In today's labor competitive machining environment, productivity is still all about spindle uptime. When your spindle isn’t turning, your shop is losing money. That downtime—whether it’s during tool setup, part changeover, or job prep—translates directly into delayed output, higher operating costs, and lower profit margins.

HAIMER, a global leader in precision tool holding, presetting and balancing, is offering WinTool software to U.S. manufacturers. Together, HAIMER and WinTool deliver a fully integrated tool and data management system that’s designed to help shops minimize downtime and keep spindles running.

The Five Keys to Unlocking Spindle Uptime
To increase spindle utilization and streamline machining operations, manufacturers need to focus on:

1. Optimizing production schedules
2. Writing efficient NC programs to reduce cycle time
3. Minimizing setup time for fixtures and tools
4. Eliminating production prep delays
5. Speeding up tool and part changeovers

HAIMER’s lineup of tool presetters, balancing machines, and toolholders—now backed by WinTool’s powerful CNC data management—makes it possible to address all five of these areas with a single solution.

Custom-Fit for Your Shop’s Needs
Whether you’re a high-volume production facility focused on automated throughput or a job shop juggling small-batch work and rapid changeovers, the path to efficiency looks different for everyone. HAIMER USA, now the exclusive distributor of WinTool in the U.S., offers the tools to meet those unique needs.

By combining HAIMER Tool Management 4.0 with WinTool’s centralized data system, shops can bring together CNC programming, CAM software, presetters, and storage solutions into one cohesive workflow.

Eliminating the Workflow Bottleneck
One of the biggest obstacles manufacturers face is fragmented information. R&D, production, programming, and quality often work with separate software systems and databases—ERP, CAM, machine controls, presetters—all of which rarely communicate. The result? Bottlenecks that delay ROI and choke productivity.

HAIMER’s integrated solution tackles this issue head-on. With a complete portfolio of toolholding, balancing, and presetting equipment, combined with WinTool’s Production Resource and Tool (PRT) Management, shops gain the ability to bridge departmental silos and streamline the entire machining process.

Results That Speak for Themselves
At HAIMER’s own manufacturing facility in Germany, the team uses WinTool every day to support the production of up to 4,000 tool holders. After implementing WinTool internally—well before offering it commercially—they saw immediate results. In just four months, WinTool was fully operational. Within the first year, the facility reduced cutting tool costs by over $300,000 through better visibility into tool inventory, locations, and life cycles.
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Those savings continue to grow as WinTool’s PRT system enables deeper integration and smarter resource allocation across departments.

Centralized Data for Smarter Manufacturing
The power of PRT management lies in its ability to centralize all tool and production data into one master database. From digital NC folders to integrated CAM and presetting systems, WinTool and HAIMER offer:

• Real-time tool availability and usage tracking
• Seamless integration with your CAM and automation equipment
• Standardized documentation for consistency and traceability

This tight integration allows for faster job setup, more accurate tool prep, and more efficient changeovers—getting your machines back to cutting sooner.

Get the Most Out of Your CNC Investment
​When every second of spindle time counts, HAIMER and WinTool give you the tools to make them count. Their joint solution eliminates inefficiencies, reduces costs, and helps unlock the full potential of your CNC equipment.

To learn more about how HAIMER and WinTool can help your shop increase spindle utilization and drive smarter production, get in contact with one of our Browne & Co team and we'll get into the details with you!

Zero Gravity is a premier designer and manufacturer of optic integration systems based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Specializing in precision-engineered scope mounts, the company offers innovative solutions tailored to meet the exacting demands of shooting enthusiasts and professionals.

Their flagship product line, the SUMMIT Magnified Optic Mounts, features double-hinged, keyed scope rings that provide 360-degree contact with the scope tube. This design eliminates distortion caused by gaps in standard split-cap mounts, ensuring optimal performance and accuracy.

