Discover the latest innovations in manufacturing technology at IMTS 2024. Next Generation Tooling proudly represents industry-leading companies like ARNO, BIG DAISHOWA, Platinum Tooling Technologies, Jergens Inc., and mPower by Modern Industries.

Each of these exhibitors will showcase groundbreaking products designed to enhance precision, efficiency, and productivity in machining and manufacturing.

IMTS 2024 is set to be a showcase of innovation and technological advancements in the manufacturing industry. If you're attending, be sure to visit the booths of the companies represented by Next Generation Tooling.

These industry leaders will be displaying their latest products, offering insights and solutions that can help your operations reach new heights. Here’s what you can expect from each of these key exhibitors:

ARNO Werkzeuge USA, LLC - Visit Booth
ARNO will showcase the latest in toolholding, turning, and milling solutions. One of the highlights will be their ACS cooling system, the patented cooling system for efficient parting off, grooving and groove turning with the SA and SE grooving systems. ARNO’s products are designed to deliver precision and reliability, making them an essential addition to any shop floor looking to improve performance and reduce downtime.

BIG DAISHOWA - Visit Booth
BIG DAISHOWA is set to impress with its range of high-precision tooling solutions, including the latest in tool holders, boring tools, and measuring systems. At IMTS 2024, they will introduce new innovations in tool holder technology, designed to enhance rigidity and precision in high-speed machining. BIG DAISHOWA's products are known for their exceptional quality and durability, making their booth a must-visit for those looking to optimize their manufacturing processes.

Platinum Tooling Technologies, Inc. - Visit Booth
Platinum Tooling Technologies will be showcasing their latest advancements in live tools, angle heads, and custom tooling solutions. Their offerings are engineered to meet the most demanding applications, providing high-performance solutions that can greatly improve efficiency and productivity. At IMTS 2024, attendees can expect to see demonstrations of their latest products in action, highlighting how these tools can help reduce cycle times and increase machine flexibility.

Jergens Inc. - Visit Booth
Jergens Inc. will be exhibiting their innovative workholding and lifting solutions, including the groundbreaking Fixture-Pro® 5-Axis Quick-Change System. This system allows for faster setups and changeovers, significantly improving machine utilization and throughput. Jergens’ focus on modularity and flexibility makes their products ideal for manufacturers looking to streamline operations and enhance productivity. Be sure to explore their latest offerings at IMTS 2024.

mPower by Modern Industries - Visit Booth
mPower by Modern Industries will be presenting their latest solutions in manufacturing tooling and components. Known for their high-quality production and custom solutions, mPower is focused on delivering products that meet the exacting demands of today’s manufacturing environments. At IMTS 2024, visitors can learn about their new advancements in tool design and material technology, which are aimed at improving tool life and machining efficiency.

These companies are at the forefront of manufacturing technology, and their exhibits at IMTS 2024 will provide valuable insights and solutions for anyone looking to improve their operations. Be sure to add these booths to your show planner and take advantage of the opportunity to see these cutting-edge technologies in person.

Whether you're looking for advanced toolholding systems, workholding solutions, or custom tooling options, these companies offer the solutions you need. Visit their booths at IMTS 2024 to see these technologies in action and learn how they can transform your operations. Add these must-see exhibitors to your IMTS show planner today

by Doug Sumner, BIG DAISHOWA—Americas

Successful shops always look for ways to differentiate and innovate for competitive advantage. Cashing in on the entirety of a tool’s life with an advanced tool management system is perhaps the most effective way to do that right now.

Go with me for a minute. Think of a single tooling component’s trip through a shop in terms of a life: it’s conceived when it’s ordered from a supplier and born and finds its way to the tool crib; it grows up in the bin and finds its perfect mate when it’s assembled; it does good work on the job, cutting metal and eventually rides off into the sunset, aka the scrap bin.
RIP tool. You lived a good life.

