CBN for machining hard materials

CBN has been known as a cutting material for almost 40 years. In 1969 General Electric launched cubic boron nitride under the name ‘Borazon‘ as a revolutionary development in the field of ultra-hard grinding materials. At the time it was more expensive than gold. CBN does not occur naturally but is produced synthetically (through high-pressure synthesis) and it is the hardest material after diamond, almost twice as hard as silicon carbide (SiC). It shows its strengths particularly when turning hard materials (hardness > 58 HRC), such as hardened steel or chilled castings: CBN is characterized by extreme hardness and excellent heat resistance as well as sufficient toughness for this application area. At temperatures of over 700° Celsius CBN shows even higher hardness than diamond.

High-pressure synthesis represents a highly precise sintering procedure for densification which implies pressures between 4 and 6 Gigapascals and temperatures between 1300°C and 1600°C.

Short interview with František Homola, chairman & CEO of Bonar a.s. in the Czech Republic

What are the main application fields of CBN?

CBN, whose hardness is only excelled by diamond, was developed to machine materials which cannot be machined with PCD or monocrystalline diamond. At present the main application fields of CBN are cast iron materials with a hardness starting at around 45 HRC, grey cast iron, Cr chilled castings and alloys for wear parts on cobalt, nickel or cast iron basis.

Why does Boran rely on carbide? Are there alternative materials?

There are different processes worldwide for synthesis, and in all these processes carbide plays an important role. For us it transpired that carbide really is the only suitable material for high-pressure synthesis combined with quality reinforcements.

How important is the quality of the carbide for you?

The quality of the carbide is of course extremely important as it influences the profitability of the entire production process. CERATIZIT has managed for years to provide first-class carbide grades of consistent quality and has thus convinced us. The service life of carbide dies is several thousand synthesis processes (one process taking 30 minutes on average) and depends on the quality of the steel reinforcement. We trust the CERATIZIT quality.

What are the trends in the fields of CBN production and how does Bonar react to these?

Bonar mainly machines monolythic inserts made of cubic boron nitride (solid CBN) in standard forms and dimensions. In past years there was an increased trend toward CBN inserts. So Bonar included these CBN inserts in their product portfolio. When it comes to production, there is a tendency towards lower temperatures and reduced pressure to protect the tools. In this context it is important to find the correct catalyzer (chemical material) which has the same effect when both temperature and pressure are decreased.

What do you particularly appreciate about CERATIZIT?

In addition to the consistent high quality we also appreciate the support of CERATIZIT. CERATIZIT engineers helped Bonar in the field of development and process optimization which enabled us to improve production, making it notably more economical.

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.

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.

CERATIZIT S. A., Mamer, Luxembourg (headquarters), May 2010.
For 17 years already stamping specialist Härter has been relying on carbide from CERATIZIT. Today CERATIZIT is the single-source supplier of the automotive specialist. Härter has around 1500 employees worldwide (900 employees in Stein, Germany); in 2008 the turnover of the company amounted to 200 million euros. The stamping specialist Härter has an impressive selection of machines: 60 erosion machines, as many grinding machines and more than 100 automatic stamping machines. 80% of the tools produced by Härter are stamped for customers by the company, the remaining 20% is delivered to customers who carry out stamping operations themselves.

In 1992 the first business contacts were established with CERATIZIT at a trade fair in Germany. The specialists from Härter and CERATIZIT were soon sitting around a table discussing the requisites and properties of tools as well as the required carbide grades. “At that time CERATIZIT already made an extremely positive impression thanks to its grade H40”, remembers Roland Kastner, responsible for operations scheduling and technical purchasing at Härter. “With the materials offered by competitors we were often faced with flaking off, surface ruptures and splitting, while grade H40 from CERATIZIT was extremely stable and reliable.”

Since 1993 the Härter group has also been buying rectangular rods in the grades H40S, TSM30 and TSM33 from CERATIZIT, which are used for the manufacture of dies.

At the end of the 1990’s pitting and corrosion during the erosion process represented a big problem for the specialists from Härter. Together with the machine manufacturer Agie, Härter and CERATIZIT therefore developed the CF grades which are characterized by excellent corrosion resistance.

“All these positive developments have contributed to the fact that Härter has been exclusively using carbide from CERATIZIT for the past three years,” says Kastner.

Interview with Roland Kastner (operations scheduling and technical purchasing) and Alexander Kasper (marketing manager) at Härter

Which components does Härter manufacture for the automotive industry?
Kasper: The product portfolio is a very large one and includes stamped parts for windscreen wipers as well as highly complex assemblies for applications such as ABS or ESP.

