JIMTOF 2026 Live Report: New Product Announcements Explained (Specs, Changes from Previous Models, How They Work, What They Mean)

Wire EDM cuts by firing a continuous stream of small sparks between a thin metal wire and the workpiece under water; the heat melts away the material a little at a time. Because nothing touches the part, hardened steel or carbide can be cut into fine shapes. The CUT P 350 uses wire from 0.05 to 0.30 mm in diameter and moves the X, Y table and the upper guide (U, V axes) in 0.1 µm steps. Offsetting the upper and lower guides tilts the wire, which allows tapers of up to ±30°.

A cylindrical grinder brings a fast-spinning wheel against a rotating workpiece to finish shaft and pin diameters and bores to micron-level size and roundness. On the S23 the wheelhead swivels automatically on a B axis (a rotary axis that turns the whole wheelhead), presenting the external and internal wheels in turn. Coordinating the workhead's C axis (which controls the part's rotation angle) with the wheel motion lets it grind non-round shapes such as cams and thread grooves. The base is mineral cast (stone aggregate bonded with resin), which STUDER says resists heat and vibration.

PCD (polycrystalline diamond) is an extremely hard material made by sintering diamond grains; it is brazed onto a carbide body to make cutting edges for machining aluminium or CFRP. Because it is too hard to grind easily, edges have usually been cut by wire EDM. The VISION LASER rotates the tool while a laser beam removes the diamond layer bit by bit to form the edge and rake face. The maker says chip breakers (grooves that break chips into short pieces) and concave internal contours can also be lasered.

JIMTOF is organized by the Japan Machine Tool Builders' Association (JMTBA) and Tokyo Big Sight, and has been held every two years since 1962. Booths are booked in units of 3 m × 3 m = 9 m². This edition overlaps with renovation work at the venue, so East Halls 4–6 are closed. That is why the exhibition area and booth count are smaller than last time.

A horizontal machining center has its spindle (the shaft that spins the tool) mounted sideways, and the pallet carrying the part moves during cutting. The INH 63 is a 5-axis machine with an A-axis that tilts the pallet and a B-axis that rotates it, so many faces can be cut in one setup. In the FD version the round table itself spins the part so a stationary tool can turn it, as on a lathe. DMG MORI says machining with the table inclined helps chips fall away and adds flexibility.

A mill-turn center is a lathe (which spins the part to cut it) with an added milling spindle, so turning and drilling or slotting are done on one machine. The NTX has a turn-mill spindle on a B-axis (an axis that swivels the tool spindle), so it can also cut angled holes and curved surfaces. A gantry loader is a robot running on rails above the machine that reaches in from the top to load and unload parts. GX Flex also carries chuck jaws and tools, so changeover work is done by the system.

The table that holds the workpiece does two jobs. For 5-axis machining it tilts and rotates so the tool can reach the part from many directions. For turning, the table itself spins like a lathe chuck while a turning tool held in the spindle cuts the outside or inside diameter. Tilting the A-axis (the tilting axis) lets it turn in a horizontal orientation as well as vertically. The HSK-T63 spindle nose is a tool-interface standard for multi-tasking machines, so drills, end mills and turning tools all fit the same spindle, and a brake locks the spindle so the turning tool does not move while cutting.

The two opposed spindles face each other: the part is cut while held on the left, then handed to the right so the back side can be machined. The tool spindle rotates cutters like a machining-center spindle and swaps them from the magazine by ATC (automatic tool changer). With no turret, the tool spindle is isolated from turret vibration and heat, which the company says helps keep positioning accurate. Chip-to-chip time is the gap between one tool finishing its cut and the next one starting, and the Chronocut α software trims idle moves and other waiting time.

In a vertical lathe the spindle points upward and the part lies flat on the chuck, so even a heavy part sits on the chuck under its own weight. The gantry loader is a handling unit running on a gate-shaped rail over the machine; it places the part on the chuck and takes it out when finished. Live tooling (driven drills and end mills on the turret) lets the same machine drill and mill after turning.

In a horizontal machining center the spindle lies sideways, so chips fall away easily. The a630iT carries both rotary axes on the table side: the A-axis, which tilts the part, is gear-driven, and the B-axis, which spins it, is a direct drive turned straight by its motor. Because the A-axis tilts as far as −195°, many faces and angled holes can be cut in one setup without re-clamping. The #50 taper spindle holds large, heavy tools for heavy cutting.

