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01/06/2010 CERATIZIT hits the nail on the head Manufacture of high-quality nails at ITW Air Hammer in the Czech Republic

CERATIZIT hits the nail on the head
Manufacture of high-quality nails at ITW Air Hammer in the Czech Republic

CERATIZIT S. A., Mamer, Luxembourg (headquarters), June 2010.
High pressure and high speed – these are the conditions standard materials such as HSS steels can withstand only for a limited period of time. The production of high quality nails for further processing in pneumatic high-performance nailers is one of the applications where carbide typically shows its strengths. This is also true for ITW Air Hammer in the Czech Republic, where CERATIZIT tools are used in the production of high-quality nails.

In the production department that was first established in 2001 there are several high-tech production lines for nails. Carbide tools from CERATIZIT contribute here decisively in the machines which convert the wire in several steps into nails. The tools are developed and produced at the CERATIZIT site in Alserio, Italy. Grade CTM40 is utilized for grippers (the part of the tool that holds the wire), while grade CTM30 is used for cutters which sever the wire. An ITW speciality is the production of nails for industrial pallet nailing and assembly machines, of which the 60 employees produce several million daily.

“The main difference between us and other manufacturers of nails is the high quality standard we need to achieve,” explains Tomáš Lecnar, Managing Director of ITW Air Hammer. ITW Air Hammer’s customers are manufacturers of industrial machines and air pressure nailing machines, and do not supply Do-It-Yourself markets. Many of these machines are fully automated and designed for working at a very high speed. The quality of the nails, especially in their shape and length has to be extremely consistent, as every nail which does not meet the required specifications causes machine downtime. Lecnar: “If you want to play in this league, you have to work together with the best suppliers in the market in order to get the quality you are looking for.”

ITW Air Hammer and CERATIZIT have worked together since 2001. The cooperation started after a discussion at a trade show.
 

Interview with Zdenek Tesar, responsible for logistics and machines at ITW Air Hammer

Are there alternatives to carbide tools?
Tesar: There are indeed. We regularly perform tests with other tools and also with tools that have been heat-treated or that have a specific coating. In nearly all alternative solutions, however, a shorter service life and more time for machine set-up must be taken into account. The main advantage of carbide tools is their durability combined with consistently good quality. The only prerequisite for carbide tools to perform well is a perfect machine set-up. On average, carbide tools have a service life which is between 10 and 20 times longer than that of HSS tools.

Why does ITW Air Hammer work together with CERATIZIT?
Tesar: CERATIZIT is the best partner we could have found. This is due to a combination of several things. What makes CERATIZIT successful is the fact that interest is shown in our business concerns: they want to know each process and to understand every step. If you work together with such a partner, who is really interested in what you do, you will receive solutions that really cover all your needs. CERATIZIT delivers the high quality that matches our needs. This business is not about visiting a company once, and leaving a product catalogue with a price list after partaking of two cups of coffee and some small talk. CERATIZIT understands the business of its customers!

Which trends are there in the nail making industry?
Tesar: The trend is clear: being able to produce as many high-quality nails as possible in the shortest time possible, at the same time reducing the time needed for machine set-up. We have invested quite a lot in machines that meet these requirements and have even designed and built some of them ourselves.

What is important in the process of nail production and what does that mean for the carbide tools?
Tesar: What matters are speed and a long tool life on the one hand and of course the consistent high quality of nails on the other. The most important thing is to find the optimum set-up and to be able to keep to it.

 
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.