FEATURE ON TOOLING

OptiMill-HPC-Pocket: Efficient Pocket Plunge Milling

MAPAL has expanded its OptiMill-HPC-Pocket family of solid-carbide milling cutters with new four-flute (Z4) length variants, giving manufacturers greater flexibility when selecting the optimum tool for pocket milling applications. Designed to deliver precision, efficiency and long tool life, the range combines advanced geometry, wear-resistant coatings and specially prepared cutting edges to ensure high process reliability.

Large chip spaces enable rapid chip evacuation at high material removal rates, while the patented plunge face with integrated drill tip supports a wide range of operations, including pocket milling, groove milling, helix milling and ramping at angles of up to 45°.

The OptiMill-Uni-HPC-Pocket for steel and cast materials has been established in the market for a decade in its three-flute configuration. The addition of a four-flute version increases machining speeds while drawing on MAPAL’s expertise in pocket and trochoidal milling to machine deep cavities efficiently. Available in short, long and overlong versions, the new tools allow users to select the shortest practical cutter for each application, reducing carbide consumption, improving rigidity and lowering tooling costs.

MAPAL recommends the three-flute version for applications requiring frequent plunging, while the four-flute alternative is optimised for circumferential machining, offering higher productivity and longer tool life.

The aluminium-specific OptiMill-Alu-HPC-Pocket range has also been expanded with long and overlong four-flute variants to meet increasing demand for higher machining speeds and greater productivity.

Available in diameters from 3.8 to 20 mm, the complete OptiMill-HPC-Pocket family is suited to general engineering, mould and die manufacture, deep-pocket machining, and aerospace aluminium applications. By combining multiple machining operations in a single tool, the range reduces tool changes, improves process stability and delivers lower tooling costs alongside higher productivity, making it well suited to both high-volume and flexible manufacturing. More information www.mapal.com

Walter To Show Entire Supply Chain Of Solutions At AMB

For the first time in eight years, Walter will return to the AMB exhibition in Stuttgart from 15-19 September, where visitors to Hall 3, Stand 3E50 can explore the company’s ‘The Right Match’ philosophy. The exhibition theme demonstrates how manufacturers can benefit from solutions that span the entire machining process chain.

Today’s metalworking businesses face growing pressure to increase productivity, improve quality, reduce costs and operate more sustainably. At the same time, new materials, shorter development cycles and the need for stable, repeatable processes are making manufacturing more complex than ever.

Walter’s response is a holistic approach that combines cutting tools, engineering expertise, digital solutions and technical support to deliver the optimum solution for every application. ‘The Right Match’ represents the point where customer requirements, machining technology and application knowledge come together to create measurable manufacturing benefits.

This philosophy forms the basis of Walter’s AMB 2026 exhibition. Rather than focusing solely on products, the stand will demonstrate how integrated solutions can improve productivity, process reliability and efficiency across the entire manufacturing process.

Visitors will be guided through the complete process chain, from process planning and tool selection to machining strategies, reconditioning and recycling services. Practical examples from the aerospace, automotive and general engineering sectors will show how Walter combines tooling, digital technologies and engineering support to solve real manufacturing challenges.

The guided tour reinforces a simple message: the best machining results are achieved when every application is matched with the right combination of technology, expertise and service. Walter will demonstrate this approach throughout AMB 2026, inviting visitors to discover how ‘The Right Match’ can help optimise their manufacturing operations.

More information www.walter-tools.com

Guhring SC-TM-Z SP Completes Thread In Just Two Turns

Guhring has expanded its thread-milling range with the introduction of the SC-TM-Z SP high-performance full-profile thread milling cutter. Designed to create a complete thread in just two revolutions, the new tool reduces cycle times while adding to one of the industry’s most comprehensive thread-milling portfolios.

According to Guhring UK national sales manager Chris Bush, the company now offers solutions ranging from micro and single-pitch thread mills to combination drill, chamfer and thread mills, providing manufacturers with options for virtually every threading application.

