Japan is one of the leading technology countries in the world. Many developments are driven forward there or in collaboration with Japanese companies. This is not different in the tool industry.

Optimizing components for combustion engines is part of Robert Bosch GmbH's daily bread. In particular, the company focuses on injectors to further reduce pollutant emissions and fuel consumption.

Anyone standing in front of the new ProTech Innovation Center and the metal dinosaur immediately knows which direction the manufacturer of cutting tools and coatings from Slovakia has taken: Premium.

Every year, more than one billion taps and thread formers are produced worldwide – for many years, most of them have been coated with traditional TiN and TiCN coatings, unchanged in most cases.

Milling or die sinking? This question arises almost daily in tool and die making when it comes to the production of punches, dies, injection molds or similar. Unfortunately, there is no one true machining strategy for all eventualities. Diverse requirements determine which process achieves the desired results.

HiPIMS is conquering the markets as a coating technology. A few years ago, when this technology was first introduced, CemeCon in particular set industry standards as a technology leader and pioneer.

Automotive, aerospace, medical technology – high-tech industries depend on first-class precision tools for the process-reliable, high-precision and, last but not least, economical production of their components from materials that are often difficult to machine.

“The results we are achieving with the unparalleled PVD coatings on our tools are fantastic and have convinced us so much that we have invested in an additional PVD system.” Jorge Ferreira, CEO at Palbit, is enthusiastic.

Wherever thick chips fall, for example in the heavy-duty machining of rails, switches, pipes and crankshafts, as well as in the rotary peeling of cast iron and ferrous materials, high-performance cutting inserts with long tool lives and good performance are an absolute must.

If you want to produce outstanding precision tools that are ahead of the competition, you need top-class technology in all facets of tool manufacturing – not least in coating.

Whether for e-mobility or in aircraft construction – lightweight materials such as aluminum and titanium-aluminum alloys are increasingly being used to reduce weight. These high-performance materials pose special challenges for machinists, which they can only meet with precisely matched high-end tools.

The world of machining is changing. With the transition from the internal combustion engine to alternative drive systems, traditional automotive manufacturing as the most important mainstay for many machining companies and tool manufacturers is being reduced enormously.

Hardened and stainless steels and titanium – silicon-containing coatings are the answer to materials that are difficult to machine.

The HiPIMS (High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering) process and its advantages for the machining industry.

The market situation in tool and die making is more dynamic than ever. Changing markets, ever smaller batch sizes, individual products, continuously increasing quality requirements and shorter development times – the challenges for tool and die makers are manifold.

With Italy’s largest coating service in Piacenza, Lafer SpA has been supplying coatings at the highest level for a wide range of industries for over 30 years.

HiPIMS is the future of PVD coatings. The market agrees on this. The technology combines the advantages of all common coating processes.

The tool manufacturer Horn has been coating its cutting tools with HiPIMS high-performance coatings in its own coating center since 2015.

Incremental changes highlight recent advances in the wake of severe supply chain challenges

Dental implants, electronic components, watch movements, micro ball bearings – miniaturization is omnipresent.

In 70 countries, the top players in automotive, chemical, aerospace, medical technology, and tool and mold making industries trust HORN’s precision tools to drive their success.

Miniaturization is setting trends – from dental implants to electronic components and clockworks to micro ball bearings.

Initially reserved for the engines and airframes of military reconnaissance aircraft, titanium has long since become an integral part of our everyday lives thanks to its outstanding properties.

New high-performance materials, the transition from combustion engines to alternative drive concepts, high innovation and cost pressure – in order to master these and future challenges, machining companies and tool manufacturers must identify and exploit optimization potential.