Pat Boland, Anca’s co-founder, says: “I have great respect for our customers’ knowledge in designing and grinding quality cutting tools. Their skills drive our industry forward and most of Anca’s new technology is born from customer requirements to achieve something new. We should celebrate the collective acumen of our industry and showcase the fantastic work that is conducted every day to build our world. I encourage all cutting-tool makers to enter our competition and show off their talents.”
Ralph van Hoorn, managing director at Van Hoorn Carbide and first-time Judge adds: "Technology is moving forward faster than ever, demanding more and more of today’s tool grinders. Designing and grinding these great products demands a combination of great ideas combined with technical know-how and top-class machinery. Thanks to Anca and its customers, new ideas have come to practice, making our technology move forward.”
Anca will also launch the ToolRoom RN34 software package at Hall 6, Booth J35. ToolRoom enables tool grinders to design and execute high-quality cutting tools. Specialising in complex cutting-tool geometries for the aerospace, toolmaking and power-generation industries, the latest package can design and manufacture complex geometries, as well as balance them for optimal cutting conditions. Newly introduced are the end-mill cycles for ball nose and corner radius cutters, tool balancing, and next-generation fluting cycles.
The prize for the 2019 winner is a trip for two to Anca’s headquarters in Melbourne, Australia to see first-hand how the technology is created. A copy of the latest ToolRoom RN34 software release is also included in the prize. The deadline for entries is 25 August.
Once the top five tools have been selected, they will then be judged at EMO on the following criteria: best surface finish (Ra) on the flute or gash; the tool that is closest to the nominal tolerance as stated on the drawing in terms of diameter and profile; the tool that has been ground to the tightest tolerance as per the drawing; and the level of complexity.