What are the developments in the automotive industry business according to you?
Kasper: At the moment the automotive subcontractors are facing the biggest challenge ever. We believe the market will recover after the crisis. In the medium term we will benefit from the growth drivers in automotive engineering such as convenience, safety and environment, no matter how many cars are sold.

What used to be considered a luxury feature in the past, is nowadays often part of the standard equipment. Systems for ABS and ESP, adjustable mirrors and seats, electric sliding roof, electric window openers, etc. All these features are electronic and the suitable assemblies includes stamping parts and overmoulded and/or mounted components.

In addition, automotive manufacturers increasingly concentrate on development, sales and marketing while basically outsourcing some production fields to subcontractors. For us this means an increase in the manufacture of complex assemblies. As is known, around 60% of the stamped parts are overmoulded with plastic.

How important is the automotive industry for Härter?
Kasper: As already mentioned, we have a wide range, however, about a third of our turnover is produced in the automotive area. We deliver high-quality stamping products and assemblies to virtually all system suppliers (first tier suppliers).

You not only apply carbide tools but also steel tooling. When is which material preferred?
Kastner: The proportion is 60% steel tools to 40% tools made of carbide. The price of carbide tools is around 30% more than the price of steel tools, but the tool life of the carbide tools and thus their overall output is notably higher. Steel tools are mostly applied for batches below a million pieces.

What are the most important quality criteria for carbide?
Kastner: For us the most important criterion is consistently high quality which is of prime importance when considering erosion. Furthermore we count on long tool life, stability, excellent hardness and toughness.

How long does carbide last on the tool?
Kastner: This really depends on the material that is stamped and with how much pressure and speed this happens. There are carbide tools which stamp up to 15 million pieces, which are then reground; normally it is possible to repeat this eight to ten times.

What percentage of the total price does the carbide account for?
Kastner: On average we are talking about five to ten percent of the total price.

What are the products you are particularly proud of?
Kasper: Each tool is a challenge as it is produced individually for the customer. We process stamping materials with a thickness of 0.05 up to 4 mm on presses weighing between 15 and 350 tons. Obviously, in 45 years since the company’s foundation quite a lot has accumulated.

We are however proud to produce very complex parts on our facilities with over 1,000 strokes per minute, the process being simultaneously 100% monitored by our camera system.

We also stamped barcodes which subsequently were welded on the chassis. That was a real challenge: each part out of a total of one million parts had to be individually different.

What do you appreciate about CERATIZIT?
Kasper: We appreciate the faith which has been built up over the years and now ensures that Härter and CERATIZIT propel each other forward: this business relationship ensures we both develop. We also appreciate the service: CERATIZIT is not a carbide factory whose sales representatives want to sell at any cost – the entire team fulfils our requirements, looks at problems together with us and solves them rapidly. Another highlight is the well-structured product catalogue with which we enjoy working.

Härter was founded in 1964 as a tool making company and then specialized in the stamping of parts for the automotive industry, telecommunications, electronic industry and general industry (furniture mountings or components for watches).

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.

The new milling cutter MaxiMill 274: CERATIZIT's answer for turbine blade machining

CERATIZIT S. A., Mamer, Luxembourg (headquarters), April 2010.

Turbines rank among the most impressive machines. Their mechanical performance can reach up to 1,600 Megawatt, which of course exposes the turbine blades to considerable stress. The operation temperature combined with aggressive media such as hot vapour are the critical aspects of the process. Turbine blades therefore require materials such as stainless chromium steels which are characterized by high resistance to such aggressive media.

These materials have always been and are still expensive and machining is a complex operation: even minimal surface flaws on the turbine blades reduce their performance, while increasing maintenance costs and shortening their service life. Due to the high material costs and the considerable amount of time necessary for this type of machining operation, manufacturers cannot afford reject parts. This is why process security is the critical factor when producing turbine blades.

As precision is extremely important for these processes, CERATIZIT has developed MaxiMill 274 particularly with process reliability and exact machining of turbine blade roots in mind. The inserts for MaxiMill 274 have 8 cutting edges which are particularly suitable for high-tensile materials. Minimum cutting forces ensure clean component surfaces and adherence to close tolerances.

“MaxiMill 274 provides the manufacturers with a tool for the specific challenges in the field of turbine blade machining. Close tolerances and clean surfaces even with difficult to machine materials no longer represent a problem,” says Markus Krabichler, product manager of the mechanical engineering & transport segment at CERATIZIT.

