The Live Event

On Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021, ZECHA went live for the first time in the company's history to find out the following: "How long will our IGUANA tool run?"

To find out, coins in various designs were milled non-stopp from high-quality 50 x 50 mm cooper blanks during the live event. All this was done with just one single double-edged 1 mm ball nose from the IGUANA family.

The goal was clear: One tool, one machine, and the task of covering milling paths.

The challenge not only proved the special features of the award-winning IGUANA technology, but also heralded the start of sales of the new 935 lines - both at ZECHA and AlienTools. This means: all dimension of the new lines can be ordered immediately in the ZECHA and AlienTools shop and are in stock as standard.

All information about the IGUANA tool family and highlights of the IGUANA MILLING CHALLENGE will continue to be available on the ZECHA website and on our YouTube channel.

The first positive view of the tool was confirmed after extensive examinations on the in-house measuring equipment: the tool is almost undamaged even after an incredible 640+ milling hours and covered milling distance of almost 27 km. The results under the C-View, REM and Nano-Focus speak for themselves:

  • Shape deviation of the tool < 0.002 mm

  • No damage or changes to the layer structures

  • Finely finished workpiece surfaces with Ra < 0.3 (N4 - N5 quality)

Learn more:

Event Booklet

The Coins

We have loaded our KERN machine with high quality 50 x 50 cooper blanks and produced event coins in various designs.

You can see designs from ZECHA, AlienTools, all partners as well as exclusive special motifs. The respective production date adorns the backs of the coins.

iguana coins

Innovation Prize

ZECHA wins State Innovation Award 2021 with innovative IGUANA technolgy.

Multi-cutters in the small diameter range with sharp cutting edges (R = 1 µm) and highly wear-resistant, closed diamond coating - that is the IGUANA tool family from ZECHA.

Especially when machining highly abrasive materials, non-ferrous metals or copper in a wide variety of industries, many tools reaches its limits. Thanks to the award-winning IGUANA technology, cutting forces are significantly reduced and tool life and surface qualities are significantly increased compared to previous diamond-coated tools.

 

IPBW Preistrger en weiss

 Press report

 IGUANA Flyer

IGUANA

One challenge follows the next: Our IGUANA tool has passed the first test with flying colors and milled 29 cooper coins.

With the closing on Friday, January 14, 2022 within the one-week online auctionm the live milled special coins from the IGUANA MILLING CHALLENGE could be auctioned for a good cause.

The Christmas and New Year's Eve coin as well as the AlienTools New Year's medal 2022 were auctioned to the highest bidders: Congratulations on your very own coins!

The proceeds from the auction will go to the Sterneninsel e.V. a children's and youth hospice service in Pforzheim and Enzkreis.

 

Sterneninsel e.V.

Subcategories

Highlights

Partner

Through the cooperation with the selected partners, AlienTools GmbH, Cimtrode GmbH, Kern Microtechnik GmbH, LANG Technik GmbH, oelheld GmbH, OPEN MIND Technologies AG as well as REGO-FIX AG, not only regional and international success could be generated, but also the valued relationships could grow further. Each partner received a unique coin, tailored to the company.

AlienTools was born as a joint-venture in order to bring Zecha quality tools into the dental industry with a fresh, new look.

Based in Berlin Germany, the team at AlienTools quickly built a well-known brand by taking the top-quality tools from the Zecha portfolio and focusing on the digital experience in order to maximize the ease of working directly with the manufacturer. This means not only having a webshop and being active on social media, but usings today’s technology to maximize the enjoyment of working with AlienTools in the form of loayalty programs, affiliate programs, etc.

 

In the first 2 years of the project, AlienTools sold directly to customers in over 50 countries. With this project showing that customers were eager for next generation of partnerships, they have just recently expanded and launched their industrial line, bringing a fresh new face to the form and die industry.

Website

 

ZECHA Hartmetall-Werkzeugfabrikation GmbH has been a pioneer and trendsetter in the field of micro cutting, blanking and forming tools for over half a century. The company's origins in the chronograph industry can be seen not only in its uncompromising specialisation in the production of miniature tools of the highest precision, but also in its special tool solutions.

Precision and quality are key for the international employment in different industries, such as, for example, in medical and dental technology, the chronograph industry, automotive industry, or in tool and mould making. Experts in the company's own research and development department are constantly developing ground breaking geometries and tools for sophisticated applications and cutting-edge materials.

In addition, tool reproducibility is also guaranteed even for years on account of the life number stamped at the end of the shaft of every tool.

Modern CNC machines, high-end measuring and testing technologies and carefully selected hard metals from leading manufacturers as well as an intensive cooperation with our customers and partners ensure the exceptional perfection of our Tools.

