XGE wins ‘Anca Tool of the Year 2025’ at EMO Hannover

All winners of the Anca Tool of the Year Awards

The ANCA Tool of the Year Awards, now in their eighth year, once again celebrated innovation and technical excellence in cutting tool manufacturing at EMO Hannover. Held on the Anca stand, the ceremony recognised the ingenuity and precision of Anca customers, showcasing the latest breakthroughs in tool design and production.

Xiamen Golden Egret Special Alloy Co Ltd (XGE) claimed the top honour in the ‘Made on Anca’ category for its innovative ballnose profile endmill. Designed and ground with exceptional precision, the tool incorporates multiple radii of R0.06 and R0.07mm to minimise finishing wheel wear while maintaining outstanding accuracy. Its spherical end is ground tightly to the nominal profile, with the ball gash plane transitioning smoothly into the OD to ensure a strong edge and full ballnose functionality.

Pictured right: winner of the ANCA Female Machinist of the Year 2025: Nayeli Martínez with Johanna Boland

Jianyuan Chen, process engineer at XGE, said: “We are honoured to win the 2025 Anca Tool of the Year. This recognition reflects our team’s dedication and our 20-year partnership with Anca, whose grinders and software help turn ideas into world-class tools. Innovation has always driven us forward, and we look forward to continuing to deliver solutions that create value for the industry and empower every user.”

In the ‘Virtual Tool’ category, Zhuzhou Huarui from Precision Tools Co Ltd impressed judges with a finely simulated ceremonial scepter symbolising power and good fortune. The design began with hand sketches before being programmed in ToolRoom and visualised in 3-D with CIM3D. An excellent selection of grinding routines enabled the creation of intricate geometries, blending technical precision with artistic design.

Siqiang Liu, programmer at Zhuzhou Huarui Precision Tools, said: “I am honoured to be named Champion of the 2025 Anca Tool of the Year — Virtual Tool. This award recognises not just my capabilities, but also the support of my company and the platform Anca provides to showcase creativity and innovation. It is not an end, but a new beginning — one that inspires me to push boundaries and keep striving for excellence.”

Pictured left: winner for ‘Made on Anca’ Johanna and Edmund Boland

The Female Machinist of the Year 2025 award went to Nayeli Martínez, a biotechnology engineer at OSG GmbH, recognised for her technical expertise, leadership and commitment to fostering inclusivity in the industry. Ms Martínez’s journey reflects the challenges she overcame as a young woman in a male-dominated field, earning customer trust by improving process times, precision, and tool efficiency. Driven to inspire other young women, she is determined to show that women can excel in engineering and manufacturing careers.

Ms Martínez said: “I am honoured to win this award. This recognition celebrates women in manufacturing and I am grateful to Anca for giving us a voice in an industry where we are still a minority. With the support of my colleagues, mentors, and family, this award marks not an end but a new beginning — one that inspires me to keep moving forward and contribute to innovation in cutting tools.”

The Anca Tool of the Year Awards 2025 honour the creativity, precision and leadership shaping the future of the cutting tool industry. By recognising outstanding achievements across design, skill and diversity, Anca reaffirms its commitment to empowering manufacturers and inspiring the next generation of engineers worldwide.