All kidding aside, notice how little of the tool’s journey through the shop is spent actually cutting metal? As in life, one’s career is just one of many factors in a happy life. In this case, the actual time the tool is cutting accounts for a fraction of its impact on the shop.

Acquisition, inventory management, assembly, travel across the floor, wear and dispensing of a tooling component, they all happen with a certain efficiency – or inefficiency – and have a value. Shops know how much of their purchasing budget goes to tooling, but few know how much value is gained or lost while it’s in the shop.

This is where tool management systems (TMS) come in. Every company has a TMS of some sort, whether it’s the tool room manager’s chicken scratch on a printed excel sheet or wirelessly tracking components as they move across a shop and automatically managing inventory based on their usage.

Based on my travels, the chicken scratch method, or some slight variation of it, is far more common today. But things are changing. The rise of Smart Manufacturing is exposing the immense savings available while the more connected floor is making them more accessible. It’s drawing a stark distinction between reactionary chicken scratch- and proactive hyper traceability-TMS. The risk of a reactionary system is finding out the value of the tool’s journey the hard way.

Consider the following scenarios. A job makes its way from engineering and planning to the tool room. They discover they don’t have a certain insert or have just enough to start, but not to finish, and the stock sits until the insert arrives.

​That’s wasted spindle time, perhaps delayed delivery – maybe even paychecks – because of a missing insert that costs a few bucks. The other side of that coin is ordering more cutters just because the bin looks low and not having a job in the pipeline that requires them. That’s cash burning a hole in the tool shelves.

If you have an offline tool measuring system, you’ve already taken the first steps toward more efficient tool management. Sure, tool presetters reduce setup time and tooling costs by eliminating error and adding precision, but now they can also act as a shop communication hub.

Our most sophisticated, and frankly most consistently successful customers, use Speroni tool presetters equipped with software that communicates with the engineer’s CAM software to verify length, diameter, create a G-Code and post process with the exact tooling values.

​This type of arrangement is just scratching the surface. And believe it or not, suppliers have been working to get us to where we are for decades. Our Italian partner, Speroni, started working with Fiat automotive manufacturing more than 30 years ago, connecting tool rooms to the rest of the manufacturing facility.

Today, most solutions are optimized for management, often without much flexibility to adapt to what’s happening on the floor or what may happen there next year.

​Having made our name in tooling – as far down in the weeds as you can get in a metalworking operation – we’ve worked with Speroni to apply a different philosophy to connectivity and traceability to our North American customers.

Our solution, Intelligo, focuses on where everything is happening: the shop floor. Its processes are fed by using devices that recognize components, cutting edges, tool assembly, carts, baskets, etc. through wireless systems (i.e. RFID or QR/barcode) as they travel the shop.

SPERONI INTELLIGO Tool Management Solution software allows you to comprehensively organize your tool assemblies, your individual components, plus your tool jobs and kits in a central knowledge database avoiding redundant data. 

Using a scalable software structure and local workstations, Intelligo links a company’s entire tool library, active or inactive, with the CAM, planning and measuring software and displays it in a 3D graphic interface for visual reference in real time. Visibility and tracking of the floor’s activity allows a shop to proactively manage consumable inventory, consumption and assembly, preventing downtime and enhancing profitability.

You can monitor how tools wear on certain jobs and adjust. Or, if duplicate machines deliver different productivity on the same job, you can easily identify the exact tools used and find out what’s causing the discrepancy and diagnose machine or spindle issues. It’s even possible to determine a machine tool’s consumption in terms of discarded components following a particular production process. That’s not to mention the opportunity floor-up tracking and data provides to optimize tool regrinds, QA, raw material, fixturing – even the scrap bin, since it’s a profit center.

​This level of TMS may be a world away from how most manufacturers operate today, but for most it’s not that far out of reach. Installation is hands-on and cooperative, and most shops do have the fundamental infrastructure to support it.

