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The term edge cutlery as used in this article refers to spring knives (such as pocket knives which include a flat spring and moveable blades), knives without springs (such as table knives, kitchen, butcher, carving and trade blades, etc.), scissors and cut‐throat razors. The British cutlery trade has a normal turnover of the order of several million pounds per year in these and allied edge products, and approximately half of this is accounted for by exports, so that the trade has to cater for varying climatic and use conditions in a large number of countries all over the world. Corrosive conditions can occur in ordinary use and also during transport and storage, and whilst serious corrosion is rare some examples are sufficiently interesting to warrant examination. Today, corrosion problems in British edge cutlery are almost invariably traceable to extraordinary conditions encountered in transit or in use, and over which the manufacturer often has little or no control. The lessons to be learned from investigation of such cases as do occur nearly always require application by the user, and less frequently, by those responsible for transport and storage.

Table knives were one of the first products to be made in stainless steel. Just before the first world war Harry Brearley, who discovered that steel containing about 14% chromium and 0.3% carbon was highly resistant to corrosion and capable of being hardened, arranged for trial batches of stainless knives to be manufactured. Because this steel's corrosion resistance was greatly superior to that of ordinary steel, it became known as ‘stainless’ or ‘rustless,’ with the result that ever since that time cutlery users have felt defrauded if their ‘stainless’ knives have shown the slightest trace of corrosion under any circumstances. It is now known that under certain conditions the steel will corrode, therefore it is important for cutlers to ensure that their knives have the highest possible corrosion resistance to justify their description—‘stainless.’

The purpose of this paper is to apply Kano's method in practice in the cutlery industry and test its suitability to the cutlery industry. Furthermore, a Kano‐based process for weighting customer requirements is presented.

By using the example of the cutlery industry, the paper exemplifies in which way companies can use Kano's method to consider customer requirements as good as possible. Thereby, it is discussed how less popular Kano evaluation modes can support the process of prioritizing measures. Rest upon the results of a Kano project, a multistage method for weighting customer requirements is introduced. The method is based on the connection of already existing Kano evaluation modes. It calculates the meaning of a customer requirement by using the percentage dispatch of the requirement on individual Kano requirement categories.

The evaluation of Kano questionnaires – differentiated by age and sex – showed that a low price by itself is not a decisively criteria for a buyer's decision. The main successful strategy is the availability of an extensive service. The analysis of Kano evaluation modes showed that especially the methods CAT and M>O> A> I are conceptual useable for developing a Kano‐based weighting process. Through an adjustment of existing methods and by a variation of the factors of the multistage calculation algorithm it is possible to describe the process of customers' requirement prioritisation.

By calculating the weighted relevance of customer requirements directly from the results of a Kano project, the new method allows to optimize the customer orientation within the companies.

Whereas the Minister of Labour (hereafter in this Order referred to as “the Minister”) has received from the Cutlery Wages Council (Great Britain) the wages regulation proposals set out in the Schedule hereto;

Whereas the Minister of Labour (hereafter in this Order referred to as “the Minister”) has received from the Cutlery Wages Council (Great Britain) the wages regulation proposals set out in the Schedule hereto;

The importance of international markets has increased in the past years and will further increase in the future. This offers potential for being competitive, but especially for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is going along with a variety of risks, e.g. the competition in the domestic market intensifies. Nevertheless, in most cases, SMEs with foreign operations are more successful than SME operating solely in the domestic markets. Nevertheless, the internationalization activities of SME are often unsystematic and emotional, especially when looking for distribution partners. The research project “Empirical based development of an instrument for identifying and making decisions about the choice of market entry and the selection of distribution partners of SME of the tool and cutlery industry when developing foreign markets” deals with this topic. In this paper the results of a literature review and an expert discussion regarding market development and especially the process of finding distribution partners for foreign markets are presented. Also, further steps in the project dealing with aspects of realizing the detected success factors by using quality management methods are explained.

The first step comprises a literature review and an expert discussion with leading managers of SME, with the aim to receive information about market entry decisions and selection of distribution partners. Therefore, a literature review and an expert discussion with leading managers of SME are carried out. The discussions are evaluated with MAXQDA©, a software for qualitative data analysis. Next, a questionnaire is designed for a quantitative analysis of the topic and will be evaluated by using SMART-PLS. Then, the results will be used as input variable for a quality function deployment for identifying appropriate measures for implementing the prior identified success factors. Thereby, also quality management methods and techniques will be used for finding the “right” measures. In this context, also a method for selecting distribution partners will be developed which is based on the logic of supplier evaluation. Finally, an Excel-based tool will be developed which includes the results of the project and allows companies easily applying them.

