Tungaloy and NTK Cutting Tools Set to Merge

Tungaloy Corporation and NTK Cutting Tools are set to merge, effective 1 January 2027, marking a new chapter for both organisations. The integrated organisation will operate under the Tungaloy corporate name, while retaining the NTK brand. NTK Cutting Tools will operate as a dedicated division within Tungaloy, building on the technology, heritage and expertise that have established its strong reputation in the cutting tool industry. Alongside the integration, plans have been finalised for a new headquarters and state-of-the-art manufacturing facility for NTK Cutting Tools in the Nagoya area of Japan.  

More information www.tungaloy.com 

Hurco Demo Deals Day meets all targets

Now a regular feature in the Hurco calendar, the company’s recent Demo Deals Day in High Wycombe facility gave customers an opportunity to secure special discounts on used equipment and ex-demonstration machine tools originally prepared for the MACH 2026 exhibition. The day was regarded by the supplier and its visitors as a resounding success. 
 
Within a week of the event finishing, orders had been confirmed for the showroom’s Hurco VC500i five-axis VMC automated with Kawasaki PC25 robot loading system, the Hurco VMX30HSi three-axis VMC, and the Roeders RXP400 high-precision, high-speed VMC. All of the ex-demonstration Hurco turning centres had also been sold by that time. Hurco is now looking forward to its Christmas open house and supplier village on 1 and 2 December.  

More information www.hurco.com/uk 

Demonstrating How to Meet Accelerating Production Demands

Mazak showcased advanced machine tools, automation and digital solutions designed to help manufacturers increase throughput and do more with fewer resources at IMTS 2026 in Chicago earlier this month. 

With production demands accelerating across sectors including semiconductor, aerospace, medical, oil and gas, and defence, manufacturers face increasing pressure to boost output while managing labour and cost constraints. Mazak will demonstrate integrated machining and automation technologies through live part-cutting demonstrations. 

“In an environment of rising labour costs, tariffs, inflation and other economic demands, we maintain our focus on providing high-value, high-performance and productive solutions,” said Dan Janka, president of Mazak. “Today’s shops are under tremendous pressure to increase their production in less time. To succeed, they need to do more with less.” 

Among the 15 machines on display were models from Mazak’s NEO Series, Multi-Tasking range and SYNCREX Swiss-style production turning Series. The INTEGREX i-200ST NEO multi-tasking machine featured gantry loader automation. 

Mazak also demonstrated its DONE IN ONE® processing on QRX-50MSY and QTE-100MSY Multi-Tasking machines. The QRX-50MSY combines milling, a second turning spindle and Y-axis functionality for efficient production of small components including EV shafts and valve fittings. The QTE-100MSY, equipped with a gantry loader, features a second turning spindle, milling and Y-axis off-centreline machining. 

A Quick Turn 350 Multi-Tasking machine showcased Ez LOADER compact collaborative robot automation. Combining a cobot arm, vision sensor and dedicated software, the system is designed to improve production with minimal operator intervention. 

More information www.mazak.com 

Precision From The Black Forest: Kammerer Relies on WFL

For more than 75 years, Kammerer Gewindetechnik has specialised in high-precision ball screw drives, linear guides and customised screw drives. The 150-strong family business supplies the automotive, medical, mechanical engineering and packaging sectors and has relied on WFL MillTurn multi-tasking machine tool technology for several years. 

Following positive experience with an M40 MillTurn installed in 2021, Kammerer invested in an M30-G with automation and a Kardex storage tower. 

Says lean manager Martin Huber: “The tolerance between the thread pitch and the deflection system is a real challenge. Here, hundredths of a millimetre determine whether a part works or is rejected.” 

The M30-G machines ball screw nuts from 100CrMo7 and 1.4112 stainless steel, combining turning, drilling, thread cutting, milling and deburring in a single process. Tolerances of ±0.015 mm must be maintained across multiple features. 

Automation is central to the system. An articulated robot removes finished components and transfers them to the storage tower, which accommodates up to 300 workpieces across 28 shelves. Automatic jaw changes allow different part types to be processed without manual intervention, while production can run autonomously for up to 21 hours. 

The results demonstrate the machine’s repeatability: of 600 components manufactured to date, just six have been scrapped. The automated system also enables production from a batch size of one, while typically handling Kammerer’s batches of 10 to 15 components. 

“The WFL gives us the stability and accuracy that we wouldn’t otherwise achieve,” states Huber. “Tools that don’t work on other machines run smoothly here.” 

The partnership extends beyond machine performance, with Kammerer also praising WFL’s process expertise, customer service and rapid availability of support and spare parts. 

More information www.wfl.at/en

Four Times As Productive As a Single-Spindle Machine

At AMB 2026 earlier this month, Index presented Traub MS12-4 multi-spindle sliding/fixed-headstock turning machine for the first time. Designed for small workpieces from 3 to 13 mm diameter, its new concept delivers up to four times the output of a single-spindle machine, making it suited to high-volume production of components such as pins and screws for medical technology, watchmaking and electrical applications. 

Unlike conventional multi-spindle machines, the MS12-4 dispenses with the spindle drum and sequential machining. Based on the TRAUB TNL12 concept, it combines four main spindles, four tool turrets and two or four counter spindles, enabling four workpieces to be machined simultaneously and up to eight spindles to operate at once. 

The machine’s modular design allows its configuration to be matched precisely to production requirements. Flexible tool carriers can accommodate operations including whirling, polygon turning and gear cutting, while more economical configurations are available for simpler parts with limited back-end machining. 

The tool turrets feature eight live stations and the KPS36 compact tool holder interface, while cooling lubricant is supplied at pressures up to 120 bar using energy-efficient, frequency-controlled pumps. 

Compared with four single-spindle machines, the MS12-4 requires fewer machine components, less floor space and only one set of peripheral equipment, including the control system, bar loader and chip conveyor. 

It also offers advantages over conventional multi-spindle technology. Each spindle position operates independently, eliminating waiting times when individual operations have different cycle lengths. Programming is simplified, with the control system handling the remaining positions. 

Automation is integrated, with a patented four-channel bar loading magazine, automatic chip removal and options for flushing or robotically transferring finished parts. 

More information www.index-group.com