Driving manufacturing progress

That’s where the Manufacturing Wellness framework from metal cutting and manufacturing solutions manufacturer, Sandvik Coromant, applies. This set of eight habits is designed to guide manufacturers towards more resilient, efficient and future-ready operations. In this article, Manny Valenza Sales Cluster manager South East Asia Oceania at Sandvik Coromant, explains how two select habits can work together to transform factory floors into innovation-driven environment.

Rethinking waste

In precision manufacturing, waste is more than scrap metal or broken tools. It’s the lag between operations when a tool goes missing, it’s the time spent reprogramming machines due to poor toolpath quality and it’s the hours lost to outdated inventory systems or unstructured workflows. Although common, these inefficiencies compound quickly, and for many businesses they remain hidden in the noise of daily output.

This is where the ’eliminate waste’ habit of Sandvik Coromant’s Manufacturing Wellness framework begins to challenge the norm. It doesn’t ask manufacturers to chase perfection. Instead, it reframes waste as something systemic — often embedded in the way teams work, how they make decisions and where they place their attention. Here, eliminating waste starts by examining the habits behind the operation. For instance, are machines running as often as they should? Are engineers spending their time solving problems or managing avoidable ones? Are materials and tools flowing smoothly from inventory to spindle?

For many, the answer is mixed. One response is to invest in tools that optimise logistics and reduce uncertainty. The Robocrib TX750 vending solution, paired with CoroPlus Tool Supply software, offers a strong example. Once installed, it automates access to tools, ensures control, tracks consumption and creates a data trail that sharpens planning. For operators, it means no more waiting on a replacement insert. For managers, it means fewer stockouts and stronger cost oversight. For both, it delivers the foundation for measurable, repeatable improvement.

Partnerships with purpose

But systems alone are not enough, which brings us to the sixth habit of Manufacturing Wellness: benefit from strong partners. This focuses on building strong partnerships that unlock broader technical capability. Sandvik Coromant’s collaboration with software providers such as Vericut and Mastercam, demonstrates what this can look like in practice. These partnerships allow manufacturers to go beyond advice and access proven technologies for toolpath verification, CAM programming and performance simulation — often in one connected conversation.

This type of support adds depth to tooling decisions and opens up new ways to approach recurring challenges. For example, instead of accepting long cycle times as a limitation of the machine or material, manufacturers can lean on partners to test, adjust and refine parameters using real-time modelling. When done in combination with waste-reduction initiatives, the result is a leaner, more informed process that doesn’t sacrifice reliability.

It also demonstrates that Sandvik Coromant is not just a tooling supplier, but a strategic partner that’s dedicated to enabling the long-term success in modern manufacturing. We’re also seeing this trend elsewhere in the industry, where customers are beginning to seek value-added services and complete set ups, rather than standalone tools.

Partnerships also help manufacturers avoid the knowledge bottleneck that comes from trying to manage every variable alone. Many operations don’t lack intent, they lack access to the right expertise at the right time. Having a partner who can offer guidance, spot inefficiencies and recommend technology isn’t a luxury, it’s a neccessity. It takes pressure off internal teams and brings an external perspective grounded in application-level experience.

When combined, these two habits show how waste reduction and partnership support each other. A factory that automates tool dispensing but lacks process guidance may improve in the short term, but this is not effective over time. For manufacturers looking to stay competitive, the answer isn’t just better tools or better ideas — it’s both, working in sync. While they may appear distinct, these two habits are connected. In fact, the most effective efforts to reduce waste often start by turning to the right partners.