The SC-TM-Z SP is available in metric and metric fine sizes from M3 to M20. Its staggered-tooth, staggered-pitch design, combined with a patent-pending flute geometry, minimises radial forces and vibration, eliminating the need for a spring pass. The result is higher cutting speeds, improved dimensional accuracy and a more reliable machining process.

In performance trials, the cutter machined an M10 thread to 2.5xD in ST52 carbon steel 55% faster than a competing tool, while extending tool life by 17%, from 700 to 820 components. Guhring attributes this performance to the combination of its premium carbide substrate, Sirius coating and advanced cutting geometry.

Suitable for steels, stainless steels, cast irons, non-ferrous materials and heat-resistant alloys, the SC-TM-Z SP maintains true-to-gauge performance to thread depths of up to 2.5xD, delaying tool radius correction and extending process stability.

To support users, Guhring provides free access to its CNC Guhro ThreadMill programming generator, which produces programs for Siemens, Heidenhain, FANUC, Mazatrol and Hurco controls. The company also offers on-site technical support through a team of 20 field engineers across the UK and Ireland. More information www.guhring.co.uk

TOOLING MANUFACTURER MAPAL LAYS THE FOUNDATION FOR GREATER SPEED

Industry Industrial manufacturing around the world is undergoing rapid change. Geopolitical tensions, structural shifts in key industries, a weak economic outlook in Europe and new challenges in global supply chains are changing the way companies do business.

At MAPAL, several of these developments are coming together at the same time. The company group has deep roots in Germany and Europe, holds a strong position in the automotive industry, and supports its customers through long-term investment projects. These are precisely the areas that have come under significant pressure in recent years.

“We’re not experiencing a temporary market slowdown, but rather profound changes across many of the markets that are important to us,” explains Dr Jochen Kress (pictured), president of the MAPAL Group. “These changes affect economic conditions, technological developments and geopolitical influences alike.”

Since mid-2025, growing uncertainty in global raw material markets has added to the challenges, driven in particular by export restrictions and rising prices for carbide pre-products.

“Developments in the raw material markets highlight just how important resilient supply chains and long-term partnerships are,” says Kress. “Reliable supply is becoming an even more important issue for the industry as a whole. The MAPAL Group is currently well positioned in this regard and remains a reliable supplier.”

Against the backdrop of these market changes, the 2025 financial year developed in line with expectations. The MAPAL Group generated revenue of €514m, around 7% below the previous year’s figure of €551m. Performance varied across regions. While economic growth in Europe and China remained subdued and the automotive industry continued to be shaped by far-reaching changes, individual markets in North and South America, as well as Asia, proved more resilient.

By the end of 2025, the MAPAL Group employed around 4500 people worldwide. The adjustment of the workforce structure was made in response to market conditions. In doing so, the family-owned company focused on socially responsible solutions and long-term decisions.

“The environment was challenging and remains so. That makes it all the more important to focus on things we can influence ourselves. That’s exactly what we’ve done, driving MAPAL forward with determination.”

With the merger of its German entities, MAPAL completed the largest organisational project in the company’s history. At the same time, the group was realigned as a process-driven organisation. Standardised workflows, clearly defined responsibilities and structures, and end-to-end processes provide the foundation for more transparency, higher efficiency and, most of all, greater speed.

“Many of these changes initially took place behind the scenes and were not visible to the outside,” states Kress. “Transformation initiatives of this scale require time, consistency and a willingness to challenge established ways of working. For us, 2025 was mainly a year of implementation.”

The intensive work on structures and processes is beginning to deliver results. The organisation is gaining speed, and customer requirements are being implemented more efficiently.

MAPAL reached another milestone in spring 2026 in achieving TISAX certification at Assessment Level 3. The certification confirms the company’s high standards in information security and meets the requirements of demanding customers, particularly in the automotive industry. At the same time, it reflects the ongoing development of processes, structures and the organisation as part of the company’s transformation journey.

Alongside its organisational progress, the strategic direction MAPAL has pursued in recent years is also proving successful in key market segments. This is particularly evident in the aerospace sector. Over the past two years, MAPAL has achieved double-digit growth in its aerospace business, outperforming the market as a whole. As a result, MAPAL has further strengthened its position in this technologically demanding segment and is benefiting from strong global demand in the aerospace industry.

