Tooling Intelligence reaps rewards at MACH 2026

Tooling Intelligence has reported a successful MACH 2026, using the UK’s flagship manufacturing exhibition at the Birmingham NEC to showcase its full range of technologies. The company’s solutions are designed to improve inventory control, eliminate inventory waste, reduce downtime and deliver measurable cost savings for UK manufacturers.

With UK manufacturers facing mounting pressure to improve operational efficiency whilst controlling costs, Tooling Intelligence’s offering addressed both challenges head-on. The company’s comprehensive range of solutions — from weight-based vending to electronic asset management — gives manufacturers real-time visibility, automated replenishment and detailed usage tracking that transforms inventory from a cost centre into a competitive advantage. With MACH attendees facing the rising costs of consumables such as cutting tools, inventory management was a key conversation at the show.

Commenting on the exhibition, Tooling Intelligence Managing Director Richard Swaffield said: “It was great to be back at MACH showcasing our inventory management solutions powered by SupplyPro. We were delighted to have a high volume of visitors to our stand to discuss how we can support them to solve their inventory control challenges. The remarkable rise in cutting tool prices, driven by global carbide costs, is just one example of everyday industrial consumables now requiring ever-tighter management. Overall, we’re extremely pleased with MACH, and with enquiries across our entire portfolio. We’re confident that the MACH audience is the perfect arena to find new partners and business.”

The SmartBin weight-based inventory management system was a definite crowd-pleaser. It offers control over fasteners, tools, welding supplies, PPE and critical components, with precision weight-sensing as an option. Available in four configurations with 30, 40, 50 and 64 SKUs, SmartBin replaces manual counting and provides real-time stock visibility. RFID badge access enables quick authorisation, while automated orders prevent stockouts and reduce emergency buying. For manufacturers facing inventory shrinkage or inaccurate records, SmartBin’s continuous monitoring ensures accountability and cuts costs, which certainly drew the attention of visitors at MACH.

The SmartDrawer vending solution attracted consistent interest at the show, offering high-capacity storage in a compact size with custom drawers and locations. It dispenses items from tools and abrasives to instruments and PPE, with individual item control. LED guiding and touchscreen allow quick transactions, and its modular design lets manufacturers scale capacity. Rapid refill enables fast restocking without repackaging, minimising administrative tasks and maximising uptime.

For managing critical assets such as power tools, laptops, calibrated instruments and rechargeable equipment, the SupplyVend asset management locker range attracted strong visitor engagement. These scalable, cost-effective lockers offer user access control, check-in/check-out, and full audit trails by product and user. Configurable from 11 to 77 compartments and capable of linking up to three auxiliary units to one main cabinet, SupplyVend helps prevent equipment from going missing or being misplaced by providing automated notifications for unreturned items.

The SupplyBay, a high-volume dispensing system designed for tough industrial settings, has a capacity of 400 pieces, supports 70 SKUs and includes built-in charging for electrical equipment. Its patented multi-motor rotation ensures reliable dispensing of larger, irregular items and requires only a power supply and a network for full cloud connectivity, making it especially useful for PPE, rechargeable devices, tooling and consumables.

All systems demonstrated at MACH 2026 run on Tooling Intelligence’s SupplySystem Intelligence Software (SSIS), a cloud platform that provides 24/7 access to scheduled reports, instant retrieval of transaction data and remote support from the company’s dedicated UK team, ensuring ongoing optimisation without disruptive site visits.

Richard Swaffield from Tooling Intelligence concluded: “MACH gave us access to manufacturers, tooling distributors and end users seeking to eliminate waste, improve accountability and gain real-time visibility across their inventory. Our solutions pay for themselves by reducing stockouts, lowering carrying costs and improving productivity. The cost pressures on SMEs have made our technology more critical than ever, and we look forward to the next MACH.”