Physical AI means connecting AI that handles text and images to the control of machines that move in the real world, such as robots and machine tools. Built into a CNC (the controller that drives a machine tool numerically), AI can work out the tool's path through the material (the toolpath) or write a part program from an operator's plain-language instructions. Because the result is first tried on a digital twin, a virtual copy of the real machine, collisions and machining problems can be checked in advance. At IMTS 2026 FANUC also announced a demo in which a stopped machine examines the situation and recovers on its own.

The CNC is the machine tool's brain: it reads the program and tells each axis motor where to go and how fast. Because the 500i-A handles machining calculations and screen display on separate engines, operating the screen is less likely to delay axis control. It can handle up to 15 paths (independent programs running at the same time on one CNC) and up to 96 axes, so it suits mill-turn machines (machines that both turn and mill in one setup) and multi-axis special machines. The αi-D is a new generation of motors and amplifiers (the units that feed current to the motors); FANUC shows an example where faster communication roughly halves contour error and position error at axis reversal.

Two spindles face each other so the part can be handed over and both ends machined, while the tool spindle swaps cutters by ATC (automatic tool changer) and tilts on the B-axis (the swivel of the tool spindle). Hobbing turns a thread-like cutter (the hob) and the workpiece together at a fixed ratio so the teeth are generated a little at a time. Skiving spins a tilted gear-shaped cutter and the workpiece in sync at high speed to peel out the tooth spaces, and can also cut internal gears. Gear milling cuts one tooth space at a time with an end mill or similar tool; in every case the key is control that keeps the tool spindle and workpiece spindle exactly synchronized.

In a Swiss-type lathe the headstock grips the bar and moves it back and forth, while the tools cut right next to the guide bush, a sleeve that steadies the bar. Because cutting always happens close to that support, long slender parts deflect very little. For short parts the machine can switch to non-guide-bush mode, cutting the leftover bar end to about one third. The front tool post rides on slanted sliding guideways for rigidity, and thread whirling cuts threads with a ring carrying several inserts spinning at high speed.

An AMR (autonomous mobile robot) uses laser sensors to see walls and machines, works out its own position, and drives to its destination while avoiding people and obstacles. The AMR 1000 drives omnidirectionally and can rotate on the spot, so it works in narrow aisles. A vertical lifting axis raises pallets or chip buckets to carry them. It charges inductively from a floor unit without plugging in, and can receive transport orders automatically from a host computer.

Small parts are picked one at a time by a robot and loaded into the machine; complex parts that need fixtures travel on pallets with their fixtures. MATRIS WPH does both in one unit and stores fixtures of different sizes on adjustable shelves. DMG MORI says the setup station (where people mount parts and fixtures) is designed for easy work and the system is simple to operate. The DMC 65 monoBLOCK is a 5-axis machine with a one-piece (monoBLOCK) frame and a rotary tilting table that turns and tilts the part.

The probe sends ultrasound (sound too high-pitched to hear) into the part from its surface and calculates the thickness from the time it takes to bounce back from the opposite face. This means wall thickness can be measured even when only one side of the part is accessible. The probe is loaded into the spindle like a tool and sends the values to the CNC by radio, so a cut–measure–cut cycle can run without taking the part off the machine.

Laser cladding melts a thin layer of the part surface with a laser and feeds metal powder into the melt pool, building up a new metal layer (coating). The LC2000 is based on JTEKT’s proven G3 cylindrical grinder, with the laser unit integrated at the machine side. The part stays between centers: first the coating is built up, then the wheel grinds it to final size and finish, so re-clamping misalignment is avoided. JTEKT says commercially available metal powders can be used and it will co-develop powders with customers.

A cylindrical grinder spins a part held between two centers (pointed supports) and brings a high-speed grinding wheel against it to finish the outside diameter to micrometer accuracy. Long, heavy parts sag in the middle under their own weight and grinding force, so a steady rest supports them partway along; adjusting it has relied on skilled operators’ feel. On the G5 the machine adjusts the rest and measures the diameter, feeding results straight into the next grinding pass. The wheel spindle runs in STAT BEARING® hydrostatic bearings (supported on an oil film), and the slide ways are hand-scraped (a manual finishing method that makes surfaces flat).

