100 mm
• MAC 20-145  dimensions: Ø 20 mm; total length 145 mm
• MAC 20-170  dimensions: Ø 20 mm; total length 170 mm

The smallest assembly size is designed for tools with shank (25x25mm) and tools which require limited space. The two largest units are suitable for all boring bars with sufficient space. MaxiCool is only available together as an assembly with a CERATIZIT tool.

Abstract

The increase in productivity regarding metal machining is one of the main efforts in industries dealing with automotive components and air & space applications. This productivity is reached by increased cutting speeds (high speed cutting, HSC), high feed rates (high performance cutting, HPC), and overall the increase in metal removing rates (high efficient production, HEP). Especially difficult to machine materials like superalloys, high alloyed steels for turbine blades, and modern cast iron materials require high performance cutting tool systems with new approaches regarding coating, substrate material, chip geometry, and tool concept. In the following presentation this issues are targeted describing special tool and grade developments for HEP metal cutting processes. Additional new developments regarding cast iron materials with high fatigue resistance and increased machinability are highlighted as well. (...)

You can download the white paper from the Service box below.

The Swedish company Aerodyn specialises in the machining of blades for propelling screws. The cast skin is eliminated and the profile finished through milling. After milling the surfaces are carefully polished. In this way, since the year 2000, several projects have been realized in close cooperation with the carbide expert CERATIZIT and productivity increased.

Propelling screw in application
The propelling screw converts the energy produced by the motor into motion. The propeller blades are characterised by a hydrodynamic wing profile. The blades are designed in such a way that the water streams around them asymmetrically when they rotate. A difference of pressure is caused in or contrary to the direction of movement. A current called 'thrust' is generated and drives the vessel.

5-axis milling centres for propelling blades
Aerodyn was founded in 1989 and first produced components for the aerospace industry: this is where the company name comes from. The company is based in the Swedish Karlskoga and has 40 employees who now specialise in the machining of propelling screws. In this special field Aerodyn is one step ahead. The secret: Aerodyn was one of the first companies to utilize 5-axis machining centres for the machining of this kind of blade. Previously, they used to be ground, not milled.

Per year the Aerodyn employees machine between 500 and 700 blades and numerous other components for propulsion systems of super oil tankers, freight vessels and cruise liners. The blades, cast in bronze or stainless steel, weigh between 80 kilos and 5 tons and are shipped directly to the company which equips the vessels with them. There they are assembled as propelling screws. The cycle time of one blade at Aerodyn ranges from two to three weeks or three months, depending on its complexity and size. The propelling screw has two to seven blades. Propelling screws for ice-breaking vessels are normally made of stainless steel. 75 % of Aerodyn’s blades are made of bronze, the others of stainless steel.

Maximum quality requirements – surface quality is decisive
Aerodyn’s quality requirements are extremely high. The customers’ specifications concerning both strength and form are very precise, in fact a surface roughness of Ra 1,6 is often demanded. Furthermore the weight of the single propeller blades should not differ from each other. With a given weight of the blades of 3.8. tons the tolerance is only 6 kilos, in a very fast vessel the difference in weight must not exceed one kilo. For every order independent audits are carried out before the products are released.

Productivity increase with CERATIZIT tools
In recent years several projects in the field of cutting tools have been realized in close cooperation between the Swedish Aerodyn sales and the CERATIZIT Energy & Transport segment. The CERATIZIT inserts -M31 CTC 5235 with HyperCoat-coating have, for instance, been applied now for several months. And the results are stunning. “Applying the CTC5235 inserts we have been able to increase the cutting depth by 50% and simultaneously double tool life. I don’t think we need to go into more detail here“, says a satisfied Petri Piippo, production manager at Aerodyn.
Lars Andersson, Aerodyn managing director, on the question about the particular advantages of working together with CERATIZIT states: “Quality, service and market-adapted prices are the characteristics of CERATIZIT. We also appreciate the possibility to be able to order online via the E-TechStore at CERATIZIT.”