“Tool life and surface finish are extremely important to us, and the HAIMER tool holders make achieving those objectives easy,” Morgan added. By leveraging HAIMER’s solutions, Zero Gravity not only improved part quality but also streamlined their manufacturing process, proving the value of precision engineering and advanced technology.

Efficiency and precision are paramount in today's manufacturing landscape. One area that remains a big opportunity for shops to increase their bottom line profitability is to implement offline tool presetting.  Only about 30% of machine shops have adopted this technology and it really should be about as common as a vise or a boring head in every shop because it can make you money!

Why Preset Tools Outside the Machine Tool?
The practice of presetting tools outside the machine tool offers numerous advantages over traditional in-machine setup methods. Let's start with the dollars and cents. When tools are preset outside the machine, the machine tool can continue operating, and not interrupting production. This ensures that your CNC milling machine is utilized for what it's designed for—making parts—not sitting idle during tool setups. This approach not only maximizes machine uptime but also significantly enhances productivity by eliminating non-productive setup time.

Offline presetters are equipped to measure tools with high precision, typically achieving accuracies of at least ±2µm, which ensures that tools start producing parts within dimensional tolerances immediately, without the need for test cuts that do nothing more than produce scrap and chips. This level of precision is crucial for maintaining consistent production quality and minimizing tool wear and potential damage to the machine or workpiece​.

Advanced Features of Offline Presetters
High-end offline presetters, like those from HAIMER, come with  features that amplify their utility in a modern shop floor. For example, they often include integrated computers with user-friendly software that guides the operator through complex measurement programs. This capability not only simplifies the task for operators of any skill level but also allows for the storage and recall of tool data, ensuring repeatability and reducing the risk of errors during production runs​.

The Haimer VIO series exemplifies versatility and high-tech sophistication, making it suitable for complex and varied manufacturing requirements. It offers a seamless interface that simplifies operations while ensuring the highest standards of accuracy ad can even integrate shrink fit capabilities.  On the other hand, the Haimer UNO series, starting with its benchtop variant presents a more economical solution without compromising quality, ideal for straightforward applications.

Most importantly, these presetters can perform comprehensive inspections of the tool's geometry, which is crucial for catching any potential issues before they result in machine downtime or defective products. This preemptive capability can translate into substantial cost savings and more efficient material use​.

Economic Impact
The economic benefits of investing in an offline tool presetter are significant. While the initial investment may seem substantial, the return on investment can be rapid. Shops have reported that presetters pay for themselves within days to months by drastically reducing machine downtime and scrap while increasing throughput​.

Given these substantial benefits, the question isn't whether to invest in an offline tool presetter, but rather how quickly your shop can be integrate a presetter into existing operations. The strategic deployment of this technology not only streamlines production but also enhances the overall agility and competitiveness of manufacturing operations.

For more details on how tool presetting can enhance your manufacturing efficiency, exploring further resources on this subject would be beneficial get in touch with the team at Browne Sales

The team at Browne & Co are excited to invite you to join us at IMTS 2024, which will be held from September 9-14 at McCormick Place in Chicago. This premier event is a vital opportunity to explore the latest advancements in manufacturing technology, network with industry leaders, and discover innovative solutions that can enhance your operations. There will be participation of several of our key principals at the upcoming show.

Dümmel (Booth: 431481)
As part of Everede's booth, Dümmel will be showcasing their exceptional micro-cutting tools, which are ideal for small-part machining and fine-detail work. Dümmel's product range is designed to meet the highest standards of precision and reliability, ensuring optimal performance in intricate machining tasks.

Everede Tool Company (Booth: 431481)
Everede Tool Company will be showcasing their advanced cutting tools, including indexable tools, boring bars, and other precision cutting instruments. Everede is known for producing high-quality tools that provide superior performance and durability. Their products are designed to meet the rigorous demands of modern machining, offering solutions that increase efficiency and precision in manufacturing processes.