The new CERATIZIT milling cutter combines low power consumption with reduced cutting noise and minimum vibration. The insert’s clearance angle of 25° allows favourable positioning in the tool. Easy handling and good accessibility when using the torque tool ensure short set-up times. Coolant holes guarantee sufficient cooling and ensure maximum feed rates. MaxiMill 274 thus offers all necessary requisites for economic and precise machining of turbine blades.

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.

The new crankshaft milling tool with ceramic cutting material reduces the cutting time by 40%.

CERATIZIT S. A., Mamer, Luxembourg (headquarters), April 2010.

Time and again new cutting materials seem to promise increased economy of machining processes, but only tools which can be applied on the shopfloor really help operators. CERATIZIT combines the advantages of high-performance cutting materials with innovative tooling solutions. This increases the cutting speed and improves precision when milling crankshafts.

Patrick Zobl, product manager for crankshaft machining at CERATIZIT, has discovered the potential: “As a carbide specialist we have a lot of experience in the field of cutting material production and in the development of application-oriented tools. Thus we are able again and again to choose new optimized methods with regard to the various application fields of the cutting materials. And it is what we have been doing, and we’ve been doing it very successfully.”

In this project the challenge consisted in achieving a notable increase in cutting speed for crankshaft machining. Due to the higher temperature on the cutting edge which results from the higher speed, the carbide cutting material had to be replaced with nitride ceramic. This however required the development of an absolutely reliable screw clamp for ceramic inserts, so the CERATIZIT specialists developed specific geometry with a central hole.

The knowhow gained in the MaxiMill HEC (High Efficiency Cutter) development project helped a lot in this context, as MaxiMill HEC represents a face milling system onto which carbide, ceramic or CBN inserts may be mounted. This idea was seized on by CERATIZIT development expert Hannes Brandhofer who applied it to the new crankshaft milling tool. The new tooling system consists of a milling wheel, cassettes and ceramic inserts clamped by means of a screw. The system was tested on a crankshaft made of spheroidal cast iron GGG-60.

This is possible with cutting ceramic: high-speed cutting of crankshafts for the very first time

The original carbide tooling system achieved a cutting speed of about 250 m/min. Applying the silicon nitride grade CTN3105 it was possible to raise the cutting speed to 1,000 m/min simultaneously reducing the machining time by 40%. Furthermore the tolerances of the components were notably closer.

“In this way the operator for the first time has the possibility to choose between conventional cutting parameters applying carbide inserts, and high-speed machining with cutting ceramic which considerably reduces the cutting time,” states product manager Zobl, summing up the main advantage of the new tooling system. Zobl continues: “Of course milling cutters for crankshaft machining will never be standard products, but always customized high-performance tools.”

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.

CERATIZIT S. A., Mamer, Luxembourg (headquarters), March 2010.

The new catalogue ‘Hard metals for wood machining’ from CERATIZIT is available from now on. Not only does the world market leader offer the most extensive product range, but in fact the most comprehensive catalogue so far.

The catalogue shows all innovations as well as up-to-date offers in a well-structured way. Thanks to the clear structure of the product range the customer is able to rapidly obtain the information he is looking for. Additionally, a system of symbols and colour coding ensures high user-friendliness.

The delivery programme includes the sectors of carbide blanks, semi-finished products and finished products. In addition to saw tips for wood and metal machining, as well as inserts, blanks and scorers for profiling and knives for planer blades, the reference guide includes strips and rods in both finished and 'as sintered' versions.

Furthermore, the 230-page catalogue provides information on the carbide grades available for wood machining. The suitable carbide grade for every application: from natural wood to extremely hard artificial wood such as, for example, formica/Resopal or laminates. This is particularly important for business partners who need tailor-made special components. The CERATIZIT grade programme ranges from nano to ultra-fine high-performance grades, to submicron and fine grain grades and robust coarse grain grades for extreme machining conditions. In this manner CERATIZIT covers the entire cutting tool sector with its carbide products for wood machining.

“We consider ourselves first of all a partner for the wood tool manufacturers. Throughout the world our hard material products are known for innovation and quality and are applied in wood machining tools for both professionals and DIY enthusiasts,” says Paul Jung, business unit manager for wood and stone machining at CERATIZIT. “The applied carbide grades are adapted to the material and the application range. Our large stock program ensures rapid availability for our customers at any time. In order to be able to support our customers throughout the world even better, the catalogue is available in English, German, French, Spanish and Italian.”