With its segment strategy in the business unit end-users of the cutting tool division, the carbide expert CERATIZIT is particularly successful as the company counts on segment-specific and customer-specific products as well as on tailor-made solutions. In this way the global player in the field of advanced carbide solutions also proves its competence in niche markets. International cooperation within the group plays an important role here. An international team developed a unique milling concept for the automotive industry, namely the aluminium cutter MaxiMill HPC 12.

A complete tooling concept in only six months
The starting point of the project was a meeting at an automotive customer’s in July 2003. CERATIZIT made an offer to the production manager to deliver new tools which would meet the increased requirements within only six months. An extremely ambitious deadline chosen by CERATIZIT itself. The CERATIZIT project team had an additional goal: a new flexible tooling concept should be developed which would be suitable for the majority of applications in aluminium milling for the automotive industry.

This development project brought the MaxiMill HPC12 concept into being. The idea was to develop a milling concept where the number of teeth, the form of the cutter body, the coolant, the cutting edge geometry, the rake angles and the cutting materials (CBN, PCD) could be modified.

MaxiMill HPC 12 – the properties Low cutting forces thanks to positive rake angles Reduced deformation of the components Reduced built-up edge Increased tool life Tool body made of steel Precise repeatability during insert change Very high stability and longer tool life Options: bimetallic version (steel ring and aluminium core).  High speed – high performance Reduced work piece heating Maximum productivity Optimised design of tool and insert seat Axial fine adjustment Short setting time through easy handling Fine adjustment = 0.1 mm

HPC 12 allows savings up to 30 %!
The automotive industry in particular places high demands on their tools. The processes in this field must not only be quick and stable, they also need to be highly consistent and predictable. Furthermore, in most of the cases productivity has also to be improved. In a test with an AHPC 100R12.12 milling cutter MaxiMill HPC 12 showed its abilities and its saving potential at a CERATIZIT customer's who produces gear box cases made of aluminium AS7.

Applying the HPC 12 milling cutter the CERATIZIT customer was able to reduce the machining time by 11.3 seconds (at the beginning the machining time amounted to 30.5 seconds and was reduced to 19.2 seconds thanks to MaxiMill HPC 12). A surface quality of Rmax < 6µ – was requested, and CERATIZIT even obtained 4.42µ. The test is also very significant for its extreme cutting data:

• vc = 4,712 m /min
• n  = 15,000 rev./min
• f   = 25,200 mm/min
• fz = 0.14mm

These excellent results can be attained with the HPC 12 milling cutter thanks to its stability and its simple and precise fine adjustment.

International cooperation – voices of the CERATIZIT group:
The idea and the drawing for the HPC 12 concept come from France. The project was finally concentrated at the automotive segment at CERATIZIT Reutte, Austria. Jürgen Duwe from the development department in the BU end-users: “It was one of the first projects where employees of several sites were involved. Despite different languages and cultures the project was a resounding success. We got to know each other better and are now in closer contact. This will definitely be an advantage for future projects.”

“I consider the tooling system HPC 12 a real ‘door opener’ for companies of the automotive industry,” says Tinus Zuetenhorst, sales manager of CERATIZIT Nederland. “Ever since we presented this tool we have had a much stronger presence and actively invited to carry out tests. We have already been successful at three companies with the tool – this looks very promising!”

Gonzalo Artaega, sales representative at CERATIZIT Ibérica about the HPC milling system: “This solution has enabled us to offer our customer Fasa Renault Valladolid an efficient and economic tool which is better than the competitors’ tools. Above all, the low weight, the long tool life and the good surface quality produced by this milling cutter have convinced our customers.”

CERATIZIT has developed a new tooling system for special face milling operations. The MaxiMill HFC (High Feed Cutting) system is synonymous with maximum feed and chip removal rates.

High-feed cutting tools are applied where maximum chip removal rates must be achieved in a minimum of time. A typical application is rough milling of flat faces, for instance in the field of mould and die construction.

