After the slump of the past year and a half, what trends do you see for an upturn in the tool industry?

Well, the current recognizable upturn is of course first and foremost a backlog demand from our customers. And we are seeing this upturn in all customer sectors and regions of the world. Last year was characterized by so much uncertainty that companies cut back on the procurement of tools. Stocks were completely emptied - and now need to be replenished. Our customers have also made intensive use of the past year and a half to further develop their components.

What does the switch to electric drives in the automotive sector mean for tool manufacturers?

First of all, e-mobility will significantly reduce the number of components to be machined compared to a combustion engine. As a result, the machining volumes and tool consumption will decrease. At first, this sounds like a negative development for tool manufacturers. But it is not quite so one-dimensional. A lot has happened in the development of electric motors. The drive units have become more complex and the components require greater precision during machining. As a result, the proportion of machining work on these components has increased compared to previous assumptions. On the other hand, it was originally assumed that each vehicle had one drive unit. Today, however, two electric motors are installed in all-wheel drive vehicles, for example, as well as in high-performance electric vehicles. Finally, it is important to keep an eye on the total number of units in the automotive industry. This is the most important criterion when estimating the future market volume of machining in drive technology. Ultimately, the electrification of mobility means a major upheaval for tool manufacturers. But this is certainly associated with opportunities for high-quality machining solutions.

How will the development, production and operation of tools fit into the digital factory?

Let's start with the operation of tools, i.e. the benefits that customers can derive from digitized tools. To be used in a digital factory, tools must be serialized and digitized. This means that they must be digitally traceable during operation so that a customer employee does not have to run around the factory looking for a tool. They must be automatically readable at the machine, with the optimum machining parameters, with information on the current and predicted tool life and wear behavior. The "digital twin" of the tools can also show options for optimization. In conclusion, these topics are requirements for the product development and production of tools. Digital data is a key aspect of life cycle management and is defined right at the start of development.