Protecting profitability in a volatile market: ANCA to showcase productivity solutions at GrindingHub 2026

Innovation has never been more essential for business success. Rising carbide costs, geopolitical uncertainty, sustained competitive pressure and a cautious investment climate are forcing tool manufacturers to extract more value from existing assets rather than expand capacity. ANCA has continued to invest in practical production solutions that improve efficiency, reduce scrap and increase precision, helping customers protect margins while maintaining performance.

Across Europe and globally, tool manufacturers are balancing shorter lead times and increasing tool complexity with rising operating costs and continued pressure to reduce cost per tool. Many operations must lift throughput without expanding floorspace, while protecting margins against sharp raw-material increases – especially tungsten carbide – where scrap and rework have a direct and immediate financial impact.

At GrindingHub 2026 (5-8 May), ANCA will demonstrate how to turn these market challenges into measurable production outcomes by optimising the full manufacturing cycle – not only the grinding pass. Visitors will see a connected approach spanning machine capability, automation and software integration designed to improve utilisation, reduce handling, shorten set-up times and maintain process control across shifts.

Technologies on display at GrindingHub 2026 include…

• AIMS (ANCA Integrated Manufacturing System): Connecting planning, production control, measurement feedback and compensation workflows to support more autonomous tool manufacturing.
• MX7 ULTRA with InsertsPRO: Automated, repeatable production grinding of complex profile inserts.
• EPX Stream Finish (EPX-SF): Production-ready edge preparation and surface finishing with recipe-based control and traceability.
• FX ULTRA with new 3000 rpm S1 headstock: Higher surface speeds, improved finishes and expanded peel-grinding capability within a single set up.
• Micro tool production: insight into MicroX Ultra performance.
• ToolRoom RN35 with Performance+: Feed rate optimisation and simulation-driven verification to reduce cycle time and scrap risk.
• RFID-enabled automation and mixed-batch handling solutions: Supporting chaotic loading, collet-changing and reduced changeover friction.
• Robomate 2.0: New robot loader for MX, TX and EPX with faster tool load cycle time, native AIMS upgradeability and AIMS variants, improved ergonomics, and larger capacity.

Turning insert complexity into controlled production

ANCA will highlight the MX7 ULTRA configured with InsertsPRO for high-precision production grinding of profile inserts, where consistency is often limited by setup variation and compensation challenges.

InsertsPRO enables rapid creation of accurate grinding operations through parametric profile and relief definition, supported by integrated simulation for right-first-time results. The new Profile Insert Wizard streamlines set up by guiding operators through blank definition, profile import and wheel selection, automatically generating the required grinding strategy.

By bringing measurement feedback and correction closer to the grind, manufacturers can reduce handling, compress operations and maintain stable results across a batch – particularly valuable in mixed manufacturing environments where frequent geometry changes are the norm.

Edge preparation built for traceable production

ANCA will also demonstrate the EPX Stream Finish (EPX-SF), designed for controlled edge preparation, surface finishing and deburring in a production environment. Unlike laboratory-style processes, EPX-SF supports repeatable, recipe-based processing with documented traceability — increasingly essential for manufacturers seeking predictable coating performance and longer tool life. At GrindingHub, ANCA will show how a structured, traceable edge-prep workflow helps manufacturers standardise outcomes while retaining process know-how in-house.

Expanding grinding capability without expanding footprint

A major highlight will be the FX ULTRA with a new 3000 rpm S1 headstock spindle. – delivering up to five times the rotational speed of traditional 600 rpm configurations. For manufacturers producing a wide range of tools, surface speed on smaller cylindrical features is often the key limiting factor for premium finishes and competitive throughput. The 3000 rpm headstock removes this bottleneck by achieving the required surface speed where it matters most, helping improve cylindrical surface quality while shortening cycle times.

Beyond speed alone, the headstock upgrade expands workflow capability by supporting peel grinding combined with tool grinding within a single setup. This allows manufacturers to reduce part handling, minimise re‑clamping and streamlining complete-tool production with greater consistency and throughput. This way, manufacturers can increase output from the same machine footprint — lowering cost per tool without compromising precision.

MicroX: Purpose-built for micro tool production

GrindingHub visitors will have the chance to see the latest grinding results from the MicroX Ultra. With nanometre-resolution control, ANCA Machine Intelligence, and optimised kinematics that shorten grind paths in 5-axis interpolation, MicroX Ultra is engineered to deliver higher surface quality and cutting-edge consistency—helping manufacturers of micro endmills and drills improve tool performance while reducing variation across batches. Fast changeovers via the dual-ended grinding spindle and built-in ToolRoom/CIM3D capability support efficient setup and verification across a wide range of micro geometries, while in-process measurement and compensation, Motor Temperature Control (MTC) and an isolated grinder design increase thermal and vibration stability – translating into lower scrap rates, shorter warm-up time and more predictable output in the demanding micro-tool segment.

Mixed-batch agility and intelligent automation

As tool catalogues shrink and batch sizes decrease, rapid changeover becomes critical. ANCA’s automation portfolio addresses this through RFID-enabled loading, collet-changing solutions and flexible cell control that reduce operator intervention and work-in-progress.

These capabilities are further strengthened by AIMS, which connects production planning, operator guidance and compensation workflows into a unified digital ecosystem. By centralising manufacturing data and reducing manual file handling, AIMS improves traceability, supports consistent decision-making across shifts and enhances practical OEE by reducing downtime drivers.

At GrindingHub, see how ANCA’s connected workflow supports practical OEE by reducing downtime drivers such as manual checks, handling inefficiencies and repeated set-up steps. This objective helps toolmakers keep grinders running productively for longer, and to maintain process performance over time, not only at initial run-off.

Software optimisation for cost per tool

ToolRoom RN35 with Performance+ will be demonstrated at dedicated stations, highlighting feed rate optimisation and simulation-driven verification designed to reduce cycle time while maintaining controlled material removal.

With carbide costs amplifying the financial impact of scrap, simulation-first workflows help manufacturers achieve right-first-time results before committing high-value blanks to production.

Visit ANCA in Hall 7, Stand A70 to see how integrated machine capability, automation and connected software operate as a single production system — helping tool manufacturers reduce scrap, improve efficiency and safeguard profitability in uncertain times.