In recent years, the term “sustainable development” has become increasingly popular. We often see it in news headlines, in the media, in scientific research and in practical 

seminars. So is sustainable development just a buzzword or a current hot issue? The upsurge of sustainable development stems from the increasing global attention to key 

environmental issues and climate change mainly caused by human activities. It reflects our commitment to taking responsibility for the planet and a better future for future 

generations.

Therefore, various fields from daily life to commerce to transportation, from urban planning to production and processing all embody the concept of sustainable development

. It goes without saying that production and processing should be sustainable. Today, this view has also been widely recognized. Since the processing process uses natural 

resources, consumes energy, produces waste, and pollutes the environment, only by adopting sustainable production technologies can we reduce the negative impact on the environment.

Metal processing is still the main way to process mechanical parts. Therefore, the question of how to make metal processing sustainable is crucial. The cutting tool directly 

contacts the workpiece being processed, processes it into the required shape, and processes the unnecessary parts into metal chips. So can cutting tools become a key factor 

in improving sustainability? There is no doubt that it is possible!

Although the tool is smaller in size compared to other elements of the entire process system (e.g. machine tools, fixtures), it still plays a key role in achieving sustainable 

machining. The material removal process during machining is an energy-intensive process. If cutting tools are designed to be efficient, energy consumption can be 

significantly reduced.

The impact of important tool characteristics cannot be underestimated. Advanced cutting edge geometry minimizes cutting forces, while a vibration-damping design reduces 

cutting force chatter caused by vibration in the tool. Optimized coating processes can improve lubricity and reduce friction. Efficient cooling reduces heat generation. 

Taken together, these tool characteristics can significantly reduce the environmental impact of metal processing.

In many cases, cutting tools are often an important link that limits the full performance of machine tools and the improvement of production efficiency. Therefore, it is crucial 

that the tool features ensure high efficiency, which helps reduce cutting time, machine power consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Reliable and durable 

cutting tools can increase tool life, reduce the frequency of tool or insert replacement, thereby shortening the resulting machine tool downtime, and ultimately improve 

overall processing efficiency.

Additionally, using cutting tools capable of achieving higher surface roughness reduces the need for finishing, thereby reducing machining stock and scrap. In this way, the 

dual effect of reducing processing time and material waste is achieved.

Therefore, "sustainable cutting tools" are not just a short-lived trend, but an important concept that is gradually being accepted by the public and becoming an indispensableand basic requirement for sustainable manufacturing. Even though the focus of analyzing tools remains on their performance, tool sustainability has become a crucial factor 

in modern machining. Understanding how cutting tools impact various aspects of sustainability determines the demand for modern tools to a large extent and guides the 

development direction of the tool industry. How can tools make machining more sustainable? To gain a deeper understanding of this issue, it is worth briefly reviewing a 

selection of ISCAR products. The design concept of interchangeable head tools obviously contributes to the sustainable use of cutting materials.

The ISCAR product line has tool series with replaceable carbide heads, such as MULTI-MASTER and SUMOCHAM, which provide a good case for answering the above 

questions through the rational use of carbide materials. In addition to the traditional advantage of saving cutting material, the two series developed by ISCAR also offer 

further advantages related to sustainability. For example, the MULTI-MASTER and SUMOCHAM series have high repeat positioning accuracy and can achieve zero adjustment 

time online. This means that replacement of worn tool heads does not require additional tool adjustment time, thus greatly reducing machine downtime.

LOGIQ-3-CHAM inherits and develops the SUMOCHAM drilling series, and its design reflects the development direction of replaceable head drilling tools. One obvious 

difference between LOGIQ-3-CHAM and other drilling series is that it has three cutting edges instead of the traditional two. This change increased the feed rate and 

efficiency of the tool by 50%. In addition to improving production efficiency, this new design also reduces energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, resulting in 

sustainability advantages. For example, processing a hole with a diameter of Ø16mm and a depth of 80mm on a low-alloy steel part. The ISCAR LOGIQ-3-CHAM drill bit has 

a tool life of 500 holes. Compared with competitors' replaceable double-edge drill bits, the machining cycle time is shortened by 26% and energy consumption is reduced by 

19%. As a result, CO2 emissions have also been reduced by 19%. (figure 1)

The anti-vibration design of tools plays a vital role in reducing energy consumption, extending tool life, and improving surface roughness. ISCAR proposes its own damping 

and vibration reduction solutions based on a variety of theoretical principles. These include specially designed damping and vibration reduction mechanisms, such as 

vibration-damping boring bars (Fig. 2). At the same time, the special anti-vibration cutting edge shape can also play the role of vibration reduction and anti-vibration. For 

example, the cutting edges of multi-edge solid carbide end mills and replaceable cutting heads can adopt variable helix angles and unequal pitch; indexable inserts can adopt 

serrated cutting edges to achieve effective chip breaking. (Figure 3), can also play a role in reducing vibration. In addition, these tools or inserts have better chip breaking 

effect, which also improves machining performance. The ingenious design of the groove reducer allows the installation of smaller cutter heads, which extends the range of use 

of existing cutter bodies without the need to purchase new cutter bodies. This not only reduces waste of raw materials but also helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Additive manufacturing (AM) adds a new dimension of sustainability to tool design. First, additive manufacturing can produce a tool body that closely follows the contours of 

its final shape, minimizing the need for finishing and significantly reducing tool material consumption. In addition, additive manufacturing technology makes it easier to 

generate internal cooling channels in an optimal way, thus improving the delivery of coolant through the tool body to the cutting area.

The examples in this article illustrate how energy-efficient, durable cutting tools can have a technologically significant impact on sustainable development. Such tools not only 

help reduce energy consumption and waste, but also save costs and facilitate environmental management.