Haimer USA (Booth: 431510)
Haimer will be showcasing their industry-leading tool-holding systems, including shrink-fit technology and high-performance balancing machines. These products are known for their ability to improve machining accuracy, reduce vibration, and extend tool life, ultimately boosting overall efficiency in manufacturing environments. Additionally, Haimer's Power Clamp and Tool Dynamic series provide unmatched reliability in tool clamping and balancing, ensuring top-tier production quality.

Nine9 (Booth: 431481)
Also as part of Everede's booth, Nine9 will be exhibiting their innovative cutting tools that are designed to streamline complex machining processes. Highlighted products include the NC Helix Drill, which ramps at 20° angles, enabling the production of multiple features with a single tool, and the i-Center indexable center drill, which offers extreme repeatability and precision.

Precision Brand Products (Booth: 431781)
Precision Brand will display an extensive array of shim products, toolroom supplies, and maintenance tools at their IMTS booth. Their offerings include slotted shim kits, feeler gauge assortments, and stainless-steel shim stock, all of which are critical components in achieving exact measurements and ensuring the longevity of machinery.

IMTS 2024 is the ideal venue to explore these innovative products and speak directly with the experts who design and produce them. We strongly encourage you to add these booths to your IMTS show planner and take advantage of the opportunity to engage with the cutting-edge technologies that can propel your business forward.

For more information and to plan your visit, please visit IMTS 2024​

Let us know if you will be going and we can join you at one of our principals booths!!

Chardon, OH. - Browne & Company, a leader in the metalworking industry, is proud to announce the grand opening of its new Metalworking Technology Center in Northeast Ohio. This state-of-the-art facility is set to revolutionize the metalworking sector with its cutting-edge technology and tooling, provided by the renowned Haimer presetting and shrink fit tooling. 

​You can also find the latest high performance cutting tools displayed from Fullerton Tool, Regal Cutting Tools, Rocky Mountain Twist Drill, The Everede Family of tooling, Dapra, and others. 

The Technology Center is designed to meet the growing demands for higher precision, efficiency, and performance in metalworking. It is equipped with the latest advancements in Haimer technology and tooling, ensuring consistent set-up, unsurpassed machining accuracy, better tool life, and improved part finishes. The center represents a significant investment in innovation and demonstrates Browne & Company's commitment to advancing the metalworking industry.

"We are excited to unveil our new Technology Center, which symbolizes our dedication to providing the best in metalworking solutions," said Dave Browne, President of Browne & Company. "This facility not only showcases the latest in technology and tooling but also serves as a hub for innovation, collaboration, and education."

Schedule a Demonstration
Don't miss the opportunity to experience the latest in metalworking technology and innovation. Click the button below to schedule a demonstration with our team and discover how Browne & Company can elevate your metalworking projects.

About Browne & Company
Browne & Company has been at the forefront of the metalworking industry, offering innovative solutions and high-quality tooling to clients across various sectors. With a focus on precision, efficiency, and reliability, Browne & Company continues to lead the way in metalworking technology and services.

If you would like to learn more about any of Haimer's World Class products, please reach out to a member of our team in the Ohio, Western PA, or Kentucky areas with a click of the button below.

HAIMER, an innovative global player in tool management for machine tools, is convinced that production engineering will be determined by automation and digitization in the future.

​This development is an established part of the company's own production and has accordingly also found its way into the product range from i4.0-capable machines to the HAIMER Automation Cube robot cell, which can be scaled according tocustomer’s request and is suitable for automated shrinking, presetting and balancing.
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Efficient machining demands powerful machines and tools “as well as high-precision tool holding technology which ensures that the precision of the spindle is transferred to the cutting edge,” says Andreas Haimer.

This is the sort of statement you would expect from the Managing Director of Haimer GmbH and President of the HAIMER Group, the worldwide leading manufacturer in the field of tool holding. But it is not simply a marketing slogan – there are many years of experience behind it. HAIMER started off 45 years ago as a machine shop for the aerospace industry and soon started to develop high-precision toolholders for their own use.
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HAIMER also has many years of experience in automation. The Bavarian family company made the decision to equip their first machine tools with robots for loading and unloading over 20 years ago. Since then, automation at HAIMER has advanced swiftly, as evidenced by their manufacturing facilities at their headquarters in Igenhausen or in Motzenhofen, just 3 miles away. The Motzenhofen production plant in particular, which has been operating since 2018, has been equipped from the beginning with numerous automated machining centers in recent years.

