Japanese products in the world are highly evaluated behind the excellent processing machinery and tools. Japan's tool industry in the entire manufacturing industry and the overseas market is constantly expanding in the background, the sun is now a. But in recent years, in order to improve the international competitiveness, enterprise users how to develop, including in the design, function and quality than competitors more superiority and a Triton of the minnows, unique shelf product strategy has become very important. To this end, it is also required to adapt to these requirements of the tool. Not only through the high speed and high precision processing to improve production efficiency and quality, reduce processing costs, but also to adapt to the increasingly diversified and complicated workpiece material and shape of the and adapt to multi - function, on the environment to caring, etc., the tool will assume a more important role. At the same time, it is worrying that, as a tool for the raw materials of rare metals prices remain high, led the tool manufacturing costs rose.

In the cutting process, the machine tool and cutting tool have been said to be the relationship between the vehicle body and the wheel. Development of cutting tool materials, improve the cutting performance, machine tool will also be in order to give full play to the performance of the tool to improve the level of rigidity and control. In this way, the two to promote each other, to achieve a higher level of cutting. For example, from the early to start, the carbon tool steel was born in 1740, 30 years after the invention of the horizontal boring machine, which Watt's steam engine cylinder will it be possible to make. In 1868 with high speed steel soon after the invention of the automobile, and the invention of the machine for processing automobile gear, automobile manufacturing began leads to the run-up to mass production. It is the high performance tool material of high speed steel that promotes the evolution of the machine. Subsequently, in 1914 the invention of ceramic materials, in 1926 invented the super hard alloy steel, 20 years after the invention of EDM machine tools. In 1956, the metal ceramics, cubic boron nitride (CBN) was synthesized in 1957, and then there was a processing center. In 1974 the development of sintered diamond, ultra precision machine tool using near diamond sintered body has been developed.

If you want to say this is a coincidence, it is difficult to explain. Once the tool has excellent performance have been developed, there will be able to give full play to the function of machine tool. The development of new materials and tools to more excellent performance to - access tool and machine invented history, will think so is unable to restrain the emotions.

So I have a question: whether the machine has unreservedly played a full performance tool? Have the machine tool and the inherent characteristics of play the most incisive? According to the survey, there are many enterprises with annual sales of 4%~6% investment into research and development. The tool technology development theme is traditionally considered as the material, shape and the combined effect. So far, such as gradient functional materials and the use of material and shape of the whisker metal tool material and the development has obtained rapid development, and to ultrafine particles and crystallization control for representing tool materials and cutting edges of the waveform, the large anterior horn off chip groove for representing tool shape research development have ended in a paragraph. Recently, a high degree of concern is the coating technology. Because the material prices, do not use the tool material development of rare metals has become as pressing danger.

In the development of the market, in addition to the basic properties of the processing efficiency, high precision and so on the development of extended also to such as the expansion of small diameter, complex shape machining purposes, for new materials and composite materials processing adaptability, with a knife can for processing a variety of multifunctional and pursuit of combination processing effects, and many other aspects.

Compared with the machine, due to the low tool price. Therefore, in order to pursue mass production effect, it is necessary to improve product versatility. At the same time, it must respond to every user has orders for special purpose and specifications, but also on the product to seek differ from those of the competitors. That is to say, the tool manufacturers must also have the comprehensive ability and special products. Research and development costs are also difficult to meet the needs of these factors. In any case, to adapt to the harsh requirements of the market must continue to work hard, high users of the situation tool manufacturers expect.

The tool material prices began to rise significantly from before and after 2004. The storage of rare metals tungsten, cobalt and molybdenum less, mining and refining costs are high. And not only is the tool, the material has also been widely used in automobile, housing, electrical and electronic, aerospace and other industries and superconducting materials, shape memory alloy, it related technology and environmental protection high-tech fields, but also the semiconductor industry, the indispensable raw materials. " Japan is a rare metal consumption country in the world with the expected future consumption will continue to grow.

The origin of rare metals have been very limited, the supply is not stable, its price is high in recent years. Prices include: the recovery of the world economy, China's economic growth caused by consumption to expand; because of aging equipment, poor working environment caused rare metal production capacity is low, the workers went on strike; expectations about future supply shortage of psychological instability; for speculative purposes in the hoarding of cherish sell; and various factors interaction.

Different metal prices are different. Tungsten 4~7 months of 2005 because of increased demand and Chinese rose to 3.3 times, now the price is still high. Cobalt in 2003 and 2004 for Japan and China secondary battery demand increases, supply and skyrocketing prices, followed by a slight pullbacks, in 4000 yen per kilogram level fluctuations. Abrasive material price 2005~2006