Bisher setzte der Hartmetallspezialist in Indien auf die reine Hartmetallerzeugung; die Werkzeuge für den indischen Markt und die Tigerstaaten wurden im Werk Bulgarien hergestellt. Wolter: „Mittlerweile können wir für Bulgarien erfreulicherweise eine gute Auslastung melden – das war für uns ein zusätzliches Argument, unseren Standort in Indien weiter zu stärken und auch für die Werkzeugfertigung fit zu machen. Für unsere Kunden dort und in den Tigerstaaten bedeutet das vor allem kürzere Lieferzeiten, selbst bei größeren Mengen.“ Begeistert zeigte sich der Vorstand von der Qualität der im indischen Werk produzierten Werkzeuge: „Es ist wirklich gar nicht so einfach, die extrem hohen Qualitätsstandards, die CERATIZIT für seine Kunden realisiert, einzulösen. Gerade deshalb bin ich auf die indischen Kollegen besonders stolz, denn sie konnten unsere Qualitätsanforderungen bereits nach kürzester Zeit erfüllen und – das ist sehr wichtig – halten.“

Natürlich kann sich CERATIZIT in Indien durch die kostengünstigere Produktion noch besser gegenüber dem dortigen Wettbewerb behaupten.

Nach einer mehrmonatigen Testphase, in der das indische Werk einfachere Drehwerkzeuge produzieren wird, werden bald komplexere Werkzeugarten wie Fräswerkzeuge hinzukommen.

Was sagen die Verantwortlichen vor Ort in Indien zu der wichtigen Werkserweiterung in Kolkata?

Interview mit Geschäftsführer A. K. Sareen, Produktionsleiter Saranath Bhaduri und Projektleiter Somnath Chakraborty.

Warum wurde dieses Projekt ins Leben gerufen, und wie begann es?
Sareen: Das Werkzeughalter-Projekt wurde hauptsächlich wegen der Ausrichtung auf unsere lokale Nachfrage gestartet. Viele Optionen und diverse etablierte Werkzeughersteller wurden in Betracht gezogen und ausgewertet. Die Hauptkriterien waren dabei die Erfüllung der CERATIZIT Qualitätsstandards sowie konkurrenzfähige Preise. Unsere qualifizierten Facharbeiter, die dokumentierten Qualitäts- und Leistungsdaten von CERATIZIT Indien, vor allem aber auch die Begeisterung unseres Teams für das neue Projekt ließen die Entscheidung zu unseren Gunsten ausfallen.

Wie wichtig ist das Projekt für Indien?
Sareen: Diese zusätzliche Kapazität wird entscheidend zu einem starken Umsatzanstieg im Bereich Zerspanungswerkzeuge in Indien beitragen, und das Projekt wird sich positiv auf die Stellung von CERATIZIT Indien innerhalb der CERATIZIT Gruppe auswirken.

Um welche Werkzeughalter geht es hier?
Bhaduri: Hauptsächlich produzieren wir verschiedene Arten von Werkzeughaltern für die Außenbearbeitung und Bohrstangen für die Werkzeugsysteme MaxiLock S, P und D. Für die nähere Zukunft ist geplant, die Kapazität um 200 Prozent zu erweitern.

Wie sehen die Zukunftspläne für dieses Projekt aus?
Chakraborty: Die Planung sieht die Herstellung von ISO-Außen-Drehhaltern und Bohrstangen in der ersten Phase vor. Weitere komplexere Werkzeuge wie Fräser und Spezialwerkzeuge sind für die nachfolgende Projektphase angedacht.

Hartmetallexperte CERATIZIT steht für „hard material matters“
CERATIZIT S.A. - ist Pionier und Global Player für anspruchsvolle Hartstofflösungen. Das Unternehmen operiert von Mamer in Luxemburg aus. In ausgewählten Industriebereichen ist die in mehr als 50 Ländern international aufgestellte Gruppe Weltmarktführer für einzigartige, konsequent innovative Hartstoffprodukte für Verschleißschutz und Zerspanung. Davon profitieren Kunden u.a. aus der Automobilindustrie, dem Maschinenbau, der Petroindustrie, der Medizintechnik, der Elektronik und dem Werkzeug- und Formenbau. Mit mehr als 400 Patenten und rund 4000 Mitarbeitern ist CERATIZIT Ihr starker Partner überall auf der Welt.

Our sales company “CERATIZIT Italia S.p.A.” based in Milano has been dissolved.
The company has been legally led over to the “CERATIZIT Alserio S.p.A.” within the scope of a merger.

According to our corporate policy the new company will still bear the name “CERATIZIT Italia S.p.A.”.

Through the consolidation of both sales company and production site we expect to improve the service to our customers.

Please note that the bank details, tax registration number as well as the commercial register number of the former CERATIZIT Alserio S.p.A. will not change.