MaxiMill HFC guarantees minimum vibration thanks to a light cutting geometry with positive rake angles and high chip removal rates. The inserts for this system have a special chip groove specifically developed for this application and are offered with the innovative HyperCoat coatings. CTP1235 (for steel), CTP2235 (for stainless steel) and CTC3215 (for cast iron). The combination of the new HFC milling system and the latest CERATIZIT grades guarantee maximum performance in terms of tool life, surface quality and reduced tendency for vibration.

The optimised tool coating ‘hard & tough’, which is both wear resistant (hard) and corrosion resistant (tough), guarantees long tool life. 

Flexibility concerning the coolant plays an important role when high-feed milling. Every tool therefore possesses a special coolant hole design which is particularly adapted for minimum quantity lubrication.

The main application range of the new MaxiMill HFC system is face milling with maximum feed (up to 3.0 mm per tooth), plunging for the production of deep pockets and with maximum chip removal rates (more than 1,500 ccm/minute).

AUDI HUNGARIA MOTOR Kft. in Györ, Hungary, has 5,500 employees. Here the engines for the brands of the Volkswagen group, Audi, VW, Skoda and Seat are manufactured. In Györ the Audi TT Coupé and Roadster is built, and the Audi A3 Cabriolets will be built there in the future. In 2006 more than 23,500 vehicles and close to two million engines left the plant. This makes Audi Hungaria the second biggest exporter in Hungary. For the machining of crankshafts Audi Hungaria counts on the technology and experience of the carbide expert CERATIZIT.

Audi is synonymous with optimum technical performance and the logo with the four rings. In a few words: Audi ranks as one of the top firms in the automotive world. It therefore makes sense to purchase products at CERATIZIT, the technological leader in the field of carbide for wear parts and cutting tools.

Crankshaft machining at Audi
Györ is situated 45 km from the Austrian border, in Hungary, and numbers 130,000 inhabitants. Since 1994 Audi Hungaria Motor Kft has been located at the periphery of the town. Audi selected this site for various reasons: the logistic connection is very good, within a radius of 50 km there are competitive subcontractors, a hall with a surface of 100,000 sq.m. already existed, and a lot of people in this area speak German very well. Furthermore the technical University of Györ ensures that well-trained engineers and experts are available.

Crankshafts are exposed to enormous forces; their production requires maximum precisionZoltán Szathmári is in charge of production planning and tool technology in engine production at Audi Hungaria Motor Kft. He works closely together with the CERATIZIT representatives and development specialists. His most important contact on site is Barnabás Deri, the sales manager of CERATIZIT Hungaria.

Szathmári leads us through the impressive production department: high, luminous halls with three extremely long and up-to-the-minute production lines, which are in addition fully automated. At Audi in Hungary it is very clean and one is immediately aware that the employees are proud to work here.

In crankshaft machining Audi Hungaria relies on seven different types of inserts from CERATIZIT: special solutions CERATIZIT developed together with the machine manufacturer GFM. Maximum precision is required. Zoltán Szathmári explains: “The crankshaft is an essential component of the engine. It converts the linear movement into a rotational movement. The component is exposed to enormous forces. We manufacture six different crankshafts. The crankshafts are supplied in forged condition. Before machining, a crankshaft for the 3.0 TDI engine weighs 26 kg, after machining it still weighs as much as 18 kg.“

Interview with Zoltán Szathmári, production planning and tooling technology at Audi Hungaria

Mr Szathmári, what is important in the machining of crankshafts?
Szathmári: “Two thirds of production relate to the 3.0 TDI engine. The crankshafts for this engine are made of 42CrMoS4. Rough machining of this crankshaft represents a difficult task as it consists of a high-tensile material at the limit to soft machining. The hard forging skin virtually ‘eats away’ the tool.”

What does that mean for the tools?
Szathmári: “The blank crankshaft is irregular and shows varying properties and the surface is not homogeneous. This means hard and irregular strain on the insert.”

How long does an insert last?Szathmári:“When rough machining (rough milling of main bearing and webs) the inserts are mounted on a planetary milling cutter or side and face milling cutter. After around 250 crankshafts the inserts in the milling cutter have to be indexed.”