The new catalogue can be downloaded in PDF format at www.ceratizit.com.

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.

CERATIZIT S. A., Mamer, Luxembourg (headquarters), March 2010

Thanks to the special manufacturing technology carbide specialist CERATIZIT has for the first time managed to produce a high-precision prismatic insert with a positive clearance angle on both sides. The new CERATIZIT tooling system MaxiMill 273 combines the advantages of negative inserts (both sides of the cutting edges can be used) with those of positive inserts (ideal mounted position and thus low cutting forces).

Market analyses show that the majority of milling work pieces requires a material removal of less than 3.5 mm. This is where MaxiMill 273 shows its advantages very clearly: the milling system covers machining operations ranging from roughing to finishing at cutting depths up to 3.5 mm.

Maximum number of teeth for highest feed rates

The new MaxiMill 273 version 2 is characterized by a particularly close pitch with the maximum number of teeth on each diameter. It is applied in high volume production of cast iron parts, mainly in the automotive industry where for example the joint faces of motor blocks have to be milled. A special challenge in this context is the high feed rate, made possible by the large number of teeth. The new milling system however avoids the problem of edge chipping in the typically brittle cast iron components. In general the new MaxiMill 273 system helps to save costs where short machining times are required at moderate cutting depths.

A precision setting feature is also available for the close pitch system. In this way the operator may adjust the tool to within a few microns, which in fine finishing operations provides particularly smooth surfaces..

A whole lot of machining for your money.

The maximum number of teeth per tool combined with easy handling and 16 fully usable cutting edges per insert are the features which specially characterize MaxiMill A273. 16 times face milling with only one insert. The Masterfinish cutting edge from CERATIZIT furthermore allows higher cutting speeds and guarantees very good work piece surfaces. All these characteristics ensure a highly efficient machining process and thus reduced production costs.

In fact, the new CERATIZIT tooling system MaxiMill 273 fulfils all the important criteria for milling tools:

·        Low cutting forces

·        Good chip evacuation
·        Clean surfaces

·        Reduced costs per cutting edge

MaxiMill 273 is available in geometries and grades for the machining of steel, stainless steel and heat resistant materials as well as cast iron.

High process security

The new MaxiMill 273 milling system is provided with HyperCoat insert coating and the efficient wear protection hard & tough which guarantees consistent long tool life. High insert thickness and the large corner angle ensure optimized stability and thus reliability of the system, while stability and quality are important factors for consistent tool life without unpredictable downtime, particularly in unmanned shifts.

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.

Up to now the carbide specialist has focused on mere carbide production, the tools for the Indian market and the Tiger States being manufactured at the Bulgaria plant. Wolter: “Bulgaria fortunately can boast of a considerable workload – for us an additional argument to strengthen further our India site by involving it in tool production. For our customers there and in the Tiger States this means above all shorter lead times even for larger quantities.“ The Board was deeply impressed by the quality of the tools which are produced in India. “It is really not so easy to meet the extremely high quality standards which CERATIZIT offers its customers. This is why I’m particularly proud of our Indian colleagues, as they were able to fulfil the quality demands in no time at all and - even more important - they were able to keep to them.”

Thanks to the more economic production this of course allows CERATIZIT in India to consolidate its positions in the competitive environment.

After a test phase of several months during which the Indian plant will produce simple turning tools, more complex tools such as milling cutters will be added.

What do those responsible in India think about the important plant extension in Kolkata?

Interview with managing director A. K. Sareen, head of manufacturing, Saranath Bhaduri and project leader Somnath Chakraborty.

Why and how was the project brought into being?
Sareen: The decision to start the tool holder project was mainly to cater to our local demand. Numerous options including various established toolmakers were considered and evaluated. The main criteria were meeting CERATIZIT quality standards as well as competitive prices. Our qualified skilled workforce, the documented quality and performance records of CERATIZIT India and above all the enthusiasm of the team for the new project tilted the decision in our favour.

How important is this project for India?
Sareen: This additional output will be decisive in boosting the sales of cutting tools in India, and the project will reinforce the position of CERATIZIT India within the CERATIZIT group.

Which tool holders are involved in the project?
Bhaduri: We mainly produce several different types of tool holders for external machining and boring bars for the MaxiLock S, P and D. We are also planning to increase the capacity by 200% in the near future.

What are the future plans for this project?
Chakraborty: We are planning to manufacture external ISO tool holders and boring bars in the first phase. Other more complex tools such as milling cutters and special tools will be included in the following project phase.

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.

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.