stories on hard material matters - Ceratizit S.A.

Interview with the leading
management quartet of Leicht + Müller
At Leicht + Müller the young generation is already
straining at the leash. The sons Timo Leicht and Marco
Müller have both completed a profound education.
Currently they are working in Sales, Marketing, project
management and in the company management, and
later on they will entirely take on the responsibilities of
their fathers, Heinz Leicht and Klaus Müller.
What is important in stamping technology and what
does that mean with reference to the carbide?
Marco Müller: “High precision, long tool life and profitability.
Carbide applied in high-performance stamping
technology has to be adapted continuously to the high
demands regarding tool life and will always be under
scrutiny when compared to ceramics.”
Is there a ceramic solution which can keep the pace?
Marco Müller: “This discussion has been going on for a
while. Of course we have already tested special ceramic
grades and the results in terms of wear and tool life were
sometimes even better than with carbide. However,
the application of ceramic is not worthwhile considering
the high acquisition costs and the extraordinary
complexity of machining operations compared to
carbide. Up to now ceramic has not caught on in our
sector for economic reasons, and this is also not to be
expected in the near future.”
What are the trends in the stamping sector?
Timo Leicht: “Target prices on a globally minimum level,
but products of the customary best German quality. The
market is becoming more and more difficult and one
has to orient oneself based on low-wage countries. For
cost reasons one should actually buy components for
stamping tools there in order to remain competitive.
The quality however up to now does not meet the
standards of Leicht + Müller. So we have to concentrate
on cost reduction in our company, e.g. automation of the
processes. Another tendency is towards hybrid compo-
nents (plastic-metal composite material).
Vision Control for one hundred per cent process security
Leicht + Müller offers an extensive service range. The
company’s designers work on 2-D (Cadda) and 3-D
(Solid Works) CAD work places from Daveg. The
Pforzheim based company is also able to offer prototyping
and pilot production. Last but not least it is involved
in batch production of stamped parts with Vision
Control for guaranteed product quality and ‘laser
marking on the fly’ for 100 per cent traceability (every
single part is provided with a marking without slowing
down the process).
LEICHT + MÜLLER, STAMPING INDUSTRY
A family-owned company – two generations manage the high-tech
company Leicht + Müller. (From left: Marco Müller, Klaus Müller, Heinz
Leicht and Timo Leicht).
An ever increasing number of customers requests
complete assemblies from one source, that means
stamped parts are covered with plastic and provided
with additional components such as e.g. Reed sensors
or resistances. Since 2004 we have been able to offer
this through Leicht + Müller SYSCOTEC.”
How did the partnership with CERATIZIT start?
Heinz Leicht: “That was at the beginning of the 80’s. At
that time Josef Lämmle was the segment manager. He
visited us frequently and asked if we were ready to test
his products, and he was successful.”
How do you assess the relationship with CERATIZIT?
Klaus Müller: “We are delighted with the carbide from
CERATIZIT! We appreciate speed, the large assortment
and above all consistent quality. In a business where
time pressure is enormous the business partners have to
be absolutely reliable. And we fully trust the CERATIZIT
team which has been serving us professionally for many
years. Carbide is really a matter of confidence!”
Combinations of metal and plastic
Leicht + Müller SYSCOTEC (Systems, Components,
Technologies) was founded in 2004 and specializes
in the development and production of complete
assemblies, i.e. combinations of metal stamping
products and plastic parts. The new products from
Leicht + Müller SYSCOTEC have brought customers such
as Mercedes, BMW, TRW and Continental Teves onto
the scene. The first batch production for level sensors in
automotive windscreen washing fluid started in 2005.
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