Winterthur Technology Group close to launching first new joint product since 3M acquisition
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Following the purchase of Winterthur Technology Group (WTG) by the 3M Co, both parties have been busy integrating the leading Swiss manufacturer of grinding tools into the well known US company's business, but the first product developed jointly by experts from Winterthur and 3M is close to being launched.
3M, which is ranked among the top 100 US companies, serves customers worldwide through more than 35 business units. They are organised into five business segments - WTG has been integrated into 3M's Industrial Business.
Steve Hemmings, UK country business leader of 3M's industrial business says: "Although it is still less than 12 months since the integration of WTG into 3M, the results of the on-going collaboration are already evident in the soon-to-be-launched advanced products. The obvious synergy between the two organisations will continue to ensure the introduction of further cutting-edge products and the delivery of enhanced services to all UK customers."
This yet-to-be fully revealed early success is said to be the first result of the ever closer collaboration between 3M Abrasive Systems Division (ASD) laboratories in Europe and the USA.
Within the new 3M ASD Global Winterthur Laboratory organisation, the three big European research teams now report to David Arney at the central ASD lab in St. Paul, USA, which is now coordinating activities and communications to best leverage the group's expertise. "We're really excited – this means we will be able to create more innovations faster, and thereby drive the market," Mr Arney says. Each lab will continue to have a focus area, super abrasives in Germany and conventional bonded abrasives in Austria and Sweden.
In the past, colleagues in different countries might have been working on the same problem at the same time. But, thanks to the new structure, says the company, someone looking for a solution in one country will easily be able to find out if their problem has already been solved in another country, saving time and resources that can be used for different projects. "It's all about working together as one team and being able to tap into our organisation's pool of knowledge and experience," Mr Arney points out.
The Winterthur Technology Group in the UK relocated to a larger, modern industrial unit, in September 2012. Prompted by ever increasing sales, the new administration, storage/dispatch and workshop facility enables WTG UK to provide better service to its UK customers. The unit's location, just one minute from the M1, will help to speed-up the distribution of new grinding wheels and the delivery of wheels from the company's dressing service.
The Winterthur Technology Group is one of the world's top three manufacturers of bonded abrasives for industrial use, and provides the automotive (cam, crank and transmission applications), aerospace (turbine components), machine tool (production of cutting inserts), cutting tool (manufacture of rotary carbide tooling), glass (flat plate and automotive), steel industries (steel conditioning, large diameter cut-off and centreless grinding) and medical (medical prostheses) with innovative abrasive solutions. WTG unites four brands: Rappold, SlipNaxos, Wendt and Winterthur.
WTG participates in the more than $14 billion, global abrasives market, which is projected to grow at a rate of greater than 4% per year. Demand for hard-to-grind and high precision materials is continuing to fuel the need for improved grinding and finishing processes.
