HAIMER Group Continuing to grow
After a record year in 2014 with a 20% sales increase the HAIMER Group can also announce a double-digit growth for 2015. The newest shrinking and balancing technology from the European market leader for tool holding technology played a big part in this successful growth. The newly developed carbide milling systems offer a very promising future and are being met with great interest in the area of high performance machining.
In comparison to 2014, the HAIMER Group reported a sales increase of 10.5% for 2015. Andreas Haimer, who amongst other things, is responsible for the international business, explains that “especially the subsidiaries developed very well and within the last years we often noticed that being present in other countries increases the turnover. This way we can offer our dealers on-site support and present ourselves as a global partner to our Key Accounts.” In 2015 HAIMER UK was founded in Manchester and for 2016 establishing a French subsidiary is planned. Furthermore, the new Application Center at the Haimer North America headquarters will celebrate its opening in the middle of May. In the future the biggest subsidiary located near Chicago, can offer application support, live cutting tests, and a high-quality regrinding service for all HAIMER carbide tools.
In each country the shrinking technology has proven to be a growth driver. Especially Safe-Lock™, the patented pullout protection system for end-mills, continues to grow rapidly. Due to its constantly increasing distribution, Safe-Lock™ is said to be the new standard for heavy machining and roughing operations. The system combines highest runout with process reliability and pullout protection and “the results are outstanding” as Andreas Haimer explains. “Even when it comes to new milling strategies such as trochoidal machining, Safe-Lock™ replaces the outdated Weldon clamping system.”
The Safe-Lock™ system has evolved from a special solution to an industry standard: Leading tool manufacturers such as Walter, Widia, Sandvik Coromant, Seco Tool, Sumitomo, Kennametal and others have contributed to this fact by acquiring a license and adding more and more Safe-Lock™ tools to their product portfolio. And the numbers keep increasing. Since 2015 the OSG Group, Japanese market leader in the area of solid carbide end-mills, is offering their high-performance solid carbide cutters with the HAIMER Safe-Lock™ system. Also another leading American tool manufacturer, SGS Solid Carbide Tools, decided to start selling Safe-Lock™ tools within the last year. Most recently, in January 2016, Melin Tools and APN, the former is an American tool manufacturer and the latter a French tool manufacturer, got licensed for Safe-Lock™. Andreas Haimer emphasizes the global availability of Safe-Lock: “With their range of milling tools our partners already dominate the majority of the global milling tool market. The annual sales of Safe-Lock™ cutting tools make up for double-digit million dollar turnover and there is even more potential.”
Solid carbide tools with HAIMER quality
Within the last months the Power Mill product portfolio was further expanded. Aluminum geometries and ball nose cutters were added to the selection of carbide milling tools. Furthermore, at EMO 2015 in Milano the Basic Mill, a round shank version and entry level cutter with universal use, was introduced.
With the Duo-Lock™ system HAIMER is providing a modular carbide milling system which shows an unheard of level of stability. Similar to the Safe-Lock™ system, Duo-Lock™ is offered to other tool manufacturers via licensing. But Haimer itself also has a large and ever expanding standard portfolio of Monobloc tool holders, milling heads and extensions with a Duo-Lock™ interface. The system runout of modular tools is better than 5 µm and has a Z-accuracy of 10 µm, which makes expensive presetting processes or set ups unnecessary.
Exhibitions and the first Open House event
In 2016 everyone who is interested will have the opportunity to experience firsthand, shrinking and balancing machines, tool holders and tools during one of our many global exhibitions. In Germany, HAIMER is going to participate in such events as Metav, Grindtec, AMB and many others. Furthermore, the company is hosting its first Open House event during the 26th and 30th of April. It offers top-class lectures and a sub-exhibitor program in the area of machine tools and tools, as well as guided tours throughout the Haimer facility.