A literature review and an expert discussion within the tool and cutlery industry have been carried out and analysed. Thereby, the need for action regarding the selection of distribution partners has been revealed as essential step for success in foreign markets. Literature mostly deals with aspects like choosing appropriate countries for market entry and market entry strategy but not with distribution partners. Expert discussion also has shown that choosing distribution partners is often managed with gut feel. It lacks a criteria-based approach for optimizing this step during the internalization process.

Finding adequate distribution partners for a successful entry into foreign markets has not been investigated thoroughly yet. The project offers insights into determining factors for the selection process and improves the distribution partner selection by using quality management methods, for instance, by adapting the fundamental procedure of supplier assessment for distribution partner assessment.

The one thing that the international jet setter never gets is hungry, and if you have ever wondered where all the food comes from, here is the answer.

The progressive wear of cutting tools used in industrial cutlery production results in excessive burr formation and reduces tool service life. This paper aims to investigate the effects of the sheet surface finish on tool wear and service life during blanking.

Two alternative surface finish techniques were proposed and initially implemented under laboratorial conditions and compared with conventional acid pickling. Those surface finish techniques were then implemented on an industrial scale to improve the service life of cutting tools. Industrial blanking tests characterized the effect of sheet surface finish on tool life.

In the first technique, called skin pass, an additional mechanical pass under controlled conditions reduced the height of the surface peaks and resulted in partial embedding of the carbides into the surface. The second technique, called electrochemical pickling, removed solely the surface carbides, leaving behind a smoother surface without carbides. Real industrial blanking tests identified that the use of skin pass reduced burr formation and increased tool life by around 300 per cent when compared with conventional acid pickling. With electrochemical pickling, burr formation was further reduced and tool life increased further by 300 per cent when compared with skin pass.

First, this work proposes an alternative surface finishing technique (electrochemical pickling) to be used after annealing of stainless steel. Second, the work clearly shows the presence of protruding surface carbides when conventional surface finishing techniques are used, which do not exist after acid pickling.

When electrochemical pickling is implemented on an industrial scale, the life of blanking tools is substantially improved.

Although the sheet surface finish is widely recognized to affect metalforming processes, the literature lacks studies on the effect of sheet surface finish on tool wear during blanking. First, this work proposes an alternative surface finishing technique (electrochemical pickling) to be used after annealing of stainless steel. Second, the work clearly shows the presence of protruding surface carbides when conventional surface finishing techniques are used, which do not exist after acid pickling. Third, when electrochemical pickling is implemented on an industrial scale, the life of blanking tools is substantially improved.

I should like to set the scene by giving you an outline of that part of B.I.S.R.A. (British Iron and Steel Research Association) organization with which I am connected, as this will explain the scope and depth of our interests in the small‐firm field and provide a background against which the later part of the talk will be more easily understood. I also intend to stop in time to deal with questions, or indeed to hear views from the floor, because, as you will hear, one of the principles I shall put to you is that formal lecturing and presentation of reports is, in our small‐firm world, less effective than discussion as a means of presenting ideas.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the microbial profile of food contact surfaces (FCS) in foodservice industry of Serbia.

The research covered 21,485 samples collected from 1,085 foodservice establishments during a period of 43 months. Results were deployed in terms of food contact materials, types of FCS and types of foodservice establishments.

Highest share of results=2 log₁₀ CFU/cm² were present on plastic surfaces during Autumn, while on ceramic and stainless steel surfaces highest share were observed during the Summer season. Take-away food establishments had the highest share of results=2 log₁₀ CFU/cm² for both stainless steel and plastic surfaces. Highest share of stainless steel surfaces with microbial load=2 log₁₀ CFU/cm² were cutlery, dishes and knives. Plastic dishes had the highest share of results=2 log₁₀ CFU/cm² while cutting boards had the majority of results between 1 log₁₀ CFU/cm² and 2 log₁₀ CFU/cm².

Limitations of the research stem from the discussion of the nature of the FCS like porosity and other physical characteristics.

This research has a practical application in terms of establishing process hygiene levels depending on types of food contact materials and types of FCS and seasonal variations.

The findings of this study are worthy, in respect to possible correlation between seasonal variation and process hygiene requirements and can facilitate a better understanding of microbial risks associated with food preparation.