ARCH Medical Grinding wins ANCA Tool of the Year competition

ANCA announced the winners of the 2026 ANCA Tool of the Year Awards at the recent IMTS 2026 exhibition in Chicago. ARCH Medical Grinding (USA) won with a multipurpose surgical tool concept. TDM from Türkiye took second place and Roder Ferramentas from Brazil third. Jessica Kuenn of Gorilla Mill was named ANCA Female Machinist of the Year 2026.

This year’s competition focused entirely on virtual tool design. Entrants used ANCA software to develop tool geometries, grinding strategies and design concepts without the material cost of producing a physical tool. The awards recognise the skills of the toolmakers and programmers behind innovation in cutting tools.

ARCH Medical Grinding’s winning entry was developed by Mark Delaney and Ryan Alderfer with future robotic surgery in mind. The tool is cannulated and combines drilling, reaming and tapping. It also has a milled pocket for a nitinol wire and a screwdriver at the opposite end. Bringing several functions into one tool is meant to reduce tool changes during robotic procedures.

The team designed the tool with ANCA’s ToolRoom and CIM3D software, using realistic cutting geometries and additional milling operations. They then produced it on an ANCA MX7 and tested how it worked. In doing so, they applied established cutting tool design principles to an application where precise geometry, runout and cutting performance are becoming increasingly important.

Mark Delaney, Vice President of Operations at ARCH Medical Grinding, said: “It’s an honour to win with such gifted tool makers from around the world in the contest. It means even a little more as I believe we’re the first to win from the medical device industry. It also means the mentors from my past are still influencing the next great generation of toolmakers in Ryan and others like him. I wanted to put on display the talented young team we have and Ryan’s capabilities in design, focusing on what I believe future surgical tools will look like.”

According to the jury, TDM’s second-placed entry stood out for its strong final presentation. The simulation ran without collisions, which shows careful programming and a sound understanding of realistic grinding processes. The tool combines right-hand and left-hand flutes while keeping a clean geometry, giving it the character of a practical finished product. TDM received its award on the ANCA stand at Maktek 2026.

Third place went to Roder Ferramentas from Brazil.

ANCA also named Jessica Kuenn of Gorilla Mill as Female Machinist of the Year 2026. Jessica moved into manufacturing from an office-based career. She has since developed her skills as a tool grinder and is now expanding into programming.

“This award feels like a reflection of all the hard work and dedication I’ve put into that journey. It’s also a reminder of how much I’ve grown and how much more I still want to learn and improve,” said Jessica. “One of the things I enjoy most about this field is that there are so many ways to approach a challenge and reach the same goal. I’m always curious to see what others are doing, how they approach their work, and what I can learn from their methods.”

The awards were presented on the ANCA stand at IMTS 2026 in front of customers, partners and visitors. Through the Tool of the Year and Female Machinist of the Year awards, ANCA supports the next generation of engineers, programmers and manufacturing leaders, and recognises the contribution women make to the industry.