Interview with David Sanz, new CEO of Walter Tools

Since January 1, 2007, Walter Tools has turned to its strategic policy in the Iberian Peninsula. David Sanz is the new director-general of Walter Tools Ibérica s.a.u, the subsidiary launches new organisational structure in the marketing department and meets a year from the change of premises at a strategic location of entrance to Barcelona. It can be said that in the last EMO its stand, which received the first prize of the contest, was the most visited of all the fair, as well as the tools of high quality that it makes, the German company showed a tiger, and it is that the plates of Walter Tools have claw.

David Sanz, new director general.

As regards the company has been a time of change. In July 2005, in line with the internal politics of the Group Sanvik and Walter tools close the workshop for the manufacture of special tools of the town of L´Hospitalet de Llobregat to install a manufacturing plant in Italy who works 365 days a year and is responsible for supply of special tool to all of Western Europe.

Precisely, this was the trigger for our change of image: look for different facilities, in a hub site within five minutes of the airport of Barcelona and with a view to one of the main arteries of Barcelona, Casteldefells motorway access.

In February 2006 we moved to new offices, 700 square meters of extension, which has provided us with an improvement of labour quality. Now we bring to the client, we deliver training in a room of about 200 square meters, an office, Center for sales, administration, two law firms address... In short, we serve the client properly.

The most recent are given because it was our director general until last year, Paco Cases, which took over the general management since the founding of the subsidiary in 1997, decided to leave the company and the management service in Germany decided that I is in general again director Office of Walter Tools.

"We have the more modern bodies plant of the world"

Yes, we have implemented a new sales strategy that will allow Walter Tools to reach the market via three different channels. One of them is what we call "Key Account", where is includes customer with high potential of purchase which are dedicated to a specific commercial and technical division. These "key customers" they dedicate a constant presence, with reduced client lists that allow the maximum concentration.

We then focus towards regional, aimed at potential customers medianos-altos sale to which we have an extensive structure of commercial covering the whole Iberian.

On the other hand, another important channel that is somewhat per cent is important, is the distribution where we have a network of distributors who work exclusively

New facilities of the subsidiary.

n February 2006 we had a serious incident at our headquarters in Tübingen where burned two production plants with about 50 CNC machines of last generation that produced our standard tools for European and foreign market. That same night the general Council of Walter met urgently and sent personnel to manufacturing plants scattered around the world: China, Australia, Austria, United States and Italy with the aim of diversifying the manufacturing while customers were affected.

In just three days we already have a new ship in the vicinity of Tübingen and ten days after the fire was already the first machine to produce.

Walter Tools last year invested more than EUR 70 million in the purchase of machinery for the production of bodies and the restructuring of manufacturing. At first, the initial phase of the production of chips, developed in our production of Münsingen plant while the coating phase was carried out on the floor of Tübingen. We have now encompassed all manufacturing of plates from the pressing, sintering, sharpening and coating labelling, packing and provision in Münsingen. We have taken advantage of this circumstance to create a logical workflow. On the other hand, all related to the manufacture of bodies corresponds to Tübingen.

On a recent visit I saw about 50 new CNC machines in operation, which demonstrates the capacity to respond, the taking of decisions and investments: we have power, we are strong.

We have the more modern bodies plant in the world. As well as plates.

We manufacture interchangeable plates of hard metal and its corresponding bodies for different applications. Our catalog is clearly defined by various product groups: turning, milling, drilling and bore. With 18,000 references to catalog, applications are very diverse: automotive, industry Aeronautics and energy - a sector which takes off strong at the Iberian level is that of wind power. Our history speaks of milling, although we have a catalogue of turning very powerful and competitive, and our aim short to medium term is to promote it. In milling are well located

Large and medium-customer seeks to productivity, the tool allows you to produce more parts in less time, so removing such as torneando or drilling. We say that in a serial piece, only 4 per cent of the total cost of production of a piece is up to the cost of tool.

We are trying to reduce production costs to manufacture a piece that works faster than the competition with a proper life.

The small customer looking for flexibility of tools. That is why our tools looking for overlapping applications, for example, that the Insert work different materials, is what gives added value to these customers.

The quality of the piece is given by two factors: the tolerances and surface quality which is given by the own plate geometries.

