PETpla.net Insider 05 / 2011

PET TOP TALK 15 PET planet insider Vol. 12 15 PETplanet: You could work with a multitude of machinery manufactur- ers but have actually preferred to work with just one. Stefan Zatti: Our independence is from a certain point of view a problem. This is the reason why we are endeav- ouring to achieve a closer link with the machine builders. We are keen to pen- etrate new markets. We have ideas and are innovative. We are flexible when it comes to making decisions on prices – more flexible than many large compa- nies. For future growth we need access to our own injection moulding machine. Husky started by building moulds and then machines and became a world market leader with this strategy. We reckon that this is something that Husky has done rather well. PETplanet: To keep to the point: marketing via references, i.e. by word of mouth, is the best bet for Swiss manufacturers. It’s a relaxed and moder- ate approach to policy which also helps save on costs. Would you say that this is a successful statement of your sales policy? Stefan Zatti: Of course, the company had been inward-looking for a long time- in the same way as many other Swiss companies. Top prod- ucts – or so we thought – don’t need to go looking for customers, they sell themselves. This is an attitude that no longer has any place in our busi- ness. Our ambition is to demonstrate techno- logical leadership to the world at large – by approaching customers ourselves on a regular basis, by adopting and implementing our cus- tomers’ ideas, which we receive in direct discus- sions. This service repre- sents optimum marketing – or so we think. DEUTSCHE EDELSTAHLWERKE, Obere Kaiserstr., D-57078 Siegen / Auestr. 4, D-58452 Witten Who knocks PET bottles into shape? CorroPlast ® – the ultimate steel for all-stainless mould sets. On innovation PETplanet: Turning now to com- plex high-tech applications that you regard as occupying a prime position in your development – can you elabo- rate on these? Otto Hofstetter: Reducing the pitch in the mould was a predominat- ing theme. The moulds have become smaller and more compact. Market demand is for ever lighter as well as smaller preforms. In addition: we coat the tools and thus reduce the tear- ing forces. What we are also doing is giving the customer moulds featuring fewer maintenance intervals. PETplanet: Some examples? Otto Hofstetter: One example is the 128-cavity mould, a milestone in our development. The multi-cavity mould in this size is available on an existing Netstal machine platform.