Andreas Haimer stresses: “If, like us, you depend on a very high level of in-house production completely ‘made in Germany’, there is no way you can avoid extensive digitization and automation. Otherwise we would not be able to keep up economically with our global competition.”
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Soft machining of the tool holders is carried out in Motzenhofen alongside all precision components for shrink fit and balancing machines including accessories. Up to 4,000 rotating tool holders can be turned and milled there per day before heat treatment, followed by µm-precise grinding at the headquarters in Igenhausen. Fine balancing is also carried out in Igenhausen – using systems that have been developed in-house and are fully automated.

Back to Motzenhofen: Amongst others, HAIMER operates a fully automated manufacturing cell with several five-axis DMG MORI MILLTAP 700 machines. 


These highly dynamic vertical machining centers, which were installed at the beginning of 2019, are perfect for boring and milling components such as the BT30 or the SK30 steep taper tool holders. Manfred Mayr, who completed his apprenticeship at HAIMER over 40 years ago and is now responsible for around 100 machine tools as the plant and production manager, explains:

“Here we use a simple plug & play complete solution, which includes a fully automated loading and unloading system using a KUKA robot. Blanks and the machined parts are placed in three drawers, each of which has around 78 positions. This ensures that unmanned production is possible for a minimum of eight hours up to 20 hours.”

The automation of four identical DMG MORI NHX4000 machining centers, which are equipped with a pallet pool FMS system, is considerably more demanding, as Manfred Mayr describes:

“There are twelve pallets, each with 400 places, ready to process various components. This provides us with ideal flexibility, also when it comes to smaller batch sizes and short-notice changes in the production flow.”

​The machines generally work highly productively and trouble-free in a 3-shift operation, supervised by just one employee. In order to operate the machines as autonomously as possible with a large variety of products, HAIMER had the machines equipped with a tool magazine with 183 tool pots. 

Manfred Mayr considers the fact that all tools for these machines are equipped with an RFID chip on the tool holder to be a key factor of success. They are read in at a dedicated station when they are changed into the magazine. This means the control receives the correct tool data digitally from the HAIMER Microset VIO linear presetter. This completely eliminates any input errors or mix-ups.

A key basic requirement for economic operation of the NHX and all other machine tools – according to the plant manager – is a perfectly operating and well organized tool room:

This technology represents a central component of our expertise. Of course we use our own products here – from shrink fit, balancing and presetting machines to tool holders and cutting tools. This enables end-to-end digitization all the way to the machine, which is an essential component for automated, economic manufacturing operations.” 

This means that all tools for milling and turning machines are centrally prepared and managed in the tool room. They are mounted, shrunk, measured, and balanced – and all data is digitally recorded. This either takes place on the aforementioned RFID chips, by means of digital interfaces, such as post processors, or via a QR code. Only then they are packed onto special tool wagons as required, where the machine operator can pick them up for their machine. This eliminates extra walking throughout the shop.

​“Only with optimal tool presetting room, the machines run and not the employee,” is Plant Manager Mayr’s credo.

The digitization of the production processes represents a key factor for success not only for HAIMER but for every company. “As the tool with its specific data is a central component of the process chain for machining, it needs to fit into the digital production environment,” explains Andreas Haimer. This includes the consistent implementation of all digital options – from the tool itself, the tool holder including the clamping process, the balancing to the tool presetting, and the use on the machine.

