Interview: Tobias Breitling, Sales Engineer at ARNO Werkzeuge .
Why should customers opt for ARNO for their turning applications?
Because with us, they have a single contact for pretty much all applications. We even make custom adjustments possible without significant expense. In addition, we offer consistently high quality across all product groups, which isn't something you find everywhere. Or sound technical advice from sales right through to product design and application engineering. This really makes a difference for customers who need support quickly.
So as a customer I not only benefit from innovative products, but also from the advice I receive from ARNO?
Exactly. We don't simply find our customers a product from our catalogue, instead we get to the bottom of their requirements. That can sometimes mean advising the customer not to buy a product. Our customers should feel looked after and well advised at ARNO. Accordingly, we have enjoyed trust-based partnerships with most of our customers for many years.
You said that ARNO can cover virtually turning applications – so is your product range very large?
Definitely. For our customers, this has the advantage that they can get everything, or at least a lot, from a single source. KMH holders with direct coolant transfer for all common machines, carrier tools with or without through-tool coolant for internal or external turning and, of course, our huge selection of inserts. Here we have a very wide range of products that you won't find even at the large tool manufacturers.
What, for example, does only ARNO offer?
Our variety of high-positive indexable inserts – that's unique. We not only offer different geometries and types, but also corner radii from 0.05 to 3 mm as well as intermediate sizes. All produced by us in-house – the quality of our inserts is world class. This makes us real specialists when it comes to machining challenging materials and workpieces. However, generally speaking, there's no doubt that ARNO offers excellent product quality.
But isn't high quality also very expensive? Is it really worth the cost?
Firstly, the value for money offered by ARNO is really excellent. And secondly, the cost of good tools is much lower than if I produce scrap by using inferior tools. Having the best machinery is no good if I then save money on cheaper tools. That's why at ARNO we feel it's so important to deliver outstanding quality across our entire product range. I already mentioned our ground inserts. However, our carrier tools are made of a high-quality material, are completely nickel-plated and have excellent tensile strength. This, in turn, provides a precise seat, even with a 35-degree VCGT. These holders are even impervious to falling chips. I could give you many more examples, it really applies to everything – high quality leads to high productivity.
A focus on productivity – to what extent can ARNO give its customers a head start over the competition?
As I said, through our extremely high quality. This allows our customers to produce faster, safer and with better surface qualities at the first attempt. And also, of course, thanks to our product diversity. Especially in the area of finishing and superfinishing, we have one of the most extensive and highest quality portfolios in the market. And then, naturally, there is our know-how and innovative strength that contributes to our customers' success. Because I can only achieve the optimum result by using a product correctly with an awareness of what is currently possible. To do this, I need people who know what they're talking about. And we have a lot of them at ARNO.