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 worldwide. CERATIZIT provides hard material solutions to customers in selected industrial sectors including the automotive industry, mechanical engineering, oil industry, medical systems, electronics as well as mould and die making. With more than 400 active patents and close to 4000 employees, CERATIZIT is your strong partner worldwide.

Press Contact:

CERATIZIT Italia SpA
Josef Lämmle
Via Milanese, 6
I - 22040 Alserio (Como)
Tel : +39  031 6349 211
Fax: +39 031 619 508
josef.laemmle@ceratizit.com

Mamer/Luxembourg and Latrobe/Pennsylvania, February 24^th 2010

CERATIZIT announced today that it will centralize their US cutting tool manufacturing residing in Latrobe into their production facility in Warren, Michigan.

As part of the global production strategy of CERATIZIT, the move of production into one single location will build a more efficient production structure by consolidating capabilities and competencies. The hard and soft scrap recycling capabilities, the environmentally friendly local water based spray dried powder operations and the logistic center serving the market in the United States and Canada will all remain in Latrobe. Other departments and business sectors in Latrobe are not affected.

The US operations remain at the core for the international expansion plans of the Group. Therefore, the product portfolio will be enhanced by successful products out of the global product portfolio.

The contact person in customer service as well as the external sales force for customers remain unchanged.

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 worldwide. CERATIZIT provides hard material solutions to customers in selected industrial sectors including the automotive industry, mechanical engineering, oil industry, medical systems, electronics as well as mould and die making. With more than 400 active patents and close to 4000 employees, CERATIZIT is your strong partner worldwide.

Press Contact:

CERATIZIT USA INC.
Andreas Olthoff, President

5369 Route 982
USA-Latrobe, PA 15650
Tel.: +1-724-694-8100
Fax: +1-724-694-8620

andreas.olthoff@ceratizit.com

170 out of 460 people are concerned by these changes in Horb and Empfingen. Discussions between the management and the union of CERATIZIT Deutschland GmbH will start in a few weeks in order to find a mutual acceptable agreement regarding the severance packages. The plant in Empfingen remains key for the Group: Recently CERATIZIT has invested ten million Euro to build a new administration and production facility in Empfingen, where sales and production activities of innovative wear parts solutions will be concentrated. These activities were, so far, dispersed in Dettingen, Empfingen and Horb.

CERATIZIT-Executive Board Member Dr. Wolfgang Glätzle on the planned action: „While the woodworking and furniture industry is booming in Asia and Brazil, it declines in Europe. As supplier we have to react by tailored sales, production and logistics solutions for our customers. Today, we already generate most of our sales into these markets out of Luxembourg where sales, product management and the research & development department are also located. The specialization of the sales and production activities for innovative wear parts solutions in Horb and of our wood activities in a competence center “wood” in Mamer is therefore the final step to be, the best way possible, prepared for the global competition.”

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 worldwide. CERATIZIT provides hard material solutions to customers in selected industrial sectors including the automotive industry, mechanical engineering, oil industry, medical systems, electronics as well as mould and die making. With more than 400 active patents and 4000 employees, CERATIZIT is your strong partner worldwide.

Press contact:
Peter Schwärzel
Managing Director CERATIZIT Deutschland GmbH
Tel. +49-7485-99 802 231
E-mail: peter.schwaerzel@ceratizit.com

The materials mainly machined by ABS Production are stainless steel (40%) and cast iron (50%), the remaining 10% is aluminium, titanium and bronze. For the production of a large pump the employees at ABS Production need an average of 115 hours. Out of these, 90 hours are required for machining, the remaining hours being spent on mounting and tests.

CERATIZIT grade CTC5235 achieved a 25 % time reduction

Milling the contact faces of the pump cases is one of the most important and simultaneously most difficult machining operations. This is where Hans Axelsson (CERATIZIT sales manager for North Europe) and Anders Laago (CERATIZIT key account manager for Sweden) had grade CTC5235 come in. Laago: “We analyzed the combination of material, parameters and results very carefully and were certain that we would be able to support ABS Production in all essentials.“ Tommy Johansson from ABS Production adds: “Mr Axelsson and Mr Laago were right. At the beginning the 25% time reduction already appeared substantial to me. But the CERATIZIT grade really provided surprising results: CTC5235 not only enabled a time reduction of 25% but also more than doubled tool life.“

The second time the CERATIZIT cutting tool specialists scored when machining so called ‘impellers’ which represent the core piece of the pumps. The outer edges of the impeller blades are finish-turned. Laago: “The challenge lies in the interrupted cut. It is not an even surface but single blades that are machined, the insert cutting each blade only very briefly: this means that the insert is exposed to impact and thermal stress. In fact these turning operations can basically be equated with a milling process. In the case of vibration or oscillations occurring during machining, the insert may break.”SPAN>

The machining operation required frequent tool changes. In the past six months CERATIZIT has been able to be of assistance again with grade CTC5235. The new inserts on average have a 100% longer service life in case of a 50% increase in cutting data. The requisites with regard to quality were fulfilled providing a burr-free surface.

