ANCA Tool of the Year announced at IMTS

SJ Tools became the first-ever Mexican winner of the ANCA Tool of the Year competition, wowing the market with a cutting tool that combines multiple features into a single tool where all features were finished with a very accurate surface finish. The complexity of the design was possible through ANCA’s flexible iGrind software.

SJ Tools’ winning entry included a roughing tip just below the drill point to carry out high-speed drilling and chip management. “In this very competitive world with the technology that exists in cutting tools, it’s a great achievement for me as well as the whole team that works at SJ Tools—designing, sharpening, grinding, machining area, polishing, honing, quality, purchases, sales and administration,” Edwin Juarez, CEO of SJ Tools said.

Edwin Juarez (left), CEO of SJ Tools, and Russell Riddiford, ANCA president

“Our tool was designed for a customer which machines aluminum,” continued Juarez. “With this tool, we could eliminate five tools and machine it with one. The first and second operation performed was roughing and a chip breaker on the tip to break the chip, giving better output and avoiding obstructions. The third operation interpolates to create a pocket. In the fourth and fifth we made two internal slots in which we did roughing and finishing, also super polishing and honing. At the same time, we managed to reduce cycle times, production cost and inventory cost. There is no simple tool. That is why I want to highlight the engineering, design and manufacturing team since they worked hard analyzing each of our client’s operations to be able to create this tool. The experience and dedication of each team member that works at SJ Tools leads us to these achievements. It was created by observing, analyzing and detecting the needs of our client, and thus be able to create this solution.”

In its fifth year, ANCA's competition announced winners live at the IMTS international trade show in Chicago. “Every year, I am delighted by the skill and creativity of our customers and how they apply the ANCA technology to design and manufacture market-leading cutting tools,” said ANCA Co-founder Patrick Boland. ANCA is a manufacturer of CNC grinding machines. It was founded in 1974 in Melbourne, Australia, where the company still has its global headquarters. ANCA has offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, China, Thailand, India, Japan and Brazil.

ANCA CNC grinders are used for manufacturing precision cutting tools and components across a diverse range of industries, including cutting-tool manufacture, automotive, aerospace, electronics and medical.

Also read: Brains outperform brawn for CNC grinding-machine manufacturer ANCA

JG Group won the virtual category and third runner-up for the main ANCA Tool of the Year for its effort and creative thinking process, coupled with intimate knowledge of the iGrind and the CIM3D software, which enabled it to design a life-size model of the hummingbird.

Aleksandra Semeniuk, design manager at JG Group, has been producing cutting tools, as well as machine parts and tooling, for industry since 2005. “The ANCA Tool of the Year competition inspires tool companies all around the world and brings a breath of fresh air to our daily work, stimulates creativity and allows us to break down barriers,” said Semeniuk.

John Saunders, president of Saunders Machine Works (SMW) and founder of YouTube channel NYC CNC, acted as independent judge of the competition and congratulated the winners: “The application of both software and the ANCA grinding technology was truly remarkable. The complexity, detail and quality of the tools were outstanding.”

• Winner Main category: SJ Tools

• First Runner-Up: ARCH Cutting Tools

ARCH Cutting Tools, first runner-up in MadeOnANCA

• Second Runner-Up: TDM Cutting Tools

TDM Cutting Tools, second runner-up in MadeOnANCA

• Third Runner-Up: JG Group

• Winner Virtual category: JG Group

• First Runner-Up: Centrum Techniki Macro

• Second Runner-Up: Xiamen Golden Egret Special Alloy

ANCA Tool of the Year

There are two competition categories to recognize both the functionality and creativity of cutting-tool manufacturers.

• The main prize goes to #MadeOnANCA tools, and entrants will be judged on the form and performance of their cutting tool.

• The second category is for virtual tools as the most innovative tool design. Entrants are encouraged to be creative and use ANCA tool design software to push ideas to their limits.

The winner of #MadeOnANCA receives 10,000 Australian dollars worth of ANCA innovations for parts, accessories or software that fit your grinding needs, and the winner of the most innovative virtual tool will receive the full CIM software package.