View cart 0

There's a grinding buzz happening - join the Cutter Grinders Forum

Read this in your language
  • 简体中文
  • Français
  • Deutsch
  • Italiano
  • 日本語
  • 한국어
  • Polski
  • Español

Receive ANCA news direct to your inbox

Stay updated on the latest tips and technology

Subscribe

Privacy Policy

Innovation is anything, but business as usual. [Anonymous]
 

The Cutter Grinder Facebook Forum launched late last year and is already a success with over 150 people joining so far. It seems tools are getting social with a group of likeminded grinders coming together to share ideas, tips and ask questions on how to grind the perfect tool. Sharing this knowledge is an important way to ensure our industry continues to develop and find new and better ways and is a fun way to connect and make new friends.

Alfred Lyon of AB Tools is already a superstar in the tool and cutter grinding social world with one of his Instagram videos being viewed over 80,000 times. His openness and commitment to enhancing the grinding sector has seen his company increase sales and build new relationships that have opened doors never thought possible.

Alfred launched the forum and we asked him why. “I decided to start the forum for a couple of reasons. First off, I started my career as a machinist and continue to machine as much as possible even though I have technically been a tool grinder for the last 30 years. It is a strong passion of mine and I think of tool making as a work of art, not just a manufacturing process.

To share my knowledge built up over 30 years in the industry I get involved in a few Machinist groups on social media and post cutters from time to time. Unexpectedly this has resulted in me building a reputation as someone who knows a lot about grinding in our manufacturing community. You hear all the social buzz words like ‘influencers’ in consumer sectors but I have firsthand experience that this is true for our industry as well – we have a lot to talk about.

I know I am not the only grinder hanging out in the machining world and a fellow tool maker asked me if I knew of any groups specifically on cutting tools on Facebook. I told him that I would check and I couldn’t find any so I launched one!

The goal of the group is to learn from each other. As an industry, we have so much to share from practicing the tool grinding craft for many years. I honestly believe that by collaborating together we will find even better solutions for our customers and all benefit.

I intentionally keep the tone of the forum light and the only requirement from participants is that there are no overt sales attempts from cutting tool companies or grinder manufacturers. I want this to be a place where people can pick up new ideas or learn – not be sold to. In saying that I actively encourage machine tool companies to be a part of the forum to share their expertise. And these members can also help trouble shoot problems tool makers might encounter, which I am seeing happen already, myself included.

I am also very pleased that we have forum members who grind manually as this is how I started. We even have a few hobbyist and machinist that grind cutters in their machine shops. It is a closed group, only so my family and friends do not have to be bored with my work stuff, but it is very easy to join and I have not had to turn anyone away.”

Click here to join the forum and get ready to start sharing ideas and tips. 

If you haven’t seen it ANCA has also launched #ToolTipTuesday which you can see on our LinkedIn, Facebook or Instagram accounts. The aim of this campaign is to help our customers succeed and get the best out of their machine and we welcome any questions or ideas to be emailed to marketing@anca.com

24 April 2019