Kennametal and SolidCAM: Q&A with Dr. Carlonda Reilly

Q: Can you give us a brief overview of Kennametal and your role as CTO?

A: Sure, Kennametal manufactures metal cutting tooling solutions across the globe for industries from aerospace and transportation to oil, gas and mining. In my role, I lead the research, development and engineering organization. My responsibilities span from discovering new materials to product development and design engineering. 

We design all of our products and tooling and develop manufacturing processes for our plants. This includes automation and smart factory initiatives. Essentially, I manage end-to-end technology, from discovery to implementation at our plant sites.

Q: How did the collaboration between Kennametal and SolidCAM begin? What were the goals of this partnership?

A:  At Kennametal, we’re continually looking at ways to help our customers build components better and be more productive at what they do, so partnering with a technology like SolidCAM allows us to make our cutting tool data and recommendations easily accessible for our customers. 

Q: What are some of the most important benefits Kennametal has seen by partnering with SolidCAM? For example, what can you tell us about the connection of the Kennametal tool data into the SolidCAM software? What are the benefits to the end users?

A: The biggest benefit we see is that SolidCAM provides customers with solutions and  tool data for most efficient use in an automated way. The feedback so far has been that this is a more efficient way to access tooling data. Our customers like that they can have more confidence in applying tools to machine components. They can directly access Kennametal expertise and metal cutting data in SolidCAM while designing, processing and getting ready to machine their components. 

Q: Are there additional steps in connecting the data systems between the companies?

A: Kennametal is continually looking at ways to bring additional data and functionality to enhance customer use and efficiency to make part processing simpler for our customers. 

Q: How has the partnership with SolidCAM influenced innovation at Kennametal?

A: Using the integrated tool data from Kennametal through SolidCAM helps us to provide faster and more precise solutions for our customers. Together with SolidCAM, we have hosted several customer events in Europe and other parts of the world to educate them on what’s possible through CAM software and Kennametal tools. Anticipating our customers’ needs and how they can best leverage technology and our expertise to achieve what they need is important to us. 

Q: Are there any upcoming projects with SolidCAM that you are excited about?

A: We continually look for ways to make our customers more productive. Through tools like SolidCAM, we help customers create specific applications for aerospace and small parts machining. For example, in the medical field, this supports some of our key growth areas and most importantly supports our customers.

Q: What feedback have you received from the Kennametal sales teams and customers about the enhancements made possible by SolidCAM?

A: Our sales teams like to use SolidCAM when working with customers because they can work on more complex solutions for customers faster and easily to validate through simulation. 

Q: What other technological advancements do you think could complement the work with SolidCAM?

A: Kennametal is continually looking at ways to bring additional data and functionality to enhance customer use and efficiency to make part processing simpler for them. Having the right metal cutting tools for the features to be machined is key. We hope people are choosing Kennametal tools to design whatever it is they are making!

In fact, all SolidCAM customers can have an account on Kennametal.com and leverage those tools to match the machining feature with the right metal cutting tool. For example, HARVI™ end mills or GOdrill™ can reduce their time to machine and leverage more than 85 years of our metal cutting expertise.