We know how water works

The ABS group is the market leader in the field of pumps and periphery for pumping and circulation in the process industry, dewatering, wastewater network pumping stations and wastewater treatment. It is the ambitious goal to keep as much water as is possible clean, for ABS considers clean water the ‘gold of the future’. With their products and services in the field of wastewater transport and treatment the company contributes in an active and sustainable way.

The 170 ABS employees in Vadstena are knowledgeable about water and its optimal transportation. Pumps of the ABS brand are virtually all custom-made solutions: 75% of the orders require development work, the entire programme including only two standard pumps. Every year ABS Production manufactures around 5,000 pumps, 90% of which are delivered to customers abroad. The majority of pumps produced in Vadstena is applied in the paper industry, in water treatment and for fire-fighters. In addition to pumps, around 800 agitators and mixers are produced at the Vadstena plant every year, which are mainly applied to mix and circulate highly viscous liquids and paper pulp.

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Interview with Anders Petersson, production manager at ABS Production AB

What is the average price of a pump?
Petersson: "An ABS pump costs between 1,500 and 150,000 euros. 70% of this amount is made up of material costs. On average the pumps have a service life of 30 years or more."

What is the pump with the maximum performance you have produced up to now?
Petersson: "The pump with the highest performance in our range achieves three cubic metres per second and transports the water up to a height of 130 metres at a pressure of 13 bar. An engine power of 5,000 kW is necessary to operate the pump."

What are the trends in this market?
Petersson: "The pumps that are ordered are increasing in size, this is a very strong trend. We see new markets for bioethanol, wind energy and also oil industry, where we witness increasing investments in fire-extinguishing systems."

Since when have you been working together with CERATIZIT and how do you assess this business relationship?
Petersson: "We have been working together since the beginning of the 1990’s and would describe the cooperation as very good. CERATIZIT is a reliable partner concerning delivery time, product quality and technical support. With grade CTC5235 the company proves that they are now the technological leader."

The largest Marcegaglia company producing cold-drawn tubes is located in Boltiere (Bergamo, Italy). The Marcegaglia company there produces welded and seamless cold-drawn tubes for automotive, hydraulic and mechanical applications. The drawing mandrels and dies that Marcegaglia Boltiere needs are ordered at CERATIZIT Alserio, Italy, which specializes in the development, manufacture and maintenance of high-quality carbide tools.

50 tons at a temperature of 200 degrees (Centigrade) – that’s what the CERATIZIT tools must withstand

Antonello Valsecchi, application engineer at CERATIZIT Alserio explains: “Cold drawing of tubes is a typical area where carbide, thanks to its properties, is the best choice for tools. Dies and mandrels are loaded with very high pressure during drawing. Just imagine that for instance a tube with a diameter of 100 millimetres is pushed inside the die at a speed of 25m/min with a tensile force of 50 tons.” This was also the weight of the largest dinosaur in Europe.

Furthermore mandrels and dies have to guarantee very high wear resistance. “The drawing process is performed at room temperature, but the friction between tube, die and mandrel increases the local temperature to over 200°C,” Valsecchi adds. Heat equivalent to the heat in a domestic oven, which of course cannot harm the CERATIZIT tool. The most frequently used carbide grades for this application are CTF30, CTM30 and CTM40.

Cold drawing of steel tubes - four steps to achieve the perfect tube

Tube drawing is an industrial process for reducing and calibrating both internal and external diameters of a tube. Cold drawing guarantees a very good surface finish and increases the mechanical properties of the tubes.

Step 1:: The raw tubes (8 to 12 m long, 10 to 210mm in diameter) are heat-treated in order to make the material ‘malleable’.

Step 2: The raw tubes are cold formed to reduce their diameter on one side. This step is called pointing and is necessary to form the tubes so that they can be drawn inside the die.

Step 3: The raw tubes are chemically treated whereby their surfaces are cleaned with an acid. The tube may now be inserted into the drawing tool.

Step 4: The tubes are drawn on drawing benches with drawing dies and mandrels.

For further questions, please contact:             

Dr. Wolfgang Glätzle Member of the Executive Board CERATIZIT S.A.  Route de Holzem, B. P. 51 L-8201 Mamer Luxemburg Phone: +43 5672 200-2224 Email: wolfgang.glaetzle@ceratizit.com

Peter Schwärzel Managing Director CERATIZIT Deutschland GmbH Stadionstrasse 2 D-72160 Horb am Neckar Germany Phone: +49 7451 522-231 Email: peter.schwaerzel@ceratizit.com

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 worldwide. CERATIZIT provides hard material solutions to customers in selected industrial sectors including the automotive industry, mechanical engineering, oil industry, medical systems, electronics as well as mould and die making. With more than 400 active patents, a sales volume of 600 mill. EUR and over 4000 employees, CERATIZIT is your strong partner worldwide.