Manufacturing has moved on from simple cutting tools; your customers expect you to create high-quality tools from top-end materials with little room for error. The industry is focused now on the end-to-end process, from sourcing the best materials to providing the best customer experience, and that relies on networked machines and devices. As expectations for cutting tools have changed, so has the equipment you use to stay competitive. The types of CNC machines you use can make or break your position in your toolmaking niche.

Future factories need software and hardware 

You may have heard of toasters that know when we’re running out of bread, or devices that know they need servicing before we do. They are the cheap thrills of the internet of things (IoT). But your factory can also benefit substantially from the IoT, whether it’s predicting when a machine needs to be serviced, monitoring its performance, or noticing when stock levels are low. (And, maybe, adding a USB-connected sandwich press to the lunchroom.)

 …