Articles
The history of the tool tradeHistory · 8You get an overview of how the toolmaking trade grew with industry, and how the toolmaker became the key to manufacturing many identical parts — from handwork to computer-controlled machines.A working day as a toolmaker...Weekday · 8You follow the workflow from a drawing to a finished, assembled tool — through processing, measurement, and assembly — and see why precision and patience are the core of the trade.Machines and measuring equipmentEquipment. · 9You get an overview of the machines and measuring equipment a toolmaker uses — from manual processing machines and CNC to precision measuring tools.Safety and quality in the workshopSafety · 8You learn how to work safely at the machines, and why quality in terms of precise dimensions and good fit is the trade's most important measure.Specialties and ways forwardCareer · 7You get an overview of the trade's specialties and the directions the field can take — from work in metal and plastic industries to specialized tool manufacturing.How you ensure food safety at all stagesBuild-up · 7 minGet an overview of the path from basic course to qualified toolmaker: how long it takes, how school and apprenticeship alternate, and what it takes to get in.PLACEHOLDER_54PLACEHOLDER_119 · 6 minAs an apprentice you get paid from the first day in the company — and it increases through the course. Here you get the principles behind apprentice wages collective agreements and conditions when you are fully trained.Rules, certificates and documentation in toolmakingRules & certificates · 6 minThe tool trade does not require a sector-specific authorization like electricity — but there are still rules, certificates and documentation you encounter in everyday life. Here is the overview.Work environment safety and ergonomics in the workshopWork environment · 7 minRotating machines, sharp chips, cooling and lubricating agents and many hours in the same position. Get a grip on the most important risks in the tool trade — and how to avoid them.The tool industry today — jobs, demand and futureThe industry today · 6 minToolmakers are specialists that the metal and plastics industry finds hard to do without. Get an overview of workplaces, job opportunities and the trends shaping the trade.After the journeyman certificate — what you can build onFurther education · 6 minThe journeyman's certificate is not a dead end but a springboard. See the paths you can take further — from short courses to a full engineering degree.Material science: tool steel and heat treatmentMaterials · 8 minYou get an overview of the four steel families toolmakers work with: cold work steel, hot work steel/die steel, high-speed steel, and powder metallurgical steel. The article explains how hardening and tempering give the steel the right combination of hardness and toughness, and how a PVD coating can extend the tool's lifetime even further. You also learn why material selection is one of the targets you must master in your main course.Spray-cast mould construction and functionTechnique · 8 minThe article takes a close look at the main components of the injection mold — from cavity and core to ejector parting line and cooling channels. You get an explanation of what each part does and why the placement of e.g. parting line and core are crucial design choices. You also learn why a new mold must always be tested and adjusted before it is released to production.Punch tool and sheet processingTechnique · 8 minThe article explains how the ram and die work together in a punching tool and why the cutting gap size is crucial for the part's quality. You get an overview of the eccentric press operation the difference between single operations and progressive tools and the four basic stamping operations: cutting punching bending and deep drawing.CNC programming: from CAD drawing to G-codeTechnique · 8 minYou follow the path from 3D model in CAD to finished CNC program: CAM calculation of the tool path, building G and M codes, and how 5-axis milling and high-speed machining expand what is possible. The article also emphasizes simulation, zero points, and clamping as prerequisites for a safe first run.Measurement uncertainty and choice of measuring equipmentTechnique · 8 minThe article introduces GPS standards and ISO 286's fit system with IT tolerance grades and hole basis/shaft basis systems. You get an overview of the main measuring tools in the workshop — calipers micrometers indicator gauges and 3D measuring machine — and why calibration and documentation of measurement control is a permanent part of the work.Spark erosion (EDM) in the tool tradeTechnique · 7 minYou learn the principles behind spark erosion (EDM), where electrical discharges shape steel without mechanical contact. The article covers the difference between sink erosion (sinker-EDM) and wire erosion, and when these methods are chosen over conventional milling — typically for hardened steel, sharp internal corners, and very tight tolerances.Surface treatment and aftertreatment of toolsMaterials · 8 minThe article looks at the last step in tool making: surface treatment and finishing. You get an explanation of PVD coatings such as TiN and TiAlN nitriding and polishing of mold surfaces and why quality control of hardness and layer thickness is necessary before the tool is released.