When we finally get the chance to visit our friends at Metal World, in Pavia di Udine, the “German May” is just around the corner, and speaking about Germany becomes inevitable — opening the door to reflections and thoughts that go well beyond the historic “rivalry”…
Between Italy and Germany, the rivalry — not just on the football field, with some wonderful memories — is always alive. We are talking about two nations that, in many sectors and in entirely different ways, have long shown the way at an industrial, technical, and economic level. And while until a few decades ago there was a clear sense of deference toward the “Made in Germany” label, things have gradually changed, and the two industrial systems — though still very different in many respects — now compete for the role of “trendsetter” with far less distance than in the past.
Exactly what has happened — and is still happening — in the tooling world, where direct competition in terms of supply has been joined by another “bone of contention”: the significant entrance of our products into the wolf’s den, as more and more German users are turning to Italian suppliers.
It’s no surprise then that our late April conversation with Fanny Paviotti, Deputy General Manager at Metal World, just a few weeks before the opening of Ligna’s gates, begins with a discussion of the German trade fair as a way to break the ice…
“We’ve been present at Ligna for over forty years, as well as at other major trade fairs worldwide, because this remains an important tool in a company’s commercial dynamics,” says Fanny Paviotti.
“It’s true that today there are countless ways to strengthen your presence in various markets, but being at a trade show and showcasing what you believe in, the direction you’ve chosen to take, still feels essential to us.
Even for a company like ours, which has been in the market for nearly fifty years, the need to seize every opportunity to make ourselves known, to showcase our technology, and to reaffirm our global presence — especially in such an important market — is a priority: if we consider the results we’ve achieved in the many sectors in which we operate, Germany is our second-largest export market.
Add to that the fact that in the wood tooling sector, where our roots lie, our fiercest competitors are based in Germany, and it becomes even clearer why being explicitly and directly present every two years is so crucial for us.”
How are things going in Germany?
“It’s undeniable that there were some signs of difficulty in 2024, but at least as far as the first quarter goes, things have significantly improved with positive prospects and a promising outlook for the rest of the year.
We’re talking about a huge market — a country that leads in many industrial sectors, extremely dynamic and focused on quality and performance.
Moreover, we believe Germany is experiencing a sort of spring: we’re seeing many new projects, lots of fresh ideas that indicate an industry trying to bounce back after a tough year.
This new dynamism has guided us in the development of new tools that we’ll be presenting at the trade fair — tools that were born precisely from the requests of various German companies.
A new range of tools dedicated to carpentry and small industry, flexible and easily adaptable to various applications, along with some cutter heads of different sizes that are perfect for small batch machining with quick setup times.
We’ll also be presenting new hinge bit projects — a reformulation of our existing solutions, which is now more necessary than ever due to furniture makers increasingly using a wider variety of complex materials. All while maintaining the goal of always achieving a perfect finish.
All these tools share a common denominator: delivering optimal performance in terms of machining quality, execution speed, reliability, and user-friendliness — something especially important in a context where trends shift quickly, and the lifecycle of finished products has shortened over the years.
This new scenario is pushing us toolmakers to define and develop new ways of interacting with the market. Fortunately, here at Metal World, we understood decades ago that flexibility is an absolute value…”
There’s another long-standing debate in tooling: quantity or tailor-made?
“You’re right, and at Metal World we’ve always invested in being recognized in the market both as a producer of standard, volume-oriented solutions and of special, customized tools — not focused on numbers but on the specific needs of the user.
Today, we’re seeing an evolving trend: while there used to be strong demand for serial production, in recent years — and worldwide — there’s been a growing preference for tailored solutions.
A return to the ‘custom’ approach, which plays to our strengths — the traditional mindset and the deep expertise of our people, who are not only capable of producing tools but also of understanding the client’s unique needs and designing exactly the tool they require.
It’s therefore strategic for us to speak to both souls of the market, while also staying up to date with the ‘macro-systems’ that could change the relationship between tool, machine, and user.”
What are you referring to?
“I’m thinking of the new ‘ETML—European Tool-Machine Language’ platform promoted by Eumabois, which should soon establish a shared and common language between machines and tools.
It’s certainly a valuable concept — one that will undoubtedly enhance safety, efficiency, and speed — but its costs and impact on current systems must be carefully assessed.
That said, we still believe the top priority will always be to continuously pursue innovation in terms of performance, precision, and tool suitability to achieve specific objectives.
Our daily work is all about production and after-sales service, but also — and perhaps most importantly — about a constant effort to develop more ‘interesting’ products, contributing to a world that’s rapidly evolving in countless directions and reshaping habits we once thought unchangeable.”
And let’s not forget the topic of multimateriality, which is hardly new to you…
“I like to say that we cover everything — from micro to macro tooling, from tiny tips with a 0.3 mm diameter to cutters over 700 mm.
We tackle daily the need for high-precision machining, where even a tenth of a millimeter is unacceptable, as well as heavy-duty material removal in the construction industry, where prefab components also demand high accuracy.
For decades, we’ve been working across dozens of sectors — from watchmaking to eyewear, from marine to aerospace, from metal alloys to composites, including all those ‘combinations’ that have entered the furniture sector as well, such as wood paired with carbon fiber or aluminum.
We’ve never backed away from a challenge — in fact, we’ve seized opportunities that allowed us to build a deep well of experience on multiple fronts.
That, today, is the real asset we can offer those who choose us.
I’m thinking about our diamond tool production, or the ‘comeback’ of certain materials like high-speed steel, which remains perfect for specific applications — all areas where we know exactly what we can and must offer our partners.”
In an increasingly complex landscape…
“… that demands mature skills from businesses, which can then be applied across different directions.
We possess extremely solid know-how — we just need to direct it toward the sectors and market segments where very specific requirements must be met.
In this, we’re fortunate to have excellent travel companions: those who build the machines our tools are mounted on, but also those who make the equipment we use to manufacture our bits and cutters.
Being able to engage with what I would call our ‘supply chain’ — from the materials we use to the beauty of the finished product — has allowed us, and continues to allow us, to build a base of knowledge that we always put at our clients’ disposal.”
Are you satisfied? Are you all satisfied?
“Being able to develop the skills, know-how, and expertise to solve someone’s problem every day definitely helps you sleep at night, I’ll admit,” concludes Fanny Paviotti. “It’s undeniably a challenging job — but what job isn’t these days?
Complexity grows every day, innovation is constant and affects everything from aerospace rockets to traditional products like kitchen chairs or cabinet doors — and we want to be there.
I would love to involve more young people in this journey — to welcome young men and women into the company who can find their passion and path in this field — but it’s increasingly difficult.
The biggest challenge of this decade is human resources and skills.
Institutions and companies alike need to work together to make the sector and its industries more attractive — ensuring a virtuous process of generational change.
Metal World is active locally and tries to be on the front lines here as well, by creating new ways to collaborate with schools and offering young people training opportunities within our departments — something we see as a duty if we want to keep looking forward.
On that note, I’d like to proudly highlight Metal World’s decision to organize internship programs for the second generation of our clients — in Italy and abroad — over the years:
this approach has strengthened our client relationships and ensured business continuity for our commercial partners.”
by Luca Rossetti
metalworld.it
