Site 3 was created from the need to expand UFS production capacity in a mountain logistics context where available space is limited. Operational since 2020, it is a modern plant designed to make the fundamental processes of material preparation, heat treatments and metallographic controls autonomous.
Role in the production cycle
Site 3 concentrates all activities for the production of blanks, profiled and hardened components, the basic elements on which all subsequent machining operations at Sites 1 and 2 depend.
Here, the fundamental characteristics of the tool are defined:
- shape
- diameter
- length
- metallographic structure
- hardness and material quality
Processes carried out at Site 3
The plant integrates the critical stages of material preparation into a single hub:
- turning for blank production
- hardening and tempering of tools
- metallographic controls on bars and hardened components
- mass spectrometer analysis
- hardness verification
- carbide control
These processes ensure that every tool complies with design specifications before being transferred to the other production departments.
Automated raw materials warehouse
Site 3 houses an automated warehouse dedicated to the management of over 40 tonnes of raw material, divided into more than 260 codes of bars with different diameters, in:
- conventional special steels
- powder metallurgy steels
Automated management ensures traceability, organization and production continuity.
Metallographic control and material quality
Metrology laboratory A carries out all the analyses required to control incoming material and hardened material. Checks include:
- metallographic analyses
- inclusion control
- carbide verification
- hardness measurement
- validation of heat treatment cycles
Over the years, UFS has defined the most effective cycles for each alloy, optimizing holding temperatures and cooling to ensure certified and repeatable quality.
Sales area
The Site 3 office building now also houses the UFS sales area, with reception, offices and meeting room.
The relocation was carried out to offer a more suitable environment for visiting customers, who are increasingly numerous and interested in seeing the production processes up close.
Value for the customer
Tapping is a highly technical niche within the cutting tool sector. Visiting Site 3 allows customers to understand:
- the complexity of heat treatments
- the importance of metallographic quality
- the role of blanks in final performance
- the technical difficulties involved in maximizing tool life