Sumitomo Electric Hardmetal opens European design, engineering, test centre and solution development facility

The Stuttgart, Germany-based Sumitomo E-DEC development facility is adjacent to the company's European manufacturing plant in Lauchhiem and is manned by Japanese and German engineers, each a specialist in machining concepts. While being an extension of research and development in Japan, its main focus is to tailor solutions to meet European requirements for production. The centre will also test new product and be used to train Sumitomo's sales and application teams throughout Europe. For customers, Sumitomo's highly qualified engineering team will provide full technical support, help with trouble-shooting, analysis of areas such as the cause of tool failure and provide test machining from raw material to finish product. The test area has been kitted out with a high specification 5-axis machining centre with 52 kW, 430 Nm of torque, and a CNC turn-mill centre with 80 kW spindle and 790 Nm of torque. E-DEC will provide customers with data on cutting tools, machining conditions and estimated tool, life and will have the capability to investigate machining operations, offering suggestions to improve methods, as well as carrying out specific machining trials. Sumitomo has based the new facility on the success of its five other tool engineering centres already established in Japan and two further sites in both Thailand and China.