New R&D Centre ‘Mazak Innovation Hub’ to Open in 2027

Machine tool builder Yamazaki Mazak will open a new R&D centre, the Mazak Innovation Hub (MIH), in Oguchi, Japan in August 2027. The MIH will consolidate the company’s research, engineering and prototyping functions into a single location. Serving as a hub that connects diverse talent and technologies, the facility is set to enhance the efficiency of next-generation technology research and product development. 

The MIH will feature an open office layout to encourage communication and collaboration across organisational boundaries, including meeting areas that naturally facilitate interaction among employees. Offices will also be located adjacent to a machine tool prototyping and evaluation area, enabling a seamless workflow. In addition, a dedicated collaboration area is set to support technical exchanges and joint development projects. 

More information www.mazak.com 

Walter GB Expands with Trio of Appointments

Tooling specialist Walter GB has strengthened its UK sales operation with three new appointments, including two field sales engineers (Ben Stephens and Chris Auton) and the creation of a key account manager role (Ross Shaw) for the company’s largest OEM customers. The new recruits mark another milestone in Walter’s ongoing UK growth trajectory, bringing talented and experienced engineering talent into the business. Managing director Ashley Battison says: “We’re building an engineering team to enhance and streamline service and support for customers, particularly those with challenging projects.”  

More information www.walter-tools.com 

Guhring UK Responds to the Industry’s Carbide Crisis

With carbide prices climbing and uncertainty over where they will settle, tooling specialist Guhring is urging manufacturers to take a closer look at regrinding. Guhring UK’s national sales manager Chris Bush explains how the company restores worn tools to new-tool performance at its UK facility. 

“It’s something people need to focus on a bit more given the current carbide crisis. We do it all in our UK facility, including in-house coating and de-coating. We regrind tools on the same machines used to manufacture new tools.” 

Guhring’s Birmingham facility houses 20 CNC cutter grinders and can regrind both Guhring and third-party tools, from gun drills, twist drills and thread mills to end mills and PCD tools. Small mixed batches are also accommodated, with a minimum order of three identical tools to justify machine set-up. 

The service includes stripping the original coating before regrinding and applying an application-specific replacement from a choice of 10 coatings. 

“Depending on what was on the new tool, we mirror that on the regrind. Crucially, the team strips the old coating before regrinding rather than simply layering over it. An excess build-up of layers becomes unstable and gives a difference in performance that will prevent the tool from performing ‘as-new’.” 

Re-ground tools undergo the same manufacturing and inspection processes as new tools, maintaining quality, performance and repeatability. The financial benefit is particularly significant at a time of rising carbide prices.  

“Once you’ve bought the new tool and paid for the carbide, the regrinding cost is independent of whether the carbide cost goes up or down,” says Chris. “So you can extend your tool lifecycle and use it two, three or more times.” 

More information www.guhring.co.uk 

Tooling Solutions for Modern Manufacturing at AMB 2026 

At the recent AMB 2026 exhibition in Stuttgart, Kyocera Unimerco presented tooling solutions designed to help manufacturers address production challenges including increasing productivity demands, rising costs and the need for greater process transparency. Its presence focused on applications for the automotive, fluid technology and general engineering sectors, combining machining expertise with intelligent tool management and advanced coating technologies. 

A key focus was the transformation of automotive production. As OEMs increasingly adopted large structural castings and expanded high-volume manufacturing, requirements for productivity, precision and cost control continued to grow. Kyocera Unimerco demonstrated tooling concepts developed to support these evolving requirements and improve machining performance in demanding production environments. 

For the fluid industry, Kyocera presented its drill reamer, a combination tool that performs drilling and reaming in a single operation. The solution is designed to produce H7 tolerance holes in selected steel and cast iron grades under defined machining conditions. By replacing dedicated drilling and reaming tools, it can reduce tooling complexity, shorten cycle times and improve process security. 

Other tooling on display included the KGX grooving and cut-off tool, featuring an advanced clamping design and common insert platform for external, internal and face grooving; the ME90 helical end mill for titanium and other difficult-to-machine materials, using double-sided eight-edge inserts and the PM335S grade; and the MG90B slot milling cutter (pictured), which combines rigid insert clamping, reduced cutting forces and six-edge inserts for efficient material removal. 

Kyocera Unimerco also showcased high-performance cermet inserts, the MFH Micro high-feed milling cutter and DRA MagicDrill indexable drills as alternatives to dedicated solid-carbide solutions. 

Alongside cutting tools, the company demonstrated its CC945 intelligent tool management solution, providing greater visibility of tooling operations, inventory and availability. 

More information www.kyocera-unimerco.com 

One Drill Body, Many Applications with X Tip Drill 

The Seco® X Tip Drill simplifies hole-making with one modular drill body and multiple, exchangeable carbide tips that perform across steel, stainless steel, cast iron and more. The result? Reduced tool inventory, higher productivity and consistent, high-quality results. 
  

Designed for mixed production environments, the Seco X Tip Drill adapts easily to changing materials and drilling depths. With one drill body covering 3xD, 5xD and 8xD applications, manufacturers can streamline workflows, lower the risk of errors and reduce set-up time without compromising performance, reports Seco. 
 
A patented pre-tensioned interface enables fast tip changes. A double-sided key supplied with each drill body allows quick, secure tip replacement, while the axial lock ensures accuracy and repeatability even after multiple changes. 
 
Application-specific geometries facilitate predictable performance across demanding materials. ISO P and M tips provide reliable drilling in steels and stainless steels; ISO K geometry delivers stable cutting in abrasive cast iron; and the Flat-Bottom geometry produces flat-bottom holes in a single operation, eliminating secondary machining steps. All geometries are compatible with the same X Tip drill body. 
 
“The Seco X Tip Drill gives manufacturers a smarter way to manage complexity,” says Ricky Payling, global product manager for solid round tools (drilling) at Seco. “One drill body, multiple applications, less waste and consistent performance. It’s designed for flexibility on today’s shop floor.” 
 
High-feed capability, optimised chip evacuation and self-centring geometry deliver fast cycle times, excellent hole quality and low cost per hole. The reusable drill body and replaceable, recyclable carbide tips also support more sustainable manufacturing. 

More information www.secotools.com