How do you assess the relationship with CERATIZIT?
Szathmári: “We have been working together with CERATIZIT for four years and maintain a very open relationship, there are no secrets. For every new development we are informed precisely about what has been improved. CERATIZIT is in a continuous optimization process and is aware that coming to a standstill is dangerous, because the pressure is high: every year we invite tenders for the inserts, every year there are new test procedures and CERATIZIT has to assert itself. We have been very successful for four years.”

Interview with László Janó, product segment V6, mechanical production department at Audi Hungaria

Mr Janó, how long does the machining of a crankshaft take?
Janó: “There are several ways of looking at this. You could say that at the end of the production line a finished crankshaft comes out every 49 seconds. This is the cycle time of the line. Including the buffers (per line there are 5,700 cranks in the buffers) the flow time for 1,400 parts per day amounts to around six days.”

How important is the role of the tools in this production line?
Janó: “Extremely important. This line is very complex and flexible. The investment for such a line, for instance, is three times as high as for a line for the production of cylinder heads. For such a complex machining method process security has to be very good. In the automated machining chain tool life has to be consistently high. 65% of the costs are tooling costs. The tools also play a very important role."

What is the proportion of non conforming material?
Janó: “The tolerances for a crankshaft are very close. The entire line is designed for this and is continuously optimized. Quality control is also very intensive. For the 3.0 TDI engine a 100% rupture test is carried out. For me the quality of the final product is important, not so much the share of non conforming material. In the last four years only two crankshafts have been returned to us; this was due to faulty material, not to faulty machining.“

What can a crankshaft withstand?
Janó: “I don't want to give numbers, but the basic rule is that the crankshaft has to withstand three times as much as the engine."

[Technical info box] Patrick Zobl, product manager at CERATIZIT, describes crankshaft machining in detail Technique for crankshaft machining High cutting speeds (up to 260 m/min) Planetary milling cutters with diameters ranging from 350mm to 750mm  Dry machining leading to high temperature stress on the cutting material.  High number of teeth of the planetary milling cutters (40 up to 200 teeth) Main bearing and webs are machined at the same time with two planetary milling cutters Due to the length and the relatively small diameter of the crankshaft machining stability is low Requirements with regard to the CERATIZIT inserts High resistance to thermal shock Consistent quality of the cutting material providing process security at the customer Long tool life, therefore low tool changing costs Smooth surface thanks to lower frictional heat and wear Materials used in crankshafts Cast iron materials for engines when subject to reduced stress in the engine Alloyed steel (Cr, Ni, Mo) with high fatigue strength in engines which are subject to higher stress or to reduce weight Basic characteristics of CERATIZIT inserts Geometry of the insert is mainly defined by the profile of the crankshaft CERATIZIT chooses the insert to be applied as well as the geometry of the cutting edge

[Info box about the production steps] Steps in the production of a crankshaft a. Preparation Cutting and centring Internal and external profile milling of the pin of the bearing and connection rod bearing pin Turning of the main bearing pins and the end parts Deburring Solid carbide deep hole drilling b. Hardening (induction hardening) c. Finishing Hard turning Threading Chain wheel broaching CBN grinding Fluorescent rupture test Dynamic balancing Finishing (polishing and lapping) d. Quality test

“Now it is important to find one’s own way to follow in the footsteps of a great predecessor.” This is how Andreas Olthoff, new managing director of the CERATIZIT Deutschland GmbH, sees his task. At the beginning of August he followed Jan van der Veen who retired after fifteen years at CERATIZIT.

“I believe that a company cannot be successful without team spirit“, says Andreas Olthoff, new head of CERATIZIT Deutschland GmbH. He sees his style of management as ‘result-oriented’ while allowing employees a good deal of individual responsibility.
 
