Buying the best of machines but skimping on the tools? Poorly trained operators working with incorrect systems? Managers resorting to short-cuts to save money? Sounds familiar? These, and many similar insights came from a recent frank conversation between Dhananjay Sardeshpande and Andrea Komadina, Sales Head for Asia-Pacific, Freud Tools. Excerpts:

Could you elaborate on the meaning of ‘Freud’ and its initial days?

‘Frese (cutter) from Udine’ (city): that is how Italy’s famed Freud Tools takes its name. More than 60 years ago, the (then) family-owned business took birth to cater to the tooling needs of a thriving cluster of chair manufacturers in Udine province, in north-eastern Italy.

Today it is among the world leaders in high-tech tool manufacturing companies, with specialisation in woodworking. After its acquisition by Bosch Group in 2009, Freud retained its specialisation and reputation in world markets.

What makes Freud Tools special? What is its range of tooling solutions?

Freud is perhaps the world’s only tool-manufacturing company that produces its own carbide – and there are 17 grades that we manufacture for our various systems. Carbide made from tungsten, cobalt and titanium is the most optimum cutting material for furniture production.

Freud formulates each tool for a specific application, thereby maximizing its cutting life and performance. We have a state-of-the-art product development and research centre for woodworking tools. By taking part in the manufacturing process, from start to finish, Freud guarantees the highest quality and most advanced products in the industry.

We are world specialists in high-density, micro-grade carbide for tools, marketed under our TiCo (Titanium-Cobalt) trademark.

Our core business continues to be circular saw blades for solid wood and panel processing. These find use in industrial-scale machines as well as portable power tools.

Even more important is the range of drilling and boring tools, router bits for CNC machining, and sophisticated cutterheads for shaping and profiling applications. We have special coatings for all our tools to minimise the chances of over-heating. This way our tools are also resistant to corrosion and gain a longer working life.

What can you tell us about Freud’s innovations?

Our tri-metal brazing (silver-copper-silver) bonds the carbide tips to each blade for extra flexibility and impact resistance. The laser-cut blades ensure precise body geometry for extended durability.

We were the first to introduce anti-vibration technology in our saw blades, thereby preventing wobbling, reducing noise and ensuring longer tool life. When we mill the steel or aluminium alloy body, we introduce small pockets for mechanical clamping of the cutting elements.

This way an operator can make quick changes to replace knives and cutters without removing the full tooling system from the machine. This ensures accuracy in cutting and reduces machine down time.

I must mention here that some customised solutions have been developed by our product team in Italy to cater specifically to the requirements of our Indian clients.

What about your window-making solutions?

Freud’s customised tooling for European-style windows caters to a range of 58-mm to 92-mm thickness. We set together multiple cutters to deliver specialised wooden profiles. These tools are used for inward / outward opening as well as tilt and sliding windows.

Of late, we have been receiving many queries about our window systems from Indian manufacturers. They want to manufacture advanced window systems that are weather- and sound-proof and can control heat and light.

When did Freud come to India? How is it doing here?

You can find out tooling systems installed in almost all major furniture machinery coming out of Europe. Today Freud has its indelible presence in over 90 countries. In India, we participated in the first IndiaWood exhibition in the year 2000, looking for business representatives here.

I say we’re not sprinting in India; we’re in it for the full marathon. After recovering from the setback of the Covid-19 pandemic, Freud has seen double-digit growth year on year in India. Today, we have a team of two sales heads based in Bengaluru and Delhi. They are supported by 20 distribution partners across India, catering to our customers even in Tier-2/3 towns.

You said distribution ‘partners’: what does that mean?

Yes, these carefully chosen partners are exclusive to Freud. They are not just traders and distributors – they are market analysts as well as technically qualified entities. They are knowledgeable and are ever updated on all our new products and enhancements.

In fact, they operate with advanced workshops and are equipped with the best machinery to offer after-sales back-up for our clients, be it servicing, repair or refurbishment of our tools. They are also adequately equipped to hold training sessions for those that seek it.

Can you name a few prominent clients in India?

Yes of course: there is Pravisree Kitchens, MAS Furniture, Wakefit, Magick Wood, Greenlam, Merino Laminates and Rajdhani Crafts. Our clients are modular and solid-wood furniture manufacturers, door and window makers, saw millers, joineries – even toy manufacturers.

The demand for furniture is growing exponentially in India. For us, there is a consistent demand from manufacturers for better quality and increased productivity.

What is lacking in the Indian furniture industry?

Without a doubt it is knowledge and education. On the shop floor, you can still find unskilled operators who tend to use wrong tools or adopt short-cuts without understanding the technical ramifications of such an approach.

At the managerial level, there is still room to place greater attention to the relevance of tooling, operating parameters and optimising production. For Indian manufacturers, building a deeper understanding of these processes and apply them consistently, will be essential moving forward.

Where do you think Indian manufacturing is doing well?

There are clear signs of improvement. The entrepreneurial mindset of younger manufacturers is heartening. They have great ideas and clear roadmaps; they have a vision for growth and portfolio expansion for the future; some are eyeing exports markets. There is also bold decision-making, as well as minds open to change and improvements.

What’s your message to the furniture-makers in India?

Freud is there for its clients and prospects. We don’t just sell tools; we collaborate with you in education, training and service support.

For more information on Freud Tools, write to Raghavendra Naik in Bengaluru (raghavendra.naik@in.bosch.com) or Pankaj Kumar in Delhi (kumar.pankaj@in.bosch.com)

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