Sinker EDM brings an electrode (copper or graphite) shaped as the negative of the target form close to the workpiece and melts the material away bit by bit with sparks, copying the shape. Accuracy and speed depend on holding a constant gap between electrode and workpiece and on lifting the electrode (a "jump") to flush out debris with fresh fluid. The SV-P adjusts the gap and jumps in real time with its Maisart AI and uses its own Thermal Buster technology to limit thermal growth of the machine.

Wire EDM cuts metal like a fret saw by firing a continuous stream of small sparks between a thin wire and the workpiece, melting the metal away. Discharge becomes unstable on stepped parts where the wire-guide nozzle sits far from the workpiece and at tight corners, so skilled operators have had to tune conditions. Maisart is Mitsubishi Electric's AI control that detects the discharge state and automatically optimizes speed and electrical energy; the MG broadens the materials it works on. When the wire will not thread easily, a bar moves back and forth to mimic a person's hand insertion.

Pitch accuracy is how precisely holes and features are spaced according to the drawing. ±1.0 μm means keeping the error to roughly one seventieth of a human hair (about 0.07 mm). A large-stroke machine can line up several plates on a wide table and cut them one after another in a single setup. Oil-type machines use oil rather than water as the dielectric, which generally makes it easier to avoid electrolytic surface damage on the workpiece, and they are used for ultra-precision work.

The insert and its seat in the tool body each carry fine saw-tooth ridges and grooves (serrations) on two faces, which interlock to hold the insert. Even under side loads, the insert cannot easily be pushed out of the seat sideways. A raised centre serration prevents incorrect installation. The insert is double-edged, and Precision cooling (small coolant outlets aimed at the rake and flank faces) cools the edge and controls chips.

A laser transmitter and receiver face each other inside the machine. A rotating tool is moved into the beam, and its length, diameter and any edge breakage are read from where the beam is interrupted. Instead of a simple blocked/clear signal, DIGILOG reads the change in light intensity as a continuous value several thousand times per second, so it can see each cutting edge and the runout (offset from the rotation centre). The effect of coolant or dirt stuck to the tool is excluded from the result.

A vertical machining center points its spindle downward and is the workhorse for cavity roughing and finishing in die/mold work. In finishing, the instant an axis reverses direction can leave a faint streak on the surface; Makino says the V600's revised feed mechanism and control reduce this. eSTABILIZER compensates for changes in machine posture as shop temperature shifts (thermal displacement), and the optional bed/column stabilizer fills the castings with a dedicated fluid to slow temperature swings. GI Smoothing limits over-cutting around corners and trims needless acceleration and deceleration.

Powder-laser metal AM blows metal powder from a nozzle into a laser spot, melting it and building up thin layers. Because the laser heats only a small area, Mazak says heat input to the base part and distortion stay small. The deposited metal is then turned and milled to shape on the same machine and finally ground (finished with an abrasive wheel) in a single clamping. Since the AM head is tilted for 5-axis work, a new nozzle keeps the powder stream from going lopsided when tilted.

A multi-tasking machine combines a lathe (which spins the work) and a machining center (which spins the tool). The j-300S NEO has two opposed spindles: after the main spindle machines the front, the part is handed to the second spindle so the back can be cut. The milling spindle tilts on the B-axis (a rotary axis that angles the tool) from −30° to +210° and, as standard, stops in 1° steps, so one tool can handle OD, face and angled work. Ai Thermal Shield uses temperature sensors to limit tool-tip drift.

A horizontal machining center has its spindle lying sideways. The MU-250H uses a trunnion table—a cradle that tilts, carrying a rotary table on top—to move the A-axis (tilt) and B-axis (rotation) together for 5-axis cutting. Its zero-backlash drive removes play in the gearing, so the frequent direction reversals of 5-axis work leave less error. In the loader-type AWC, an overhead loader with two hands pulls the finished part and places the next one in one sequence, drawing from a side store that holds up to 35 parts.

Coolant is a fluid concentrate diluted with water. Yushiro's own guidance says most water-soluble fluids are mildly alkaline at pH 8–10, that pH drops as the fluid spoils (so it is a useful indicator), and that low concentration can cause rust. ALFRED keeps measuring concentration and pH and shows the daily condition on a management screen. Yushiro says it can "automatically maintain" the coolant, but the measuring method and whether top-up is also automated have not been disclosed.

