FACE TO FACE
I can see . This is not 2009 – the fall has not been so severe , even in the property industry . There is more cash around so I think Europe is going to recover .
In Asia , China has enjoyed a lot of strong years but now there is a bit of trade friction . At some point , China will grow but I don ’ t know how much that will affect Western machine builders . My feeling is that this trade friction will result in more internalising of China ’ s purchasing and supply chain . Western machine builders may not see very much of that recovery when it comes ….
I think that Vaski will grow through all of this . We grew through the COVID years to become number two in the world for flat bar punching and have made our mark in the industrial sector supplying rapid changeover MULTICOIL systems . In coil-fed punching , Pivatic is a giant .
ISMR : What are your turnover expectations for both organisations ?
MM : I project a € 12m turnover for Vaski this year . We are very conservative on our revenue recognition over , for example , 12-month projects . Pivatic is [ due ] a € 15m turnover next year as we are building a great team there .
We have invested a lot in the management and sales teams since I bought the company . We also continue to invest in Vaski and I see a future of rapid growth for both companies . We can certainly grow Pivatic a lot within our niche , as well as growing the niche itself .
ISMR : What is your strategic and technical focus for both Vaski and Pivatic as well as their technologies ?
MM : My focus at the moment is on leveraging the technical synergies of both brands . Vaski is very innovative . In 2023 , over 18 % of Vaski ’ s revenue was spent on research and development . It comes out with new products every year and I want Pivatic to do the same .
I am investing a lot into Pivatic ’ s R & D team but it will take a couple of years for that to come to fruition and result in orders and sales . So , the first step is to create a better
Pivatic / Vaski sales teams .
VASKI / Pivatic service director , Sami Mannila .
sales infrastructure around the world . The second step is to come out with new and complementary products . I want to build the world ’ s leading coil-fed systems manufacturer .
Having said that , Pivatic will continue to produce blank-fed punching and bending systems , but it has found a niche in coil-fed applications . It will continue in the coil-fed systems market and in those niche applications i . e . for bending requirements that are heavier , larger or tricky . We also want to grow the coil-fed punching and bending market . We can do wing bending / panel bending at over 1.8m depth bends . That means that manufacturers do not have to bolt together a box and can make a box out of just one metal sheet ( no brackets or bolts needed etc .). These are very interesting niche capabilities .
We will also be increasing and adding new automation levels in lines i . e . automated
VASKI FLOW fully automated line for busbar production . welding , automated riveting etc . In other words , all future process steps and assembly operations . Pivatic has generally been strong in the high-productivity segment serving contract manufacturers and OEMs with high volumes . We are focused on high-volume manufacturers who do not wish to move production from one machine to another , so the vision is to make this a continuous production flow for the customer .
ISMR : What , in your view , are important industry trends and challenges ? How are you responding to these ?
MM : In sheet metal , as in the copper industry , we are seeing a strong pull towards automation . We are upping productivity and ramping up to meet growing requirements for charging stations ( a new market which is as big as the switchgear market ), data centres and the green energy drive . Machines need to keep up with the pace and volume of demand , so we have benefited from this . This also drives the need for higher automation .
There is also stronger demand now for a quality finish on products . We offer simple solutions for milling bar ends , for example , with no need for grinding operations etc .
ISMR : Are you seeing manufacturers working with different material thicknesses or different varieties of materials ?
MM : In terms of flat bar , there has always been a need for thicker materials for the medium-high voltage and thinner materials for the lower voltage sector . I see more thick aluminium bar usage creeping up in certain parts of the world ( i . e . the Nordic region ), driven by material price .
In the sheet metal sector , material thickness is reducing all the time and getting thinner . Users are continuously trying to reduce their material usage . If you use 1mm steel and can get the same result with 0.6mm , then users will move towards that to save material . I currently see the thinner segment growing .
48 | ismr . net | ISMR October 2024