By focusing on the needs of customers machining specialist Walter seeks to set itself apart, including when it comes to providing digital product data. Walter supports its customers with high-quality product data, which is available from tool data management systems and online libraries such as MachiningCloud.
Konstantinos Bountolas, Product Data Solutions Manager at Walter, summarises the company’s data philosophy as follows: “Product data that is ready to use enables our users to find, choose and assemble tools more quickly when it comes to designing, planning, NC programming and purchasing, as well as on the shop floor.”
Walter’s strategy of focusing on its customers is also geared towards the customers’ procurement preferences.
“We leave it to our customers to choose where they would like to access the product data for our tools,” Bountolas explains. “Everyone has their own preferred channels for obtaining this data. All that matters is making sure that we provide our data exactly where our customers are looking for it.”
Walter mainly relies on the “channels” of MachiningCloud, the e-catalogue for TDM, and Tools United.
Walter on MachiningCloud
Customers around the world can access more than 40,000 Walter tool elements on MachiningCloud.
“MachiningCloud is perfect for us,” underlines Bountolas. “There, we present our tools in virtually the same way as in our catalogue. Thanks to Walter’s standardised product designations, the way in which the products are presented and the logos that customers are familiar with, users will find our products without fail on MachiningCloud.”
Walter e-catalogue for TDM
MachiningCloud and the Walter e-catalogue for TDM have similar functions, such as product specification lists (cutting diameter, projection length, length of cutting edge, the direction of rotation, and so on), 2D drawings, 3D models, photos and descriptions. However, the Walter e-catalogue for TDM goes into even greater detail. With an average of 20 parameters, it contains all the information that is required by a CAD/CAM system. The e-catalogue can also be linked to ERP software via TDM.
“It’s not good when customers have to manually re-measure missing properties, such as lengths and diameters and have to manually enter parameters,” says Bountolas. “Customers want product data at the touch of a button.”
Tools United
More than 900,000 tool components from 36 different manufacturers, including Walter, are stored on the Tools United tool platform. The platform provides NC programmers, buyers, tool managers, project managers and design engineers with product data based on their requirements in standardised formats and common export interfaces for tool management systems and CAM systems.
Optimising processes with apps
Optimally prepared digital product data, which the company provides to its customers across different platforms, is just one part of the digital product range. Walter offers a whole host of apps for various applications in the machining process. These include apps for wear optimisation, for ascertaining the ideal indexable inserts, for calculating starting values, and for configuring special tools.
- Walter eLibrary – The Walter eLibrary app provides access to all printed catalogues and brochures in 17 languages. PDFs can be printed out as individual pages. The app is optimised for use on all devices.
- Walter GPS – The Walter GPS machining navigation system is another way of finding the right tool without fail. It supplies tool and cutting data recommendations perfectly adapted to the machining task at hand, along with information on the machining strategy, cost-efficiency calculations and more. Bountolas is certain that “with Walter GPS, we definitely have one of the best applications for tool recommendations currently available on the market.”
- Walter Machining Calculator – The Walter Machining Calculator supplies cutting data for milling, drilling and turning machining operations. For example, torque, drive power and machining volume, as well as the main operating time, main cutting force and chip thickness. In addition, a simple cost comparison of two tool solutions is possible with the integrated profitability calculator.
- Wear Optimisation – Walter’s Wear Optimisation app helps increase the tool life by visualising forms of wear and illustrating the causes of wear.
- Walter Insert Converter – The Insert Converter app specifies exactly which Walter indexable insert is compatible with the solution that is currently in use.
- Feeds & Speeds – The Walter Feeds & Speeds app calculates starting values and the cutting speed and feed for turning, drilling, threading and milling.
- Walter Xpress – Walter Xpress configures special tools using an interactive online form and is available for around 10,000 defined variants.
Bountolas summarises: “At Walter, we are convinced that high-quality data is the basis for optimising customers’ processes. With our digital solutions, we are paving the way towards Industry 4.0 for our customers.”