Optima and Maxima are 5 axis tool grinders and Maxima is more popular. Most tool manufacturing in India starts with the small scale industry. They start with conventional tool grinding, manual machines, etc. And buying a 5 axis CNC machine is a big jump for them. “We have to make a machine that could contain lesser features, but perfect on quality. Optima is that stepping stone. The RoI is two years and then the buyer goes to the next level. The V2 Advanced Maxima is a 5 axis single spindle high precision tool grinding machine. This machine is optimised for grinding diameter range from 2mm to 20mm solid carbide, in multiple settings. We have more than 120 machines in India and about 70-80% of our customers are graduating to the next level,” says Santosh Prabhu, managing partner, Tool Grinding Technologies.
The company takes about three months to put a machine together. It has recently begun exports and sent one across to China, while establishing a dealer there and also one in Thailand. Its main customers are Tata Motors, Bosch, etc. Bosch is its biggest customer who has purchased 22 machines.
This year, Prabhu expects more repeat orders, and also new customers. Besides this, TGT also offers cutting tools.