22 June 2024 Production Engineering Solutions pesmedia.com TOOLING & WORKHOLDING floor is currently under development as a coating plant, the remainder is a modern production area, handling the erosion, laser cutting and grinding of carbide rods and inserts. Basically, everything upstream from the sintering process takes place here – much of it on a large scale. The heating and cooling system for the building is ultra efficient incorporating the use of thermal groundwater, heat pumps and photovoltaic systems. Additional highlights include a 15,000m² ‘greened’ roof on the production hall which contributes to low energy consumption. This modern three-story building is visually impressive. The timber supporting structure made of local spruce is particularly eye-catching. Using this naturally renewable building material has enabled low-emission construction, which aligns perfectly with Ceratizit’s sustainability strategy. What’s new in Kempten? Sales and logistics were the themes for the next phase of the open days as we switched countries, travelling from Austria to German (Kempten). More specifically, we visited Ceratizit’s (literally) brand spanking new Sales and Technical Centre and also the comparatively older (but still new – opened in 2021) Logistics Centre. The former, home to around 350 employees, is the headquarters for the German, Austrian and Swiss sales teams, global product management and global group marketing. The latter, around a mile away, operates as a central distribution centre for Ceratizit’s European production sites. 125 employees are located there. The opening presentation was provided by Andreas Kordwig, director, global product management, and also the managing director of the new Kempten facility. The Sales and Technical Centre literally opened for business during the week of the open days. It comprises 5,000m² of office space, training and meeting rooms, but also a Tech Centre that occupies 725m² of real estate. The Tech Centre is fantastic – it’s modern, bright and impressive and will be used for product development, training and customer applications. DMG Mori technology features heavily here with the inclusion of a DMG Mori 90U duoBlock 5-axis machining centre; a DMG Mori DMV 115 3-axis VMC, and a DMG Mori CTX beta 1250TC 4A mill/turn centre. The Logistics Centre is equally impressive with 90,000 products in stock, 12,000 product picks and 4,000 deliveries made every day to 74 countries worldwide. The centre serves around 80,000 customers. In terms of market segmentation, Ceratizit’s products and services span the entire supply chain. “Our customers range from OEMs through tier 1, tier 2 and tier 3,” Andreas Kordig explains. “This, I believe is our USP – that we offer a customised service and product portfolio for every level within the customer pyramid. “We have no minimum order quantity or value and our products, through group brands Ceratizit, Komet, WNT and Klenk cover the entire machining spectrum – from the spindle to the machine table, encompassing everything from turning tools, grooving tools, indexable inserts and tool storage solutions, through to reaming and countersinking tools, taps, workholding products and tooling for specialised applications in sectors such as aerospace and medical.” Ceratizit believes it has the most comprehensive tooling portfolio in the marketplace, and with 64,000 products available in its standard range with 99% availability, it’s hard to argue. And of course for customers needing something a little more bespoke than a standard tool, Ceratizit offers a wide range of semistandard and customised products to suit specific customer applications. Special tools are generally delivered within three weeks. Q Ceratizit www.ceratizit.com One of several panel discussions: (L-R) Presenter Harald Greising; director of R&D Dr Uwe Schleinkofer; Markus Piber, divisional board member at DMG Mori; Ceratizit board member Melissa Albeck; and Ramiro Bengochea, director of global sales, Ceratizit Scan here for more Ceratizit articles Journalists of the world unite: team photo at the entrance to the Kreckelmoos factory
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