“All factors have to be in harmony”
Walter AG has a new boss. Andreas Evertz became the successor to Peter Witteczek on 1 April 2010 and is now at the forefront of the global enterprise. In an interview with aerotec, the new CEO explains how the aerospace industry is able to benefit from the tools and expertise offered by Walter AG.
What are the goals you have set?
My goal is to further enhance the prominent position that has been achieved by Walter. This encompasses further innovations with regard to our products and the development of new industries and markets. The most important element remains our strategy of being the market leader in the field of metal cutting.
Walter AG is a founding member of the new network for innovative machining technology (Netzwerk für innovative Zerspanungstechnologien e.V.), which has a focus on the aerospace industry. What is Walter’s approach here?
Walter has pursued a strategy of focussing on industry-specific solutions for many years. We are not only product manufacturers, but also a consulting partner with extensive expertise in the field of metal cutting. This means that we deal with industry-specific requirements. One of our focal industries is the aerospace sector. The aim of the network you mentioned is to develop new machining technologies for specific projects within a specified time frame and to make them suitable for practical use. The development of materials is advancing particularly quickly in the aerospace industry. New titanium alloys such as Ti5553 and composite materials (CFRP) are setting new trends. These materials require the development of processing technologies which can only succeed with the cooperation of all parties concerned. The network enables us to sit down with clients as well as machine and software manufacturers. Current projects include the 5-axis machining and high-speed cutting of titanium and aluminium components.
How important is the dialogue between machine and tool manufacturers?
This cooperation is a prerequisite for practical, innovative solutions. This is why we maintain partnerships with leading equipment manufacturers and jointly develop plug-and-play solutions. If the client provides us with a workpiece to be machined in the form of a CAD model, he will not only get a machine or tool package, but a complete, optimized state-of-the-art process. Several years ago the removal rates in the aerospace sector did not play the crucial role they do today. This has changed in line with market development. The demands made on productivity today are very similar to those of the automotive industry. Partnerships also play a central role here. We are now experiencing a similar situation in the aerospace sector.
What specific challenges do the special materials pose and what is Walter’s technological response?
Every material has its own problems and requires precisely tailored tools. There are many technological issues with CFRP, for example, because there is a lack of long-term experience with this relatively young group of materials. The notching effect, for example, is more critical than for aluminium materials. Last but not least, the introduction of modern jets such as the B787 has been delayed due to the increased requirements. We have expanded our product range to include new drilling and boring tools for producing rivet holes in CFRP materials, as cabin components require numerous riveting processes. CFRP has very specific requirements, as the tool has to cut the fibres cleanly. These fibres should not be torn, otherwise there is an extremely high risk of fracture as a result of the notching effect.
Titanium, high temperature steel and nickel-based alloys in particular place extremely high demands on process reliability and machining quality. The components manufactured from these materials are extremely cost-intensive. A fracture can render a component useless. This is something the machine operator cannot afford. We have introduced new indexable inserts for titanium with optimized geometries and coatings, as well as internally cooled solid carbide cutters Ti40/Ti45 that are manufactured from a newly developed substrate.
What role will aluminium play in the future?
The future significance of aluminium should not be underestimated. Its proportion may be reduced, but it will still remain an important material. We have therefore launched new mills from our Sky.tec product range which have been specially optimized for machining aluminium.
Where do you see the greatest potential for an increase in productivity?
Not so much in individual cases. In fact we need to take the overall process as a starting point. If we regard the tool side, the machine side or the programme side in isolation, we would not be satisfying the practical aspect. All factors have to be in harmony and intermesh like cogs. If this were not so, we wouldn’t need a network. We can always optimize one side or another, meaning improvements are possible to a certain extent. However, if productivity is to be increased to a greater scale, we would have to consider the entire process chain. Here’s a simple example: A high-performance tool with modern features only pays off if the machine spindle permits the corresponding speeds, the level of stability is designed for high feed rates, there is an internal coolant supply through the spindle, and much more besides. Co-ordinated tools only make sense in connection with co-ordinated machines and vice versa.
What particular requirements are there in the jet engine sector?
The components inside the engine are all safety-related and are therefore subject to strict regulations. Besides titanium alloys, we are largely involved with high temperature steel and nickel-based alloys, with the classic material being Inconel 718. This means the highest demands on quality and process reliability. At the same time it requires the most difficult machining procedures. Running half of a machining process and then stopping the machine to change a worn tool is practically impossible. The required quantities must therefore always be calculated in terms of complete processes.
Is there a transfer of technology from the specialist “aerospace engineering” solutions to the standard tool programme?
Yes, very much so. Over the years we have developed a considerable standard range for the aerospace sector. The previously mentioned titanium/solid carbide cutters and CFRP drilling and boring tools are part of this range. The threading tool range includes models for inch threads that are typical in the aircraft industry. And the list goes on. Industry-specific standard ranges are part of our strategy. Due to the wide range of materials, the standard range for the aerospace sector is the most extensive. This covers all machining technologies. Therefore, we can justifiably say we are a complete provider for the aerospace industry – immaterial whether special or standard solutions are required. The transfer of technology, however, goes even further, as other areas of application, such as the food and medical industry, benefit from the experiences gained in the aerospace sector. Many similar materials are also used here.
What proportion of Walter AG’s entire turnover comes from the aerospace sector?
The aerospace industry accounts for a significant proportion of our sales, and this trend is rising. The aerospace industry, like the field of power engineering, for example, has been gathering momentum for years and there’s currently no end in sight. (kn)
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