The Ten Biggest Challenges for Tool and Mould Makers in Europe

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4. Requirements of the customer industries are changing

Technologies in our customer industries are changing. The most prominent example is how the automotive industry is pivoting in the direction of e-mobility. This change is most obvious, of course, in the area of the powertrain. But there is also innovation in car bodies, where many classic sheet metal parts are now made of plastic. These developments have been on the horizon for some time, but the pandemic and especially rapidly changing environmental awareness are acting as catalysts. Companies that have their main customer base in shrinking niches would do well to build up additional footholds.

Tool and mould makers have always known that precision is key, but today it is no longer enough for tools to be precisely machined. They have to comply with ever more far-reaching national and international standards and regulations. In addition, customers increasingly demand complete documentation. That’s good for those who have set themselves up on the software side in such a way that they receive this data directly from their systems — and preferably fully automatically. Industry 4.0, IoT and digitalisation offer far-reaching possibilities and approaches here, which toolmakers still make far too little use of.

For instance, measurement technology in production can not only be docked onto the digital backbone of the company, but also used to power a technical centre in which tools and moulds can be made ready for production, for example by means of trial and spotting presses, and additional data collected. That means the customer gets a demonstrably finished tool for production from a systematised process that can manufacture series parts without major correction loops. Signed, sealed and delivered.

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