This train isn’t stopping. The technology is here, readily available and quickly making excuses like “it costs money and doesn’t make chips” or “this is the way we’ve always done it” obsolete. Shop and process connectivity is the direction metalworking is headed and I believe a floor-up approach is the best approach.
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Now is the most profitable time to get on board, before everyone else is. Successful shops are always looking for ways to differentiate and innovate, and cashing in on the entirety of a tool’s life with advanced TMS is perhaps the most effective way to do that right now.

Big Daishowa’s Speroni STP Essentia tool presetting and measuring system performs measurements next to machine tools.

The SPERONI STP ESSENTIA is the entry-level Tool Presetting and Measuring system. Its robust structure and user-friendly software interface allow customers to benefit from a basic, essential unit with a tangible, long-lasting performance.

The ESSENTIA enables users to measure tools offline and has user-friendly controls designed to optimize tool measurement operations. The MaxP runout function, base post processor and entry-level tool database are included in the Essentia control.
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Presetters measure the cutting edges of tools to ensure they match job specifications and are ready for use in the machine. Adjustments that could take up to 15 minutes can be made offline in less than one minute on a presetter, the company says, allowing the machine to continue cutting.

• Optimized all-in-one touchscreen operation
• Standard ISO 50 reduction system
• Ultra-light axis adjustment

With the SPERONI ESSENTIA, you can efficiently measure tools, easily and independently of the operator achieving full machining productivity. Robust, space-saving, and long-lasting, ready to deliver quality results right beside your CNC machine.

Hoffman Estates, IL - BIG DAISHOWA has expanded its lineup of Smart Damper-integrated products to include 318 Large Boring Systems and the CK1, CK2 and CKB3 systems.

The new 318 Smart Damper deep boring system is for fine or rough boring of diameters from 200-320mm (7.87-12.6") and uses the CKB7 connection to adapt to almost any machine.

​The integration of Smart Damper shortens the distance from the damping mechanism to the cutting edge, which is the source of vibration. This produces higher damping effects to the tool assembly to minimize vibration and achieve better surface finishes and improved metal removal rates. The 318 Series low weight and secure configuration make it well suited to high-speed operations (up to 6,600 SFM). 

Smart Damper SW Heads offer boring efficiency six times higher, twice the cutting depth and three times the cutting conditions of other rough boring heads. Now, the new Smart Damper SW head for the CK1, CK2 and CKB3 makes the CK modular precision tool system available for the full range of SW products. This makes SW heads more versatile than ever before—and boosts the already impressive stability of CK-compatible connections.
In all cases, BIG DAISHOWA’s Smart Damper technology makes boring quieter, more efficient and vibration-free. 

For more information about the 318 Large Boring Systems, click here. To learn more about the CK1, CK2 and CKB3 systems, click here.

As a member of the BIG DAISHOWA Group (Osaka, Japan), BIG DAISHOWA Inc. is a recognized global tooling provider, with manufacturing facilities in North America, Switzerland and Japan. BIG DAISHOWA is also the North American representative of Speroni tool measuring machines, Sphinx high performance drills, mptec measuring stands, Tekusa spindle cleaners and the UNILOCK zero-point workholding system.

Hoffman Estates, IL – For the second year in a row, customers who choose best-in-class cutting tools, tool holders and workholding products from BIG DAISHOWA will support their local manufacturing training programs at the same time.

From October 1–December 29, 2023, BIG DAISHOWA will once again donate a tooling certificate valued at 20 percent of every qualifying order to the buyer’s school of choice through the Tools for Schools program. Schools can redeem certificates for any BIG DAISHOWA product, including best-in-class tool holders, boring tools, cutting tools, workholding products and presetters.

Last year’s program was a resounding success!
BIG DAISHOWA issued nearly $30,000 in tooling certificates to high schools, vocational schools, colleges and universities. According to Jack Burley, President/COO of BIG DAISHOWA, it’s all in line with the company’s overall mission to support a new generation of skilled workers.