MAPAL also remains committed to its long-term investment strategy. In the 2025 financial year, the MAPAL Group invested around €25m in its sites, production capabilities, digitalisation and future technologies. The company expects to reach a similar level of investment by the end of 2026 financial year.

Following its 75th anniversary year, MAPAL continues to combine the strengths of a long-established family-owned company with a clear focus on meeting the demands of future markets.

Despite its extensive transformation projects, innovation remained a central focus of the company’s activities. In 2025, for example, MAPAL introduced the NeoMill-16-Finish indexable insert milling cutter, a new milling system for cost-efficient semi-finishing and finishing. The new standardised chip-breaking geometries for fine-boring inserts increase process reliability and deliver productivity gains. These examples are representative of the company’s ongoing commitment to innovation. The goal remains to help customers make their manufacturing operations more productive and efficient through high-performance tools, intelligent processes and comprehensive system solutions.

Alongside its established market segments, MAPAL is also keeping a close eye on emerging industrial growth areas. These include applications in the defence sector as well as industrial applications arising from new requirements in security, infrastructure and energy supply.

The company is deliberately taking a long-term approach in these areas. New markets and technologies are evaluated according to clearly defined criteria: they must align with the company’s technological strengths in precision machining, offer sufficient market scale and production volumes, and demonstrate long-term potential.

“We closely monitor new developments and stay technologically connected to the topics that matter,” says Kress. “At the same time, we invest selectively in areas where we see sustainable market opportunities and can create real value for our customers. Not every trend automatically becomes a market.”

Market conditions will remain challenging throughout the 2026 financial year. Economic growth in Europe continues to be subdued, while geopolitical uncertainty, changes in global supply chains and developments in raw material markets continue to influence the business environment. At the same time, investments in aerospace, infrastructure and other future-focused technologies are creating new opportunities.

For the 2026 financial year, the company expects revenue to remain at a similar level to the previous year. Nevertheless, MAPAL believes it has created the conditions to respond to market opportunities more quickly and decisively in the future.

“The challenges in our markets are not going away anytime soon,” he concludes. “What matters is how quickly and decisively we respond to change. That’s exactly why we’ve created the right conditions: we’re becoming faster, strengthening our ability to get things done. And we’re sharpening our focus on identifying opportunities earlier, making decisions more quickly, and bringing solutions to our customers faster.”

More information www.mapal.com

Ceratizit heralds MACH 2026 as its best of all time

Ceratizit UK & Ireland has reported its most successful MACH exhibition to date. The company’s stand attracted strong interest throughout the week, with manufacturers visiting to explore the company’s latest cutting tool, tooling management and work-holding technologies.

The exhibition showcased Ceratizit’s machining portfolio across milling, turning, drilling, threading, grooving and parting applications, supported by demonstrations from the company’s UK Technical Centre. Among the standout attractions was the CTC5240 titanium indexable milling system display, developed in collaboration with the University of Sheffield AMRC, Heller Machine Tools and Siemens NX.

Designed specifically for difficult-to-machine materials including titanium, Inconel, Hastelloy and Waspaloy, the CTC5240 grade generated significant attention from engineers attending the exhibition. Ceratizit demonstrated how its proprietary coating technology improves heat resistance, chip formation and tool life in demanding titanium machining operations.

A key highlight was a live machining demonstration using the new RADX porcupine cutter paired with SXHU 120408ER-F41 CTC5240 inserts during a full-slot milling operation in TiAl6V4 titanium alloy. The application achieved a material removal rate of 318.78 cm³/min while benefiting from eight usable cutting edges per insert, creating a highly competitive solution for heavy-duty titanium roughing applications.

The Ceratizit UK & Ireland engineering team is currently working with manufacturers to implement productivity and cost-saving improvements identified during MACH.

The company also continued its long-running MACH charity initiative, with visitors entered into a prize draw to win a Hope HB160 mountain bike in exchange for donations to the British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research UK. Over the past 16 years, the initiative has raised more than £100,000 for the two charities.

More information www.ceratizit.com