Union Tool Co. will construct No. 3 factory on the premises of Mitsuke Plant in Niigata Prefecture in Japan to boost the production of carbide end mills. Primarily, carbide end mills are the company’s original coated products. Specifically, the No. 3 factory will increase the plant’s production capacity to 2.5-fold.

Union Tool produces drills for printed circuit boards (PCBs) and substrates for packages (PCB drills), carbide end mills, and related equipment. Also, it manufactures digital measuring instruments, linear motion guides, as well as rolling machines and dies. In Japan, the company has production plants in Nagaoka and Mitsuke in Niigata Prefecture, and Mishima Laboratory in Shizuoka Prefecture. Overseas, it has production plants in Shanghai and Dongguan in China and in Taiwan.

Specifically, the Mitsuke Plant specializes in the production of carbide end mills. Thus far, two factories have been in operation. 

An end mill is a multi-functional tool, which has cutting edges on the outer periphery, and an end face. They are used for processing metals. A single end mill cuts the outer periphery, and curved surface, and drills, such as the processing of grooves, side surfaces, contouring, pockets, ribs, and tapers. 

Special Techniques Ensure Long Life

Union Tool coats tools with ceramic, diamond, and carbon materials using its special techniques to increase the lifetime of tools. Then, it introduces them to the market. 

Specifically, the UNIMAX Series with two blades for processing stainless steel comes in 0.06mm to 20mm in outer diameter to meet various applications. The company primarily uses cemented carbide as material for the UNIMAX Series. The 12mm and smaller sizes of the UNIMAX Series received high evaluation marks for their performance and quality. High precision is required for these sizes of carbide end mills. 

Boasts High Dimensional Accuracy

Additionally, the UNIMAX Series boasts high dimensional accuracy attained through the use of the company’s originally developed production equipment and measuring instruments. The UNIMAX Series features a unique blade shape ground using the company’s originally developed program. It also features various coating films developed for various quality materials. Collectively, they enabled the direct curving of cemented carbide alloys, which was previously not possible. Thus, the UNIMAX Series exhibits high performance.  

Completion Slated in May 2024

To further strengthen these carbide end mills, Union Tool expands volume production of existing products by constructing No. 3 factory. Furthermore, the company actively brings out new products and meets customers’ requests for special-specification products.  

Union Tool has been deploying carbide end mill products targeting mainly the automotive-related industry, and the die processing industry. The company expects the demand will continue expanding about 10 percent moving forward. Hence, the company constructs No. 3 factory installing equipment that would boost the current production capacity to 2.5-fold. 

The Mitsuke No. 3 factory will have a two-storied reinforced concrete structure above ground and a total floor area of about 6,600sq.m. Completion is slated at the end of May 2024. For the term ending Dec. 2022, the Union Tool Group had sales of about 5.8 billion yen (US$39.8 million) from carbide end mills. The company targets the group sales of carbide end mills to top 6 billion yen (US$41.2 million) early.