Special tool, where we have 20 percent of sales, both the quality as the required finish is given by specifications, in that regard, Walter has been specializing in the manufacture of this type of tool for many years and offers tailor-made solutions to our customers.

Specializing in tools for different applications.

Exact. There are tools of last generation that they avoid subsequent machining operations, allow significant savings and an increase in productivity, something fundamental for large customers, small and medium-sized.

Increasingly we talk about more high speed and concepts of environmental protection as the MQL (minimum amount of coolant) to manufacture parts in less time and more environmentally friendly way. Both factors have made to evolve the tools sector.

Also in ecological terms applies to noise pollution we seek softer cutting tools, which produce less noise pollution where engine power requirements are lower and it is for the benefit of ecology.

In particular Walter tools, the company took a direction in 1998 with the first plate Quartec for milling operations and we have continued this way throwing star biennially products to the market. It must be borne in mind that 65 per cent of our sales are based on tools for less than five years in catalog. That's innovation.

Later we launched Tigertec, the first plaque of two colors: oxide of aluminium in the cutting area and titanium in the area of grinding for milling operations. In the Foundry sector it garnered a resounding success and continues today as an authority on the subject.

Another line has been Xtratec, revolutionary nikelizadas for drilling tools.

All of them have been revolutionary: we were the first to present a tool to plan to 45 degrees of eight tips for insert, also the first to launch a tool to frame accurate 90 degrees with 4 points.

After Xtratec manufacture family turning WPP steel with the concept of Tiger-tec, following the success of cast iron.

We have also had very encouraging successes with WPP. From here we showed to the market the first insert with physical PVD coating of aluminum oxide for the machining of materials from hard boot such as titanium, for machining of stainless steel and machining of hardened steel. This is another success in our system of tools and we have implemented this coating in different ranges for milling operations.

And the last release February of this year at the global level, will launch the positive plates WPP for turning steel.

We have launched the first insert with physical PVD coating of aluminum oxide for the machining of materials difficult to boot, for machining of stainless steel and machining of hardened steel.

Our value to a good quality and high productivity tool is also the people behind the tools, based them, selling them, giving support to the customer, in response, the various departments, have a clear vocation to the client.

Clear spaces at the new premises of Walter Tool Iberian.

We have a department of engineering with two designers that offer any type of solution attending any type of demand and product, of study, time, etc.

We have seen a change of mentality of the consumer. Before the demand was of tools with a large capacity boot, large slab, big past... On the other hand the concept now tends to the high speed, lower consumption, to a faster machine movements and more power for cutting tools.

In some cases, have been manufacturers that have promoted this change in mentality. Machine tool dealers blamed us manufacturers of tools always going a step ahead in the requirements and sell things to clients machines can not do.

We are looking for stability in the machine, rigidity, a good anchorage, fast movements and how much more better power. A factor which is not given due importance is that the failure of a machining, sometimes, éxitoo does not depend on the machine.

All our Tiger plates for turning both steel and cast iron, positive and negative.

Within milling our Xtratec range and the latest developments of oxide of aluminium extensible to our range of milling. As for drilling, our drill of interchangeable plaque Xtratec that simulates the operation of a comprehensive drill of hard metal.

It is very well. We are very excited that the new structure of how reach the customer has been implemented this year and because the beginning of the year is still good. It has also influenced the staff is very focused, I am very satisfied

The entire sector relates the image of Walter Tools with a tiger. In the last EMO we saw one and Chicago IMTS took two copies of Bengal in the recently closed...

We carry one to the EMO fair but it was not easy. We got in touch with various animal protection associations and made large donations to carry out the project. The Tiger could be a few hours specified in the show and the remaining time in a specially enabled space for their care and maintenance in the parking lot of the fairgrounds. It was expensive, but it was an innovative idea that well deserved the prize for the best stand at the fair, which is not very simple, even had a diffusion media in German newspapers.

Generated a story the presence of the tiger in the contest?

Taking into account that it remained entirely in secret, when our competitors saw us assemble the cage and appear the tiger in early trials, our booth was filled with our competitors to see it. And during the EMO, the expectation to see the tiger in the show was such that the two aisles were completely collapsing and people had to deal with the stands around to see the Tiger of Walter.

The tiger in the EMO caused great excitement among attendees.