Especially when making new investments, the user should ensure that every element in the tool environment is Industry 4.0 capable and can be incorporated into the digital workflow, advises Andreas Haimer:

“Our products are fully prepared for digital production. We have even developed our own tool management software, the HAIMER Data Analyzer and Controller (DAC), which establishes and manages the exchange between the actual and target values along with other tool data between the individual stations in the tool room and the company network. Our equipment in the Industry 4.0 series are prepared for automation with modern digital features and interfaces. Moreover, they have been designed to be robust with a long service life, which is a guarantee of the highest process reliability – a decisive factor for successful automation.”

HAIMER supports a wide range of automation models with its products. The range starts with individual machines which combine several work steps, such as the presetter HAIMER Microset VIO linear toolshrink.

​It is capable of shrinking tools with a length adjustment on the μm scale and at the same time measuring the tool. Amongst other things, it is ideal for sister tools, which always need to be shrunk to the same dimensions. Their use in series production or in multi-spindle machines promises to increase process reliability and minimize setup times.

Just last year at the EMO Milano, HAIMER presented a much more far-reaching solution: the HAIMER Shrink Automation Cube. This automated shrink station contains a cobot, that supports shrinking and unshrinking of tools with highly accurate length repeatability.

The cell is scalable according to the customer’s requirements. This means the cube is controlled by the HAIMER DAC Tool Management and HAIMER presetting and balancing technology can be integrated in the Automation Cube. A scanner for reading out unique tool combinations and a conveyor belt that is variable in lengths are also available.

Such equipment allows the following procedure to be carried out, for example: The operator places the worn complete tool assembly (consisting of tool holder and cutting tool) on the conveyor belt and provides a new cutting tool. The cobot picks up the complete tool holder assembly and identifies it via its unique data matrix code (optionally via RFID).

It then picks up the new cutting tool and measures the cutting edge. In the meantime, the coil moves onto the worn complete tool holder assembly, unshrinks the old cutting tool and then shrinks in the new one to the required projection length. After air cooling, the new complete tool is ready for use. The old cutting tool is disposed of.

Andreas Haimer is convinced:  “This automation solution is suitable for companies that perform a very large number of shrink operations every day.”

Especially if there is only limited automation expertise in the company, a complete solution like this from a single source is a good idea. Andreas Haimer also points out that HAIMER components can be integrated into almost any existing automation environment: “We are also happy to partner on larger automation projects.”

If you're making plans to attend IMTS, be sure and add this group of terrific manufacturers to your your show planner!  Just click on the name, building location or image and you can add them to your "MyShowPlanner"
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IMTS Booth:  West Building, Level 3 — 431585 — Tooling & Workholding Systems

ARNO FAST CHANGE: Make More Parts Per Shift On Your Swiss Machine
How do you increase spindle up-time on your sliding head Swiss lathe?

1. Reduce tool change times from 7 minutes or more per tool to less than a minute. ARNO’s split shank tool holders allow you to quickly and accurately change tools and get your spindle going again without re-qualifying the zero point.
2. Dismount the tool holder with an easy half turn of the self-releasing wedge clamps. Presently you’re probably spending a lot of time freeing your tool holders from wedge clamps that bind and need coaxed out of position with a mallet or a screw driver. ARNO’s tool change is 100% hassle free so you can get back to dropping parts on the conveyor.
3. Increase tool life with powerful accurate through the tool coolant. The ARNO FAST CHANGE tools can deliver coolant directly to the cutting edge without the need for external coolant lines or spigots that constantly need adjusting.
4. Eliminate bulky high-pressure lines and coolant tubes that occlude your already cramped machining environment. The ARNO FAST CHANGE gang plate is plumbed internally, like a manifold, so there are no external coolant lines. Your machinist will spend less time cleaning dripping oil and chips and more time closing the door and pressing the cycle start button.

