COMPANYHIGHLIGHT
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THE
Will
P wer OF WALTER
COMPANYHIGHLIGHT
www.equipment-news.com
“We aim to double our sales, achieving better
shorter time.”
gains in
– Peter Witteczek CEO, WALTER AG
The old saying is true. When there is a will, there is a way. Walter managed to set up a new plant in Germany in about nine months. By Goh Tzen Long
ALTER has been a major player in the meta lwork ing sector. Ma nufacturing precision tools in several locations around the world, it has a customer base ranging from leading global players to small and mediumsized enterprises. In an interview with Asia Pacific Metalworking News magazine, Peter Witteczek, the CEO of WALTER AG, talks about the company’s business strategy and the setting up of its new plant. APMEN: How did WALTER manage to set up a new plant so quickly? Mr Witteczek: The fast setting up of the new plant was only possible because of our team. It consists of very dedicated managers. All of them have the willingness to build it up. APMEN: How long did it take WALTER to start production in the new plant? Mr Witteczek: We started building the new plant in May 2006. Between February and March this year, we moved our first machines into it. In total, it has been about nine to 10 months before we started production again in this new building. We ma na ge d to move a l l i n se r t pro duc t ion equipments from Tubingen factory to the new factory within two months, without stopping the production for a single day and always ensuring to our customers an on-tme delivery.
APMEN: With the rise of economies in countries like China and India, a lot of companies have relocated part of their business functions to other regions of the world. Has WALTER done that as well? Mr Witteczek: Yes, we started in China in 1996. Our company also manufactures some standard tools in China. For example, in Wuxi, WALTER produces certain tools with typical dimensions for the Asian market. where Walter produces certain tools for the Asian market. WALTER’s cutters and tool holders are manufactured in Europe, China and the USA. However, if we are talking about carbide inserts, they are 100 percent produced in Germany in our new Munsingen factory. Additionally, in Singapore, we have our Asia Pacific distribution centre, where we stock up our products for the Asia pacific markets. These products are shipped to other parts of the Asia Pacific region. We deliver our products 24 hours a day. Talking about other regions, we have a third distribution hub for the NAFTA markets, including Mexico, Canada, and Argentina. APMEN: Where are most of WALTER’s tools shipped from? Mr Witteczek: Most of the tools are produced in Germany and shipped tou our distribution hub in Singapore. From there, they are sent on a daily basis to all the countries in the Asia Pacific region.. APMEN: Could you give some examples of WALTER’s tools and and the markets these tools are catered for?
Mr Witteczek: WALTER produces carbide inserts and holders for turning, drilling and milling operations. The main applications for our products are in the fields of automotive, aerospace, mould & die, power generation and general engineering. Whenever it is necessary to machine metal and plastic materials, we have the right solution in each engineering field. We are where our customers need us! APMEN: What materials do you think will be used for the various industries in the future? Mr Witteczek: You can see these materials being used. Please allow me to say that I do not expect a big change in the materials being used for the next few years. in fact, we are already living these changes. Specifically, the aircraft industry would be different. Materials used in the construction of aircrafts would be stronger and harder. The carrier flyer today are mainly made of aluminium, but the one on the production lines or in the prototype stage, like the Boeing 787 “Dreamliner”, are applying more and more titanium alloys and composite materials. We are following this material evolution and our products. like our new PVD Tiger.tec, are already showing very good results when used on these materials. Talking about the automotive industry, the usage of aluminium applications is increasing a lot, mostly to reduce the car’s weight and fuel consumption. In 2003, to stay at the forefront of this trend, we acquired a company specialised in PCD/CBN tools for automotive industry.
APMEN: How is WALTER going to deal with any changes in materials? Mr Witteczek: We will continue to develop new carbides and processes. This will also improve the quality of our products. Such improved products will also improve the productivity of our customers. APMEN : In the changing world paradigm where globalisation is taking place, many companies are employing talents from around the world. Is WALTER moving towards that trend? Mr Witteczek: Yes, we have done that already. For example, in the programming department of our German office, we have Chinese nationals from our subsidiaries in China. In our design and software department, we have Indian nationals from our offices in India. APMEN: Currently, part of WALTER’s growth is organic and part of it is due to acquisitions. Can you tell us about Walter’s strategy for future growth? Mr Witteczek: We aim to double our sales, achieving better gains in shorter time. We have a good strategy for growth, which includes spending more on development, coming up with new products, and doubling the size of our manpower. Of course, we are also open to good suggestions. If we find a good company that is willing to join us, we will be open to the proposal. MEN Enquiry No. 7017