MAPAL fulfils requirements for the tool and mouldmaking industry

Mangner, a fast-growing German contract manufacturer serving tool- and mouldmaking, automotive casting and general engineering, needed to standardise its machining processes. With 15 Hermle machining centres producing components ranging from small parts to 1 x 1 m workpieces, the company aimed to reduce tool change time, optimise operator flexibility and improve efficiency when working with demanding materials such as hardened 1.2343 steel. Their previous drilling system created unnecessary downtime, toolholder damage and limitations when machining post-hardening.

How the Challenge Was Solved: High-Torque, High-Stability Drilling with MAPAL TTD
Production Manager Dominik Geßner introduced MAPAL’s TTD replaceable head drills equipped with the TTS interface. Their performance is based on a radially arranged Hirth serration with 12 or 18 teeth, delivering extremely stable torque transfer and high run-out precision—critical advantages over conventional interchangeable systems.

The drill head can be replaced directly inside the machine thanks to a side-mounted threaded pin and integrated positioning aid, ensuring immediate alignment of flutes and coolant channels. This capability eliminated an extra clamping step and enabled Mangner to drill reliably in hardened materials, something that was previously impossible. Tool life increased significantly, and any head breakage no longer damaged the toolholder, preventing costly downtime.

Added Value: Precision, Cost Control and Sustainable Tool Use
The new drilling concept allowed Mangner to shift boring operations from pre-hardening to post-hardening, removing an entire set-up phase and shortening machining time. The replaceable heads, offering performance comparable to solid carbide drills, can be reground up to three times—cutting average tool costs while reducing material waste.

MAPAL’s portfolio (Ø12–45 mm; 3xD–12xD) covers Mangner’s broad part spectrum, offering special geometries such as 180° tips for countersinking or ball-nose versions for radiused geometries. This flexibility enables small lot production—typically 1 to 10 parts—in various steels, heat-resistant alloys and aluminium. Compared with full solid-carbide drills, the system provides the same precision at a significantly lower investment per size range.




Differentiation vs. Competition
Mangner’s previous drilling tools risked toolholder damage during breakage, limited machining in hardened materials and lacked geometric adaptability. MAPAL’s TTD system stands out through:

These advantages directly improved productivity, operational flexibility and cost structure—key reasons Mangner plans to expand MAPAL usage to reamers, milling cutters and potentially high-feed cutting tools.

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