ARNO FAST CHANGE… the revolution in Swiss machine productivity

 ​IMTS Booth: West Building, Level 3 — 431452 — Tooling & Workholding Systems

 ​IMTS Booth: West Building, Level 3 — 432234 — Tooling & Workholding Systems

Everede is a Manufacturer of Indexable Boring Bars and Inserts. 
Catalog includes Steel, Carbide, Carbide Bars andmore 
Exclusive USA representative for Nine9 and Duemmel.
Nine9 manufacturer’s high quality unique indexable Engraving, Spotting...
Duemmel manufacturer’s high quality Indexable carbide cutting tools for micro boring, grooving

HAIMER is a first class German Tool Holder manufacturer. From the basics of face-mill arbors and ER collet chucks, all the way up to High Precision Collet and Shrink Fit Chucks, HAIMER has the tools necessary to satisfy and exceed your machining center needs. Their product line includes the most extensive taper and size offerings from any HSK, CAT, BT, SK, PSC and KM tapers to any inch or metric size available. Their product portfolio, which also holds shrink fit, presetting & balancing machines, 3D-sensors, and cutting tools, addresses the machining process from spindle to part, giving the customer a complete machining solution.

 ​IMTS Booth: West Building, Level 3 — 432280 — Tooling & Workholding Systems

For over 75 years, Precision Brand Products has been the benchmark for toolroom products. Our product line of over 2800 products, including shim stock, feeler gauges, key stock, hose clamps and more, has kept pace with the changes and advances in manufacturing technology and methods worldwide.

​Titan from Titans of CNC visited HAIMER in Germany three weeks ago for a full day of filming and we made an in depth factory video tour (first ever with camera’s allowed!).

​The official video is out now on YouTube and within 5 hours it already had more than 10,000 views, over 900 likes and 90 comments:

#Qualitywins

Omega Tool, Inc. is an extremely high precision, plastic injection mold builder, established in 1954 in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. They design and manufacture small to medium sized plastic injection molds primarily for the medical, packaging and light industrial industries.

Like any other company, Omega Tool, Inc. tried to lower upfront costs by investing in lower quality shrink fit tool holders in order to maintain competitive pricing against its competitors. However, they quickly learned saving money at first does not mean they will continue to save over the long run.

“The other brands all tend to have a life expectancy, especially with the smaller diameters,” Randy Lee Meissner, Vice President of Operations at Omega Tool, Inc., explains. “Too many times I’ve had tooling that wouldn’t release from the shrink fit tool holder. I attribute this to the competitors using inferior steel and looser tolerances.” 

The shrink fit system Omega Tool, Inc. was using before involved submerging the heated tool holder in a bucket of coolant. This was also contributing to the shorter tool holder life because the coolant shocks the system and it is very messy.
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When Omega Tool, Inc. decided it was time to invest in another tool holder and shrink fit system, they didn’t have to look far. “I have known of HAIMER tooling for quite some time,” Randy describes.

“The reason for switching was simple…quality! There isn’t a tool holder on the market that has the consistent repeatability of a HAIMER tool holder.”

The Omega Tool, Inc. team decided to purchase two HAIMER Power Clamp Special Edition shrink fit machines.

After using the HAIMER Power Clamp Special Edition for a while, Omega Tool, Inc. started to notice how consistent the machine can set up tools, which is a unique benefit of the HAIMER shrink fit system. Regardless of the operator and their experience level, Omega Tool, Inc. received repeatable uniformity in tooling setup and equally consistent results. HAIMER guarantees < 3μm run-out at 3xD and this degree of accuracy is consistently repeatable for any number of operators from shift to shift. “The cooling time, the heating time…it is all so consistent,” states Randy.

 “We consider the HAIMER Power Clamp Special Edition such a workhorse because it has never broken.” 
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At Omega Tool, Inc., being average is never an option. “Our whole shop is focused around being perfect in everything we do,” explains Randy. “The look here is as important as the product we produce and HAIMER tooling is a crucial component to make things perfect.” The company depends on the HAIMER quality in order to achieve the high standards they set for themselves. 

Now when someone at Omega Tool, Inc. needs additional tooling, he simply sends Randy the HAIMER part number.

“There is no comparison to what we were using to the HAIMER product,” describes Randy. “Whenever someone asks about our tooling, at a trade show or at work, I always lead with HAIMER.”