The art of creating quality through craftsmanship

First-class product quality is no accident. High-grade materials, well thought-out design and careful planning form the basis for quality. However, the decisive factor is production, i.e. the actual manufacture of the respective item.

Our production facilities in Riedlingen and Hayingen therefore combine state-of-the-art technology with tried-and-tested craftsmanship. And with the expertise of our specialized employees, we realize the quality for which WMF is world-famous.

Complete concentration and maximum thoroughness

Despite the extreme heat, Christoph Kubik keeps his cool. At a temperature of at least 1,200 degrees Celsius, the trained smelter and plant operator checks whether the melted mass of raw materials such as quartz and feldspar has the perfect consistency. This calls for accuracy and precision. Even small deviations can impact the end result, as the raw material mass is later used to make the glaze for cookware in the Fusiontec series—cookware made from the hardest material at WMF. Fusiontec products consist of a steel core for maximum stability and heat conductivity, as well as a special glaze. The glaze ensures a non-porous, sealed surface and makes the cookware cut and scratch resistant and extremely durable.

Fusiontec pots and frying pans are manufactured in the factory in Riedlingen, about 80 kilometers south of the WMF headquarters in Geislingen (Steige). Around 4,000 products leave the factory every day. The fact that every single piece is still flawless and fully meets customer expectations despite such a high output is also due to the diligence and expertise of the employees.

All of the machines may be state-of-the-art, but the production processes themselves are based on centuries of craftsmanship. Understanding materials and processes is just as important as being able to operate the high-tech equipment. When asked whether his job entails more handicraft or technology, Christoph Kubik says: “A lot of both.”

Fusiontec cookware is extremely robust and heat-conducting. This requires the following production steps.

Five steps to creating the
hardest material.

Pot bodies are formed from round blanks made of special steel with a pressing force of around 250 tons. As a result, Fusiontec pots are extremely robust and offer excellent heat conductivity.

1. Forming the blank products

For the base and top layers, raw materials— the exact combination is a trade secret—are melted into a homogeneous mass.

2. Melting the glaze materials.

The melt is quenched in cold water and solidifies to form glass-like granules. Hundreds of porcelain balls together with natural raw materials, such as clay and water, grind the melt in large ball mills.

3. Making the glaze.

The raw pots are then dipped in this slurry. The steel and glaze then fuse in the kiln at 870 degrees Celsius to form an inseparable unit.

4. Applying the glaze.

The surface of Fusiontec pots takes shape when the colored top layer is applied. This finish consists of two further special layers to which mineral pigments are added.

5. Applying special layers.

The mix gives this series its optical depth and special shimmer. In addition, the top layer guarantees a non-porous, sealed surface. This makes Fusiontec cut and scratch resistant and extremely durable.

6. Many years of cooking pleasure.

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A sharp mind and heavy equipment

Craftsmanship plays an equally if not more important role in Hayingen, a few kilometers away, where WMF operates one of the largest blade forges in Germany. In a clever combination of groundbreaking precision technology and production by hand, hundreds of thousands of knives are manufactured in the plant every year using the traditional drop-forging process.

To do this, special steel is first heated to an extremely high temperature. The red-hot steel pieces are then machined with the hydraulic forging hammer—by true professionals like Yunus Yildiz. He sees to it with diligence and strength that blanks are turned into sharp knives. Honoring the tradition of cutlers, WMF pays particular attention to this craft. At the same time, the company has been uniting manual production with state-of-the-art precision technology since 2014. The result is the Performance Cut: a combination of manufacturing processes, a special heat treatment that makes the blade steel particularly hard, and the precise sharpening of the cutting edge. In this way, WMF produces knives with blades that are exceptionally sharp and stay sharp much longer.

Looking closely and checking meticulously

There is a critical step to guaranteeing an unfailingly high product level: quality control. The WMF motto “From our hands to yours” also applies here. No product leaves the factory without thorough examination. In Hayingen, for example, Alina Wenz ensures that every single product of the hand-in-hand work of man and machine is flawless. Product control is of course time-consuming. However, dedication and meticulousness are essential to not just meeting customer expectations, but exceeding them.

The fact that the collaboration between humans and machines works so well in production facilities like Riedlingen and Hayingen is also due to the passion of the employees. The desire to deliver first-class products of the highest quality that customers enjoy using for generations characterizes WMF at every stage of the manufacturing chain. And this motivation is ultimately the most important prerequisite for premium quality.

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