“We are committed to workforce development. This program allows our customers to support local communities by providing their future workforce with the same tools they use in their shops,” said Burley.

To participate in the program is as simple as 1-2-3:

1. The qualifying minimum order is $5,000 (earning a $1,000 tooling certificate).
2. Place the order through your local distributor and request “Drop-ship from BIG DAISHOWA.”
3. Reference “PROMO-BD-SCHOOLS” as a line item on your order.

Burley says that every dollar spent helps students develop skills they can apply in their careers. “By using BIG DAISHOWA tooling in school, students gain experience with the same tools they will use as future engineers and machinists.”

BIG DAISHOWA offers nine product lines of precision tooling, workholding, and tool management systems aimed at reducing both the overall process time and the cost per part. 

Popular products include face mill holders, end mill holders, collet chucks, angle heads and tapping adaptors. The world-leading KAISER Boring System, high-performance Sphinx Drills and UNILOCK Workholding systems are also available, as are CAT, BT, HSK and BIG Capto systems.

If your machine is equipped with a BIG-PLUS spindle, remember that BIG DAISHOWA is the officially licensed provider of BIG-PLUS tool holders in North America. Don’t accept any substitute dual-contact products on your valuable machines.

Hoffman Estates, IL - BIG DAISHOWA has released two new upgrades to its Base Master measuring devices. The first upgrade spans the lineup and replaces a single LED indicator with a 360-degree light, making it easy for operators to see contact from any orientation. 

Also, the Base Master Mini is now available with a side handle that makes negotiating limited-access lathes easier. The Base Master Mini’s compact design makes it fast and easy to use while providing extremely accurate results. With a standard height of only 20mm (.787 in.), it’s ideal for small Swiss lathes and tight spaces. 

Hoffman Estates, IL – Choose best-in-class cutting tools, tool holders and workholding products from BIG DAISHOWA and support your local manufacturing training programs at the same time.

From November 1 to December 30, 2022, BIG DAISHOWA will donate a tooling certificate valued at 20 percent of every order from an NTMA member company to the buyer’s school of choice. 

“This is a way for us to support our partners and customers in the NTMA and continue to show our commitment to workforce development,” said Jack Burley, president & COO of BIG DAISHOWA Americas. “When buyers select their favorite local school programs, they are sending resources to train their own future machinists and engineers.” 

1. The qualifying minimum order is $5,000 (earning a $1,000 tooling certificate).  
2. Place the order through your local distributor and request “Drop-ship from BIG DAISHOWA.”
3. Reference “PROMO-BD-SCHOOLS” as a line item on your order.

“We’ve been active in NTMA for many years. Our objective is to advise members on applying technology to reduce set ups and cycle times, improve part finishes, and lower costs through longer tool life. I hope this special promotion will be an incentive for those who have not tried our products yet,” Burley said.  

BIG DAISHOWA offers nine products lines of precision tooling, workholding, and tool management systems aimed at reducing both the overall process time and the cost per part. 

Popular products include face mill holders, end mill holders, collet chucks, angle heads and tapping adaptors. The world-leading KAISER Boring System, high-performance Sphinx Drills and UNILOCK Workholding systems are also available, as are CAT, BT, HSK and BIG Capto systems. 
​
If your machine is equipped with a BIG-PLUS spindle, remember that BIG DAISHOWA is the official licensed provider of BIG-PLUS tool holders in North America. Don’t accept any substitute dual contact products on your valuable machines.


As a member of the BIG DAISHOWA Group (Osaka, Japan), BIG DAISHOWA Inc. has grown into a recognized global tooling provider, with manufacturing facilities in North America, Switzerland and Japan. In addition, BIG DAISHOWA is the North American representative of Speroni tool measuring machines, Sphinx high-performance drills, mptec measuring stands, Tekusa spindle cleaners and the UNILOCK zero-point workholding system.