IMTS 2026 returns to McCormick Place in Chicago September 14–19, bringing together manufacturers, machine shops and technology suppliers from across the metalworking industry. Several of the manufacturers represented by JMI CNC Tooling & Automation will be exhibiting, giving attendees an opportunity to see the latest developments in cutting tools, CNC workholding, deburring, Swiss machining and manufacturing automation.

Here are nine JMI principals to put on your IMTS 2026 show plan.

AB Tools manufactures high-performance rotary cutting tools for milling, holemaking, deburring and other CNC machining applications. The company is particularly well known for its Shear-Hog® line of aluminum roughing cutters, designed for aggressive material removal in non-ferrous materials, along with Accu-Hold tooling and custom cutting-tool capabilities.

• West Building, Level 3 — 432264 — Tooling & Workholding

ARNO USA offers a broad range of indexable cutting tools for turning, grooving, parting, drilling and milling, with tooling engineered around productivity, chip control and process reliability. IMTS visitors can explore ARNO solutions ranging from its SHARK drilling systems and parting and grooving tools to advanced tooling with precision coolant delivery.

• West Building, Level 3 — 431585 — Tooling & Workholding
  

Blue Photon provides an alternative approach to holding complex, delicate and difficult-to-clamp components during machining and manufacturing. Its photo-activated adhesive workholding technology can secure parts without conventional clamps obstructing critical surfaces, making the system particularly interesting for 5-axis machining, aerospace components and other challenging workholding applications.

• West Building, Level 3 — 431446 — Tooling & Workholding

Brush Research Manufacturing, BRM, is the developer of the Flex-Hone® tool and manufactures a wide range of abrasive nylon brushes and industrial brushing products for deburring, edge blending and surface finishing. Its tooling can be integrated directly into CNC machining operations, making it possible to perform processes such as cross-hole deburring and surface conditioning as part of the machining cycle.

• North Building, Level 3 — 237148 — Abrasive Machining/Sawing/Finishing
  

Jergens is a major supplier of CNC workholding, quick-change fixturing and 5-axis machining solutions, including Ball Lock® mounting systems, Zero Point Systems, self-centering vises and modular workholding components. At IMTS 2026, Jergens will showcase workholding technologies aimed at reducing setup and changeover time while improving part accessibility, repeatability and opportunities for machining automation.

• West Building, Level 3 — 431910 — Tooling & Workholding
  

Masa Tool is the developer of the Microconic™ workholding system, a precision collet system designed to improve sub-spindle workholding on Swiss-type CNC machines and other small-part turning applications. Microconic provides highly accurate, repeatable gripping close to the workpiece while offering interchangeable collets across compatible cartridges and machine configurations.

• West Building, Level 3 — 432163 — Tooling & Workholding
  

Pratt Burnerd America and Atlas Workholding provide a broad range of precision lathe chucks and engineered workholding systems for CNC turning applications. Their product offering includes manual and power chucks, collet systems, special chucks, mandrels and custom workholding solutions for applications ranging from general machining to demanding production environments.

• West Building, Level 3 — 431384 — Tooling & Workholding
  

Soph specializes in magnetic workholding and material-handling solutions designed to simplify setups and provide unobstructed access to workpieces. Magnetic chucks and related systems can be particularly valuable for grinding, milling and other applications where conventional clamps may interfere with machining access or increase setup complexity.

• West Building, Level 3 — 432184 — Tooling & Workholding
  

Tapmatic has been developing tapping attachments and secondary machining tools for more than 70 years, with solutions for tapping, marking, deburring and related manufacturing operations. Its product range gives manufacturers options for improving thread production and adding secondary operations to CNC machines and other production equipment.

• West Building, Level 3 — 431322 — Tooling & Workholding
  

From high-performance cutting tools and Swiss machining workholding to 5-axis fixturing, magnetic workholding and automated deburring, JMI's manufacturing partners will have a wide range of technologies on display at IMTS 2026.

If you're attending the show and would like help identifying which tooling or workholding solutions make sense for a particular machining application, contact JMI CNC Tooling & Automation or visit our principals at their booths throughout McCormick Place.

