Our credentials

A direct descendant of the original Sumitomo company started 400 years ago in the historical city of Kyoto Japan - Sumitomo Electric Hardmetal Corporation - is today a world leader in the development of high performance cutting tools for the metal cutting sector.

In 1928 Sumitomo Electric Industries - Japans biggest manufacturer of electric cables and wire products replaced steel drawing dies with those of hardmetal for the production of copper wire.

Hardmetal cutting tools were a natural progression in 1931 since when Sumitomo Electric has continued to maintain its lead as a market leader in cutting tool technology.

The remarkable consistency of Sumitomo hardmetal inserts received a boost in the early fifties when Sumitomo introduced the worlds first bumpy chip breaker, setting a global standard in chip breaking technology and making a significant contribution to the disciplines of unmanned machining.

Realising a combination of emerging technologies were key to higher productivity machining, Sumitomo Electric simultaneously developed new cutting materials, coatings, and chip breakers to pursue a concept of increased metal removal rates and extended tool life.

The potential to replace finish grinding operations with hard turning led to the development in 1977 of the first Sumiboron CBN inserts and the subsequent range of super hard material tools for hard and dry machining.

Feed rates and tool life were increased again in 1995 when Sumitomo introduced their ZX coating (a product of nano technology - 2000 layers in a coating less than 3 microns thick) leading to the introduction of high shear, wear resistant cutting tools.

Auroracoat cutting tools introduced in 2003 and capable of dry machining Aluminium added to the concept of high productivity tooling, which through the elimination of coolant reduces environmental pollution.

Today an expanding global infrastructure, developing technologies and specialised technical support provide machinists with cost effective solutions for metal cutting applications.