It is a shoulder milling cutter (for milling a wall and floor at a right angle) that also handles face milling and ramping (milling while descending at an angle). The V-shaped insert balances sharpness and edge strength, and a large-radius cutting edge finishes the floor and wall cleanly. The wiper edge (which smooths the floor) has a positive geometry to lower cutting forces. The body gives the insert a larger seating area and clamps it with a fine-pitch screw.

Grooving tools (which cut narrow grooves on a lathe) and parting tools (which cut a part off the bar) are long and slim, so side forces easily push the insert out of place. KGX supports the underside of the insert in a V-shaped seat so it cannot move sideways. The clamp bolt is tilted forward to lengthen the lever arm, giving a higher clamping force for the same tightening. The KGX-JCT version routes coolant through the holder and sprays it right at the cutting edge to break chips into short pieces.

An AWC (Automatic Workpiece holder Changer) stores “work holders”—each a part already mounted on its fixture—in a rack and swaps them in and out automatically. Because the fixture changes with the part, high-mix work doesn't multiply setup effort. The machine supports its spindle on a gantry-type structure, and the part sits on a trunnion table (a tilting cradle carrying a rotary table) that moves the A-axis (tilt) and C-axis (rotation). Five-Tuning II measures and corrects 5-axis geometric errors, such as offsets in the rotary-axis centers, using only a touch probe and a reference sphere; the Thermo-Friendly Concept keeps thermal growth small as room temperature changes.

A 30-taper spindle uses a small tool interface, which keeps moving parts light and fast. A turning spindle on the table side rotates the part for turning, while tools in the main spindle drill and mill (multi-tasking). The 64 tools come from a 21-tool turret magazine at the front and a 43-tool stocker set at 90 degrees to it, with Brother's own transfer mechanism passing tools between them. Oscillation cutting vibrates an axis slightly along the cutting direction, synchronized with the turning spindle, so chips break into short pieces; CTS (coolant-through-spindle) pumps coolant through the tool and out at the cutting edge.

A double-column machining center supports its spindle on a cross-rail spanning two columns that stand on either side of the table, so the machine straddles large workpieces like a gate. The distance between columns decides how wide a part can pass through. The FJV-45/65 widens this frame while keeping servo motors directly coupled to the ball screws and roller guides (rolling-element ways) on all axes. Ai Thermal Shield compensates for tool-tip drift using spindle speed and temperature-sensor data.

A Swiss-type or fixed-headstock lathe turns bar stock, but here it also carries a tool spindle with a B axis (a rotary axis that tilts the tool) and an ATC (automatic tool changer), so rotating tools can drill and mill. Moving the tilted B axis together with the other axes gives simultaneous 5-axis machining, so angled holes and curved surfaces can be finished on one machine. Small tools need high rpm to reach adequate cutting speed, hence the new gear speed-increasing mechanism. LFV is Citizen's technique of oscillating the tool slightly back and forth to break chips short, which keeps chips from tangling in angled holes.

A shoulder milling cutter machines a wall and floor at a right angle. The WEZ uses a small carbide insert only at the cutting edge, while the body is reused, so only the insert is replaced when worn. Compared with a solid end mill made entirely of carbide, it uses far less carbide, whose main raw material is tungsten. The same body takes either standard shoulder milling inserts or high-feed inserts, which cut at shallow depth with fast feed.

The X, Y and Z axes are driven directly by linear motors rather than ball screws, feeding at up to 50 m/min. The workpiece sits on a two-axis table turned by direct-drive (DD) motors, which rotate without reduction gears, and is tilted and rotated for 5-axis cutting; the table angle can be commanded in 0.0001° steps. FormEye measures the tool shape, VectPath corrects the tool path and ShapeEye measures the workpiece, so accuracy does not depend on a skilled operator's judgment.

All three axes are driven by linear motors (think of a rotary motor unrolled flat, pushing the axis directly in a straight line) instead of ball screws, so gap adjustment responds quickly and there is no contact wear to erode accuracy over time. ES Servo suppresses "hunting", the small continuous up-and-down oscillation of the electrode during machining, to keep flatness and surface roughness on target. The C and CR axes that rotate the electrode are stiffer, so even large electrodes for large-area work stay steady. Discharge control uses Sodick's Arcless 4.