European Cutting Tools Association

Registration is free for staff of:
- companies affiliated with an ECTA national association
- secretariats of the ECTA national associations.

Credits:

Artwork and graphic design: Ana Prudente
Site management and programming: Ricardo Fernandes
from Inovatec (Portugal) Lda (2006)

industry and customers

The European manufacturers of cutting tools and clamping devices achieve annual sales of some EUR 7 billion. About EUR 5 billion of these are attributable to cutting tools and EUR 2 billion to clamping devices. Over half the total world exports in this branch have their origin in Europe. All in all, the European cutting tools and clamping devices industry has more than 60,000 employees on its payroll.

Tools are supplied by the branch to nearly all sections of industry. Whether the automotive industry, aerospace, the railway industry, the ship-building industry or machine building – to name just the largest sectors in the metal industry – they all employ cutting tools and clamping devices on a large scale in their production.

Admittedly, tool costs amount on average to just 4% of the total production costs. They are thus a relatively small cost factor in companies' calculation. However, tools play a decisive role for the quality of products and for the efficiency of the production processes in the metal-working industry. If a tool is defect, the product quality suffers or the entire production can even come to a standstill. Looked at the other way round: The technically highly developed tools from European manufacturers with exact dimensions and a long service life are the key to economic production in the metal-working industry. Tools supply quality and productivity!

European Cutting Tool Conference 2008

trade fairs

ECTA site welcomes non-commercial contents from industry conferences and meetings of interest to the international communities related to the precision tools and clamping tools business.