A rapid career
The new managing director (age 41) has already gathered experience at the German branch of an American company. He began his career in the field of sales there after studying mechanical and economic engineering. He became key-account manager for northern Europe, subsequently sales manager and was then appointed managing director.
“After fifteen years I was looking for a new professional challenge,“ he states. At CERATIZIT Germany he accepted this challenge. The sales volume of the CERATIZIT group in Germany is >100 million Euros; the sales company employs 65 people. The new managing director says: “I’m happy to have found a growing company with an excellent international position. It is a gratifying and challenging task to contribute to the further success of CERATIZIT.“
 
Commitment to the Corporate Values
Andreas Olthoff considers Corporate Values an overall concept with important functions. He thinks that the value of communication and an interaction based on trust between superior and team are essential for a continuously growing company. “No company can be successful without the active implementation and experiencing of values,” he says. “I would like make a contribution to this company culture.”His predecessor Jan van der Veen supports this belief: “I have often regretted that we talk a lot about our corporate values but do not always live according to them. Communication matters, trust and respect matter!“ So the change of generations at the vanguard of the CERATIZIT Deutschland GmbH is all settled.
 
Short description of Andreas Olthoff
Age 41, married
Hobbies: running (marathon), squash, motor-biking
Studies: mechanical and economic engineering
Professional career:
15 years in the German branch of an American company (listed on the stock market) selling hydraulic tools. His positions were
- Junior sales representative
- Key-account manager for northern Europe
- Sales manager
- Managing Director
.

The launch of CERATIZIT’s MaxiMill HEC face milling system at EMO 2007 is further proof of the high levels of research and development taking place at its Reutte, Austria manufacturing facility.

The MaxiMill HEC accepts CERATIZIT precision-manufactured inserts of either carbide, ceramic or CBN material, which provide up to eight useable edges. These tangentially-mounted inserts are mounted in such a way as to ensure maximum cutting performance and cutter stability, while at the same time reducing the power required to operate them at their optimum, making them suitable to a much wider range of machine tools.

The result is a face milling cutter that will generate high table feeds, long and consistent tool life, economic application and process security. While MaxiMill HEC can be used in virtually any C.I. face milling application it will be of real interest to those companies supplying the automotive sector where the volumes and component types will suit its particular characteristics and generate the maximum productivity and cost savings for the end-user. Typical application areas for MaxiMill HEC would be cast iron components such as contact faces of crank cases, cylinder heads, turbochargers and pump cases, etc.

“MaxiMill HEC is the result of an ongoing and extensive development programme at CERATIZIT”, says Conan Jackson, CERATIZIT UK’s Sales Manager. “HEC is a welcome extension to the existing MaxiMill range and will provide many of our automotive customers with the opportunity to maximise their machine capacity while reducing tooling costs.”

With the LNHX 1106PNER inserts available in grades CTC3215 (carbide), CTN3105 Si3N4 (ceramic) and segmented CBN, the cutting data achieved is impressive. For example, machining GG25 material at a hardness of HB 180-220 is achieved at 200m/min, 0.25 mm/tooth feed rate with up to 5 mm depth of cut and 79 mm width of cut. Similarly, GGG 70 material at a hardness of HB 240-300 can be cut at 180 m/min at a feed of 0.2 mm/tooth.

What do the punctual departure of a train, a tenancy agreement, a game of chess and New Year’s Eve have in common? They are all subject to time. A contribution on the ‘time on the wrist’, the innovative watch manufacturer Rado and CERATIZIT’s role in the production of scratchproof watch cases.

The presentation of the first scratchproof watch in 1962 represented the start of Rado’s success story. Everything began when Rado chief designer at the time, Marc Lederrey, put forward a totally new idea. He was constantly irritated when gold and steel watches, which at the beginning looked beautiful, often showed scratches after only a few days and subsequently had to be polished frequently. Then, tungsten and titanium carbides were only known as extremely resistant materials in the field of high-tech production of special tools. “Making a watch out of this material - that would be the solution," said Lederrey. And Dr. Paul Lüthi, who was at that time the boss of Rado, gave the go-ahead for this development. The result: the first scratchproof watch in the world!

High-tech materials in watch production
Today Rado is one of the most important watch manufacturers in Switzerland. The Rado group has been part of the Swatch group since 1983 and already has more than 300 service centres and more than 8,000 sales points.