The latest modular parting blades from ARNO take a very practical problem on the shop floor and solve it with additive manufacturing rather than incremental geometry tweaks. The goal is simple – get more coolant to the cutting edge, faster and with less restriction, under real production conditions.

Traditional modular parting blades rely on cross-drilled coolant holes. Those passages intersect at right angles or shallow angles that disrupt flow, reduce velocity, and create pressure losses before the coolant ever reaches the insert. In difficult materials or deep part-off operations, that restriction shows up quickly as heat buildup, edge breakdown, or chip welding.

By moving to 3D printing, ARNO eliminates those intersecting drill paths entirely. The internal coolant channels are formed as continuous, smooth passages that run directly from the adaptor interface to the insert pocket. There are no abrupt direction changes, no dead zones, and no compromises driven by drill accessibility. Coolant reaches the cutting edge with higher volume and more consistent pressure.

A key detail is the flank coolant outlet geometry. Instead of a round port dictated by drilling, the 3D-printed blades use a triangular flank port. This shape spreads coolant across the insert edge and into the chip formation zone more effectively. The result is better heat extraction at the point of cut, improved chip evacuation, and a more stable thermal condition during the cut.

These blades are offered in both ARNO-specific mounts (MSA-S) and industry-standard mounts (MSA-I), making them a drop-in upgrade rather than a system change. From the operator’s perspective, setup and programming remain the same. The difference shows up in tool life, surface finish, and process reliability.

In practical terms, improved coolant delivery translates directly into more parts per edge and fewer interrupted runs. Shops running stainless steels, superalloys, or long cycle part-off operations will see the most immediate benefit, but even in carbon steels the added thermal control helps maintain edge integrity and dimensional consistency.

Identification is straightforward – ARNO designates these tools with a “-3D” suffix in the part number. That small detail signals a fundamentally different internal design aimed squarely at process stability rather than marketing flash.

For shops that already rely on modular parting systems, the ARNO 3D-printed blades address one of the most common limiting factors in parting and grooving operations. More coolant at the edge means lower cutting temperatures, more predictable tool wear, and fewer surprises in unattended or high-mix production environments.

For more technical details, application guidance, or to evaluate whether ARNO’s 3D-printed modular parting blades are a fit for your machines and materials, contact JMI CNC Tooling & Automation. Our team can help you select the correct blade configuration and coolant strategy to improve part-off stability and tool life in your operation.

JMI CNC Tooling & Automation (JMI) has announced that it is now representing ARNO Precision Cutting Tools, expanding its portfolio of high-performance metalworking solutions for manufacturers across its assigned territories.

Since 1962, ARNO USA has been manufacturing and selling high-quality products for customers in the industrial tooling and machining markets. ARNO USA represents the US branch of ARNO Werkzeuge, headquartered in Germany. ARNO is recognized for its engineering-driven approach to turning, milling, grooving, and holemaking tools. The company designs and manufactures a broad range of standard and application-specific tooling solutions, with a particular focus on process reliability, repeatability, and long tool life in demanding machining environments.

ARNO’s product portfolio includes indexable turning systems, grooving and parting tools, milling cutters, drilling solutions, and modular tooling systems developed for steel, stainless steel, cast iron, non-ferrous materials, and high-temperature alloys. Many of ARNO’s solutions are engineered to reduce cycle time, improve chip control, and maintain dimensional consistency across extended production runs.

“ARNO fits well within JMI’s technical approach to tooling and automation,” said Kennth Jones from JMI. “Their product design philosophy aligns with how we work with customers—understanding the application first, then applying the right tool geometry, substrate, and coating to achieve stable, predictable machining results.”

Through this partnership, JMI will provide local technical support, application assistance, and product access for ARNO tooling, supporting both production machining and complex problem-solving applications. JMI’s role will include on-site evaluation, tooling recommendations, and integration of ARNO solutions into broader machining and automation strategies.

About JMI CNC Tooling & Automation
JMI CNC Tooling & Automation provides cutting tools, workholding, automation, and technical support solutions for precision manufacturers. JMI works closely with machine shops to optimize processes, improve efficiency, and support long-term manufacturing performance through application-focused solutions.

For more information about ARNO tooling solutions through JMI, contact JMI CNC Tooling & Automation