While this digital dependency was initially rooted in consumer markets, it has spread to other sectors, too. Take business to business (B2B): not that long ago, most technical products in industrial markets were sourced through printed catalogues and ordered over the phone. That has all changed now.
These days, B2B is characterised by multi-channel routes to market, making full use of digital technologies, accessible through either desktop, laptop, tablet, or mobile. Companies such as Sandvik Coromant have invested heavily in web-based resources to provide new types of bespoke content including interactive material, educational resources and online communities. In short, customers – especially millennials – want digital services that provide real value.
So, how specifically has this shift been reflected in the cutting tools and services sector? At Sandvik Coromant, it has meant a transition from a paper-based to a digital-first approach to marketing and communications. This has resulted in a host of new interactive services that have been designed to make it easier for customers to research, source and buy the tooling they need.
The process has been designed to be as intuitive as possible. Any registered Sandvik Coromant web user can log in and start using the newly developed feature in their browser. The user can click through a few guided steps to customise a standard cutting tool to match specific requirements. In the final step of the process, the user simply places the order.
The launch of the service reflects a growing requirement for bespoke tooling, driven by the need for more flexibility in manufacturing. The most common example of demand for products that are not available ‘off-the-shelf’ is when a specific, non-standard hole diameter is specified.
Producing such a feature typically entails an initial drilling operation followed by boring to the required size. However, by applying a small modification to an existing off-the-shelf drill, the manufacturer could create the hole according to specification using just one drill.
Further advantages include the availability of a larger number of products on the web (beyond standard products), while there also exists new potential to review any customised products sent via the sales representative. As well as drills, the new online service also applies to parting and grooving, milling and tooling systems products.
The content is presented in a way that takes account of people’s time-pressed lives, with a strong focus on shorter and more user-friendly formats. For instance, the topic of how to improve chip control and increase productivity in turning operations is covered in a three-minute video clip. This covers best-practice technical advice on factors such as nose radius, depth of cut, feed rate and the top-form geometry of the insert. It also offers valuable advice on how to prevent chip jamming.
The e-learning materials have also been structured so that they provide meaningful guidance and professional development, with each resource followed by a ‘next step’ recommendation.
Indeed, the Sandvik Coromant website is a real trove of information. In addition to the e-learning, customers can digest industry articles, browse digital publications and develop and share digital catalogues. It is also possible to make online order inquiries, shop for tools, view prices and availability, and find a Sandvik Coromant dealer or distributor. In fact, there’s everything that’s needed to get the job done.
Within the Sandvik Coromant CoroPlus ToolGuide and CoroPlus ToolLibrary for instance, engineers can select the task they want to perform and choose the material of the workpiece, before the software makes a recommendation of the best suited tools for the job at hand.
A recently-launched browser version of the CoroPlus ToolLibrary means customers can quickly and easily create assemblies from the Sandvik Coromant product catalogue. Once the assembly is created, the package containing 2D and 3D models and other data can then be downloaded for import into supporting CAM software where simulation can be performed. A complete assembly created in the browser can also be placed directly in the shopping cart.
The tool guide and tool assembly software act as an effective means of streamlining the cutting tool selection and operations planning process therefore increasing customer efficiency. But further advances in digital machining, linked to emergence of Industry 4.0 methodologies, are likely to follow suit.
Eventually, tool and process selection technology will not stop at tools themselves. Sandvik Coromant is exploring the entire process planning chain, where a user can select which machine is best for manufacturing their part and how to connect all the right methods including tool assembly.
The end game is to take a component drawing, input this into the software that analyses the component and tells the engineer the best or quickest or cheapest way to manufacture the component – the cheapest way with the best combination of methods, tools and cutting data. This would represent the next level of manufacturing automation in a new era of digital machining.
There’s a handy filter to enable users to find and access what they want, with the main Sandvik Coromant ordering catalogue helpfully divided into three volumes: turning tools, rotating tools and solid round tools.
The transition to a digital-first policy does not mean that all printed material has been discontinued. In some countries, where online access is restricted or internet connection is unreliable, there is still a requirement for printed product literature such as catalogues, brochures and technical guides. Indeed some customers still prefer printed material, but overall, on a global basis, the digital approach has resulted in a vast reduction in paper usage.
These are just some of the digital customer interactions that have been developed over the past few years. Tech-savvy customers demand better online experiences, and those companies that fail to deliver will inevitably get left behind.
Sandvik Coromant www.sandvik.coromant.com
