Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal based Somta Tools, an OSG Group company and the largest cutting tool manufacturer in Africa, specialising in the manufacture and distribution of drills, cutters, reamers, threading tools and toolbits, in both solid carbide and high speed steel, has opened a training academy that will be known as the Somta Academy.
“The focus of the academy is unique, and is what we believe is an important initiative for the industry, in that the Academy will cater for educating and training candidates to become future cutting tool sales and technical experts,” said Warrick Lowther, Somta Tools’ Global Sales Manager.
“In today’s manufacturing environment, standing still is not an option,” continued Lowther.
“Machine shops are under relentless pressure to increase productivity, reduce costs, improve quality, and deliver faster than ever before. Cutting tools have become more sophisticated, machining strategies more complex, and customer expectations significantly higher. Yet across much of the industry, one challenge continues to persist: A widening gap between technical expertise and sales capability.”
Warrick Lowther, Somta Tools’ Global Sales Manager
“We have recognised this challenge, and more importantly the opportunity it presents. The Somta Academy is far more than a modern training facility. It represents a bold investment in people, knowledge, and the future of manufacturing throughout Southern Africa.”
“At its core lies a powerful belief: When knowledge increases, confidence increases; when confidence increases, performance follows.”
“For decades many tooling sales representatives have entered the industry with limited technical training, often relying heavily on catalogues, product codes, and supplier support. While effective to a point, this traditional approach no longer meets the demands of modern manufacturing. The Somta Academy has been specifically designed to change that,” explained Lowther.
“One of the Academy’s most exciting aspects is its practical, application-driven curriculum. Rather than focusing solely on product specifications, the programme equips delegates with a deep understanding of machining principles, cutting tool performance, and process optimisation.”
“Our training courses will cover fundamental cutting tool technologies and ISO material classifications, advanced tool coatings and substrate technologies, drilling, milling, and tapping applications, speeds, feeds, and machining strategies, tool failure diagnosis and corrective actions, productivity improvement methodologies and real-world manufacturing problem solving.”
“The result will be a fundamental shift in customer engagement. Instead of asking: ‘What tool do you need?’ an academy-trained representatives will learn to ask: ‘What manufacturing challenge are you trying to overcome?’”
“That single change transforms the conversation from product supply to process improvement and ultimately creates significantly greater value for customers.”
Somta Tools, an OSG Group company and the largest cutting tool manufacturer in Africa, specialising in the manufacture and distribution of drills, cutters, reamers, threading tools and toolbits, in both solid carbide and high speed steel, has opened a training academy that will be known as the Somta Academy
Teaching the economics of productivity
“Perhaps the Academy’s most valuable contribution is its focus on helping industry professionals understand the true economics of machining. Far too often purchasing decisions are driven solely by tool price. Yet experienced manufacturers know that tooling costs represent only a small fraction of the overall production process. Machine time, labour, spindle utilisation, setup costs, scrap rates, and throughput all have a far greater impact on profitability.”
“The Somta Academy teaches delegates how to quantify these factors and demonstrate how the right tooling strategy can dramatically reduce total production costs. The objective is simple: Stop selling cutting tools. Start improving manufacturing performance.”
Where theory meets reality
“What truly sets the Somta Academy apart is its commitment to hands-on learning. Knowledge gained in the classroom is immediately reinforced through live machining demonstrations and real-world application testing. Delegates will gather around a high-performance CNC vertical machining center where machining strategies will be demonstrated under actual cutting conditions.”
“Here they can witness tool performance in real time, the impact of cutting parameters on productivity, chip formation and evacuation, surface finish optimisation, tool wear patterns and failure mechanisms and process improvements that directly influence profitability.”
“This practical environment creates an interactive learning experience unlike anything traditionally available within the tooling industry. Distributors, sales teams, customers and technical specialists work together to analyse challenges, explore solutions, and unlock productivity improvements that can be immediately applied on the shop floor.”
Building the next generation of industry experts
“The launch of the Somta Academy signals more than the opening of a new facility – it marks the beginning of a new chapter for technical education in the manufacturing sector. Backed by the combined strength of Somta’s proud local manufacturing heritage and the global engineering expertise of OSG Corporation, the Academy creates a platform where international technology meets local industry needs.”
“At a time when manufacturing competitiveness is increasingly dependent on knowledge, skills, and innovation, initiatives such as the Somta Academy become critical drivers of future growth.”
“The message is clear. The future belongs to those who understand not only the tool, but the process. With the official opening of the Somta Academy, Somta Tools has issued a challenge to the industry and an invitation. A challenge to raise technical standards. An invitation to learn, collaborate, and innovate. And a commitment to ensuring that manufacturers across the region continue to machine faster, cut smarter, and compete more effectively than ever before.”
For further details contact Somta Tools on TEL: 011 390 8700 or visit www.somta.co.za
