Express manufacturing of special tools

Custom tools are often critical to maintaining stable and efficient manufacturing processes. When a special tool is required at short notice for prototypes, first-off samples or urgent production requirements, lead times can quickly become a bottleneck. To address this challenge, SIMTEK has developed its priotool service, an established express manufacturing system for customer-specific tooling.

The Mössingen-based precision tooling specialist describes priotool as a digitally controlled process that enables custom tools to be manufactured and delivered significantly faster than through conventional production routes, without compromising quality or precision.

Evstratios Ountzidis, VP sales and marketing at SIMTEK AG, said: “Delivery time is a decisive factor in the balance between price, quality, and time and it’s a key metric by which we measure our performance. With priotool, we offer our customers predictable express manufacturing of tools that they urgently need in certain situations.”

Prioritised supply chain
Even under normal circumstances, SIMTEK can manufacture and deliver customised tools within a matter of weeks. The process encompasses design, purchasing, manufacturing, coating, inspection and logistics, all of which are closely linked.

With priotool, these stages are accelerated through digital prioritisation. The company’s ERP system automatically assigns each express order to the earliest available capacity throughout the production chain, significantly reducing lead times.

“Our priotool system reliably calculates the fastest possible delivery time fully automatically based on numerous parameters and assigns the tool to an express path through our in-house value chain,” explained Mr Ountzidis. “The process chain - from design through manufacturing to coating - is digitally simulated and synchronized in time. This reduces the need for manual coordination and speeds up every single step.”

Depending on the product, lead times can be reduced to only a few days from order approval to delivery. Priotool orders are also supplied in distinctive red packaging, enabling customers to identify urgent tooling immediately on arrival and route it directly to the relevant production department.

Digital manufacturing
A key element of the priotool concept is SIMTEK’s long-standing investment in digitalisation. Virtually all stages, from initial enquiry and design through to delivery, are managed without paper documentation.

Once SIMTEK specialists confirm a project is suitable for priotool, the ERP system manages prioritisation, scheduling and communication with the departments involved. Express orders are also prioritised within the company’s in-house coating operation.

“It’s important that the ERP actively manages priotool processes. And if purchased parts or external coating services are needed, the priotool system knows how to handle that as well,” said Mr Ountzidis. “However, in all cases that can be fully managed in-house, production is accelerated to the maximum.”

Broad application across tooling systems
According to SIMTEK, priotool is available across almost its entire tooling portfolio, giving it wider applicability than many comparable express manufacturing programmes.

The company develops around 10,000 new custom tool designs each year and says most can be produced through the accelerated process.

“Year after year, we develop around 10,000 new custom tool designs for our customers - flexibility, speed, and a high degree of in-house manufacturing are crucial here. With very few exceptions, almost every one of these new custom tool designs can be made available very quickly using priotool,” Mer Ountzidis said. “This creates tremendous added value for our customers in a wide variety of situations.”

Pic: Evstratios Ountzidis, VP sales and marketing at SIMTEK AG

The system also accommodates newer technologies, including SIMTEK’s tools featuring 3D-lasered chip-forming geometries.

“With the introduction of this hybrid manufacturing process - combining a precision-ground carbide cutting edge with 3D-lasered chip-forming geometries - we of course also considered the possibility of express delivery of these tools via priotool,” Mr Ountzidis explained.

“The demand for our tools with 3D-lasered chip-forming geometries has risen significantly in recent years. And we at SIMTEK are proud that we can offer these tools in a wide range of varieties and types, also in the priotool high-speed line. We deliver high performance here in both machining and the process.”

Integrated capacity management
SIMTEK stresses that priotool is not a fast-track system that disrupts standard production. Instead, dedicated resources and digital capacity management ensure express and conventional orders run in parallel.

“Every priotool tool ordered should be reliably completed and delivered within the promised lead time. That’s why the priotool express line has specially allocated capacity and resources at its disposal.” noted Mr Ountzidis.

Growing demand
Demand for express manufacturing continues to grow, with customers using priotool for prototype work, pre-production programmes, initial samples and urgent replacement requirements.

“There are many reasons why a tool might be needed on an accelerated timeline,” concluded Ountzidis. “With our priotool service, we offer a defined and reliable process that, in the best-case scenario, can reduce delivery times to a fraction of what they would otherwise be, thereby providing our customers with a real solution to their problems.”

SIMTEK at AMB 2026
At AMB 2026 in Hall 3, Stand C36, SIMTEK will present a range of tooling solutions for demanding machining applications. Highlights will include tools with 3D-lasered chip-forming geometries, the modular simmill 9W high-performance milling system and a virtual reality machining experience demonstrating the company’s tooling technologies.