The Sumitomo Electric Hartmetallfabrik GmbH is responding to the challenges ahead and increases the production facility in Lauchheim. In addition to the official opening ceremony, the first tooling day took place.

To take part in the opening of the extension, there came important visitors from Japan. Nozomi Ushijima is Board and Managing Director of the global Sumitomo Electric Group. "As a producer and supplier of cutting tools made of CBN (Sumiboron), carbide or synthetic diamond, our company has continuously developed," Ushijima looks on a long company history that goes back 400 years. 

> Development in Germany 
90 years ago carbide tools were developed in Germany. Today Sumitomo is one of the leading manufacturers of high-performance tools. Sumitomo sees itself as a "global player" in a large network. "No matter what, no matter where - we always offer the best solution for the customer," says Atsushi Murayama, managing director of Sumitomo Electric Hartmetall GmbH in Europe. With the extension of the location in Lauchheim he is convinced of a significant improvement in production capacity. 



> Steady growth 
Since its foundation in 1989 the plant has increased four times. For Mayor Andrea Schnele this is a clear commitment to the production location in Lauchheim. "We are pleased and proud to have such a company in Lauchheim" Schnele particularly praises the creation and protection of many jobs in the small but certainly the most beautiful city of Kapfenburg. Lothar Horn (chairman of the trade association for precision tools in the VDMA) expects a further growth in machinery manufacture as well as an increased machining demand. Sumitomo has realized that the production in Germany is really profitable. Due to Lothar Horn the expansion of the production is the right way to meet the current demand. Concerning the continuous improvement of high-performance tools, Toshimitsu Sakata, managing director of Sumitomo Electric Hartmetallfabrik GmbH thinks that the company is well prepared for the future. 

Sumitomo is the world's first company that has developed CBN (Sumiboron) for hard turning. CBN applies to diamond as the second hardest known material and is the material most commonly used in the manufacture of Sumitomo precision tools. A constant development and new generations of tools are indispensable. "The course for further positive development is set," facility manager Johann-Josef Metzdorf says proudly. With a total investment of about eight million euros the location was expanded in the past few years. Since 2013 Johann-Josef Metzdorf is facility manager of the production in Lauchheim. Now he looks forward to a new building complex with more than 2,500 square meters factory area. Therefore the company is well prepared, "said Metzdorf. 

> Latest technology 
The 90 to 18 meter two-storey hall offers the most modern building and installation engineering. In addition to the optimized production process resulting from the inclusion of office space and the associated communication ways, there are new opportunities to design the business process. Bright modern staff rooms also contribute to maintain the pleasant atmosphere for employees. The personal satisfaction of each individual is in the foreground. The company's philosophy corresponds to the wishes of many employees and managers. 



> Knowledge Exchange at the first tooling day for customers and partners 
Customer contact is important to the management of Sumitomo, which was clearly shown on the information day in Lauchheim Around 100 customers and trading partner learned about the current state of tool and material technology and got ideas for their own production. High expertise and close customer contact is more than ever required. With the theme "We show what we can" numerous customers and trading partners had the opportunity to inform themselves on the latest developments in precision tools. In addition to insights into the production process, there were diverse lectures and practical machining demonstrations in the technology center called EDEC. A Tooling Day that could certainly provide a high level of know-how. "Sumitomo ranks among the five largest manufacturers of precision tools", stated Atsushi Murayama, managing director of Sumitomo Electric Hartmetall GmbH in Europe.