Replace the cutting head and retain the carbide shank: Horn’s DM40 PCD end mill is designed to reduce tooling costs when machining aluminium, plastics and other non-ferrous and non-metallic materials. Users can change heads on-site and resharpen the PCD tips up to twice.

After months of declining orders, the German machine tool industry may finally be stabilizing. While domestic demand remains weak, new investments from defence, aviation and medical technology signal early signs of recovery.

When Commercial Tool & Die needed new milling capacity for very large plastic injection moulds, the company turned once again to Zimmermann. The result is a trio of custom-built machines that combine flexible multi-axis machining with robust construction, as shown in the new video case study.

Grinding Hub 2026 will spotlight how artificial intelligence, sensor technology and closed-loop automation are redefining precision grinding. From unmanned “grind-measure-grind” production to smart process control and new applications such as humanoid robot components, the Stuttgart show promises a clear view of grinding’s shift toward self-optimising, data-driven manufacturing systems.

Replacing the cutting head while retaining the carbide shank could lower tooling costs when machining aluminium and plastics. Horn’s modular DM40 PCD end mill combines interchangeable heads with cutting tips that can be resharpened up to twice.

Since 2025, the global market price for APT has risen by more than 500 per cent – and the trend is still upward. Together with the special tool experts at Müller Präzisionswerkzeuge, an automotive supplier has found a way out of the price spiral: tool upcycling.

Software company Open Mind Technologies has released version 2026 of its cad/cam suite Hypermill. The new version is designed to increase both the speed at which NC programs can be created and process reliability.

The European manufacturing industry is increasingly recognising the potential of humanoid robots, particularly as the region faces growing labour shortages. From Schaeffler’s global deployment plans to logistics trials at Siemens and pilot projects at BMW, manufacturers are beginning to assess how quickly the technology can be introduced into production. Tool and mould makers face similar recruitment challenges and are also exploring possible applications.

At HIN Feinmechanik, precision does not end at the machine table. Faced with growing demands on accuracy, process reliability and programming speed, the company shifted control upstream into CAM preparation — reducing collisions, manual rework and scrap before cutting even begins.

Tailoring coatings to demanding machining applications requires control over the entire tool manufacturing process. Scientific Cutting Tools has added Cemecon Hipims technology to its in-house capabilities, combining coating with geometry inspection and cutting edge preparation to support precision, repeatability and new product development.