 

Since founding the company in 1997, Daniel Gruber, owner of CIMTRODE GmbH, has been working intensely on driving graphite machining forward. CIMTRODE, which serves the tool and moulding industry, has developed over the years from a manufacturer to a renowned European graphite specialist and innovator.

At the start there was the “All-Inclusive Electrode” made from graphite. We are proud to say that our leading role in this field has contributed to making electrodes extremely popular in manufacturing. In the meantime, the Cimtrode concept has gained an excellent reputation as a technology leader and our blue boxes with the distinctive label can be found in many production halls today.

Based on our many years’ experience with graphite machining, we have created additional innovative & specialized products “from the user for the user.” Products such as the SEAGULL precision cutter featuring cost-saving cutting pressure optimization, or the optical control system C-VIEW. When developing these products we have always focused on the benefits to the user, with our own experiences as a guideline.

We continuously work to deliver first-class, innovative solutions to our customers, from users for users, thereby contributing to the competitiveness of the tool and moulding industry in today’s world.

Website

KERN Microtechnik GmbH, Eschenlohe, employs around 220 people and successfully operates in more than 30 countries. It focuses on two commercial fields: the development and manufacture of high precision machining centers and contract production of machined parts in the micro and nano domains.

Among others, KERN milling centers are used for in-house serial contract production. Therefore, the company's mechanical engineers are perfectly equipped not only to produce high precision machines, but also to accompany their users with the necessary process know-how. Customers become technology partners and thus part of the "KERN Family". This includes intensive consultation in terms of optimal operation and process integration from the idea to the finished part, enabling KERN users to increase their competitiveness step-by-step.

Kern contract production's product portfolio encompasses prototypes, single-item and serial production as well as unit assembly and design support. Parts are machined by milling, drilling, EDM and grinding.

Website

 

LANG Technik is one of the world’s leading companies in the field of workholding and automation technology, which helps machining companies with future-oriented solutions to simplify production processes, to manufacture more efficiently and to ideally exploit production capacities. 

As a pioneer in this industry, we develop and produce integrated solutions in the field of automation, zero-point clamping and workholding for both ourselves and for all machining industry sectors.

As a manufacturer of highly innovative products for the machining industry we are your partner, if you are looking for flexible and reliable workholding solutions for your milling operations. You want to reduce set-up times and increase machine utilization? Then you have come to the right place! Companies of all sizes, from 1-man-operation to global players, from various industries, such as engineering, medical engineering, aerospace, automotive and racing, amongst others, trust our vast experience and innovative strength.

Website

 

oelheld GmbH is a medium-sized business which can look back on 130 years of tradition and experience. Since its foundation in 1887 by Carl Christian Held, oelheld GmbH has established itself as a lubricant specialist. Partnership, research and Human Technology are our core values and are traditions that we are proud of.

We work closely with numerous machine manufacturers and universities to develop products that are designed to meet the specific requirements of their machines. This kind of cooperation allows us to meet the needs of our customers and adapt our fluids to the different applications. 

Our laboratories are equipped with state-of-the-art analysis and testing devices which meet the latest industry standards and help us to satisfy our customer’s wishes.

Website

 

OPEN MIND is one of the world’s most sought-after developers of powerful CAM solutions for machine and controller-independent programming.

OPEN MIND develops optimized CAM solutions that include a high number of innovative features not available elsewhere to deliver significantly higher performance in both programming and machining. Strategies such as 2.5D, 3D as well as 5-axis milling/mill turning, and machining operations like HSC and HPC are efficiently built into the hyperMILL® CAM system. hyperMILL® provides the maximum possible benefits to customers thanks to its full compatibility with all current CAD solutions and extensive programming automation.

OPEN MIND strives to be the best and most innovative CAD/CAM manufacturer in the world, helping it become one of the top five in the CAM industry according to the “NC Market Analysis Report 2020” compiled by CIMdata. The CAD/ CAM solutions of OPEN MIND fulfil the highest demands in the automotive, tool and mold manufacturing, production machining, medical, job shops, energy and aerospace industries. OPEN MIND is represented in all key markets in Asia, Europe and America, and is a Mensch und Maschine company.

Website

 

Founded in 1950, the company REGO-FIX which is located in Tenniken, the Basel region in Switzerland, is an internationally active family business with over 280 employees and has been producing and selling high-precision tool clamping systems for over 70 years. The company has sales partners in 50 countries and subsidiaries in the USA, China, Japan, Brazil and Southeast Asia. The products are successfully implemented in the automotive, aerospace, mold and die, machine tool, medical, telecommunications and watchmaking industries.

Website