While other watch manufacturers apply conventional materials such as gold, copper or steel, Rado counts on high-tech materials of the future. Lanthanum, ceramic, sapphire crystal, high-tech diamond and last but not least carbide. The level of scratch resistance of a material depends on its hardness. Hard materials make scratches in softer materials: diamond makes scratches in sapphire, sapphire in glass, and glass in metal. The harder a material, the more brittle it is, and thus more sensitive to impact. Resistance to scratches therefore is not the same as indestructibility.

Rado has never only focused on beautiful watches. The main decision has always been the selection of the material. In this way design and material combinations are developed which perfectly combine the two functions of a watch:  a modern piece of jewellery and a functional time indicator.

Carbide from CERATIZIT for the top watch brand Rado
CERATIZIT has supplied Rado with carbide cases for decades. The development and the production of the cases started at the beginning of the 1960's at the Reutte site. Now they are produced in Mamer, Luxembourg and are then subjected to several machining processes at Rado’s subcontractors until they become high-quality watches. Marc Lanners, production manager of the watch case line in Mamer: “The most tricky thing when producing watch cases is aesthetic quality. The preparation of the feedstock (a mixture of powder and binder) is of maximum importance in order to be able to fulfil the quality requirements. Both surface and form have to be absolutely perfect. This is why quality control is obviously extremely important for these products. We have very precise control systems.”

“We produce tens of thousands of carbide watch cases per year, today we have five models,” says Hans Müller, business segment manager of special industrial wear parts. “Even for these high-quality products the life cycle is continuously decreasing. We must therefore react ever faster. The latest case model was developed within only four months by CERATIZIT.”

Interview with Peter Oppliger, Rado Purchasing Manager

How did the partnership with CERATIZIT start?
Oppliger: The partnership began in the middle of the 1980’s. After carrying out a detailed study about batch production of our model ’The Original’ whose success has been unparalleled since 1962, we decided to modify our production method. We no longer wanted to produce the watch crown of our top model through pressing but through injection moulding. So we referred to Cerametal in Luxembourg.

Why does Rado count on carbide from CERATIZIT?
Oppliger: CERATIZIT has a reputation as a reliable business partner. Its extensive know-how in the field of carbide injection moulding enables embossing of our logo in the watch case. In this way it’s also easier for us to proceed against counterfeits.

What is important with regard to the watch cases? What are the special characteristics and properties?
Oppliger: Since its foundation 50 years ago Rado has always been a watch manufacturer who has focused specifically on technology and innovative batch production processes. At the time of the market launch the objective was to create a watch on which time would leave no traces, i.e. a scratchproof watch. For this purpose you need a hard and sufficiently shockproof material. Carbide combines these characteristics and in addition is a visually pleasing material, which is extremely important for watches.

What are the current projects and further developments?
Oppliger: Following its pioneering spirit Rado is working on several projects simultaneously; however, we are unable to discuss anything particular about them right now. CERATIZIT has offered us a very interesting new carbide which is light and hardly releases any nickel. So it can continuously be in contact with the skin. This new material allows us to think about many possible applications for the future.

Are there any materials which compete with carbide?
Oppliger: In a certain respect high-tech ceramic manufacture which was introduced in the watch industry by Rado, is a carbide competitor. Its lightness and hypoallergenic properties make this ceramic a material which can be easily worn on the wrist without complications.

What would CERATIZIT have to optimise in order to score additional points and to get more business?
Oppliger: As for every other supplier for us it seems important to maintain close cooperation and good communication. As these are luxury articles where aesthetics and quality are basic requirements it is obviously decisive to guarantee consistent and impeccable quality.

The Rado Story

• In 1917 in Lengnau (canton of Bern, Switzerland) the watch producer Schlup & Co. was founded by the Schlup brothers. Later on, this subcontractor for the watch industry becomes Rado Uhren Co. Ltd.
• In 1957 the first watch collection is presented under the brand name Rado.
• Today the Rado products are available all over the world in 180 countries. 
• The brand has about 8,000 sales points and more than 300 service centres.
• Rado has around 300 employees.