What ISCAR does

ISCAR LTD. is a precision carbide metalworking cutting tools manufacturer founded in 1952 in Nahariya, Israel, by Stef Wertheimer and now headquartered at Tefen Industrial Park in Israel's Western Galilee. The company designs, produces, and sells a comprehensive portfolio of indexable inserts, solid carbide endmills, drills, boring tools, threading tools, toolholding systems, and quick-change tooling families (HELIMILL, HELI-3-MILL, SUMOTURN, NEODO, MULTI-MASTER, LOGIQUICK, MICROTOOLS) across PVD-, CVD-, ceramic-, CBN-, and PCD-coated grades. Core technology centers on carbide metallurgy, advanced coatings, helical-cutting-edge geometries, and a Direct Numerical Control (DNC) production system with automated guided vehicles operating around the clock. ISCAR invests approximately 6% of total resources in R&D and produces proprietary innovations such as HELIMILL (an industry benchmark since the early 1990s) and the NEODO S890 double-sided 8-edge insert.

The company serves manufacturers across aerospace, automotive (including EV), medical devices, die & mold, oil & gas, wind energy, railway, bearing, and general engineering verticals through a global network of 130+ subsidiaries and direct sales offices in over 60 countries, complemented by country-specific online purchasing portals in 35+ markets and an agent/distributor network. ISCAR monetizes through quote-based B2B hardware sales (the Microtools Division operates a parallel site at microtools-imc.com) and supports its portfolio with digital tools — E-Catalog, NEOITA (intelligent tool advisor), MATRIX (manufacturing technology management), Grade Optimizer, Geometry Analyzer, NEOLOGIQ smart-factory line — plus E-Learning courses, Tech Center demonstrations, and worldwide technical seminars. ISCAR is the largest of 15 companies comprising the IMC (International Metalworking Companies) Group, which has been wholly owned by Berkshire Hathaway since 2006; Jacob Harpaz serves as President and Chairman of IMC Group and Ilan Geri as CEO of ISCAR.

Name

ISCAR

Legal name

ISCAR LTD.

Website

https://iscar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

ISCAR LTD., founded in 1952 in Israel and owned by Berkshire Hathaway since 2006, manufactures precision carbide metalworking cutting tools — including indexable inserts, endmills, drills, and toolholders — serving aerospace, automotive, medical, energy, and general engineering customers through 130+ subsidiaries in 60+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Metalworking Cutting Tools

NAICS

Cutting Tool and Machine Tool Accessory Manufacturing (333515), Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing (33351), Machine Tool Manufacturing (333517)

SIC

Machine Tools, Metal Cutting Types (3541), Metalworkg Machinery & Equipment (3540), Special Industry Machinery, Nec (3559)

akta.pro primary industry

Metal Cutting Tools, Tooling & Workholding (Cutters, Inserts, Chucks, Fixtures) (IMAHADAB)

Keywords

• Carbide cutting tools
• Metalworking tools
• Precision machining inserts
• CNC milling tools
• Indexable tooling

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Metalworking Cutting Tools: Manufacture and sale of precision carbide metalworking tools including cutting inserts, carbide endmills, and cutting tools for various metal cutting applications. Products are sold through direct sales offices, online purchasing portals, and distribution networks globally.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ISCAR manufactures precision carbide metalworking cutting tools, including turning, milling, hole making, parting and grooving, threading, and toolholding products. The company supplies indexable inserts, endmills, drills, and modular tooling systems for industrial CNC machining, alongside proprietary carbide grades, advanced PVD/CVD coatings, and digital tool selection platforms.

Product overview

ISCAR is a comprehensive metalworking tools manufacturer offering a broad portfolio of precision carbide cutting tools organized into major product lines: Parting & Grooving, Turning, Hole Making, Milling, Toolholding, Threading, and Solutions for Miniature Applications. The company provides specialized offerings through sub-brands like Microtools Division and product families including LOGIQUICK for quick-change tooling and Heavy Duty solutions for large-scale industrial applications. Supporting the tool portfolio are various grades (carbide, ceramic, CBN, PCD) and an Insert Wear Troubleshooting service. Beyond physical products, ISCAR offers digital platforms including E-Catalog for product selection, NEOITA intelligent tool advisor, MATRIX for manufacturing technology management, and NEOLOGIQ tools for smart factory integration. Additional services include E-Learning courses, Tech Centers for hands-on training, ISCAR Seminars, and INDUSTREALIZE industry-specific solutions. The portfolio is anchored by approximately 6% R&D investment focused on new grades, coatings, geometries, and multifunction tools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Microtools Division: Specialized division focusing on microtools and miniature metalworking cutting tools for Swiss and small CNC machines
• NEOLOGIQ
• LOGIQUICK
• HELIMILL

Products and services

• Parting & Grooving Complete line of parting and grooving tools including Parting, Groove Turn, and Face Grooving solutions for various machining applications, sold to industrial manufacturers.
• Turning Comprehensive turning solutions including ISO Turning Tools, SUMOTURN, HELITURN, and JETCUT product families for diverse turning operations on CNC lathes.
• Hole Making Full range of hole making tools covering Reamers, Drilling, Deep Drilling, and Boring operations for precision hole creation in metal parts.
• Milling Extensive milling portfolio including Profiling, Solid Carbide, HPC, Shouldering, Plunging, Facing, Slotting, Slitting, HFM, MULTI-MASTER, and Thread Milling solutions for CNC milling machines.
• Toolholding Complete toolholding systems including Chucking System, Straight Shank, ITSBORE, Clamping Systems, Integral Shrink Chucks (SHRINKIN), and SPINJET coolant-driven HSM spindles.
• Threading Threading solutions including Taps (OneTap), Thread Turning, and Thread Milling tools for internal and external thread creation.
• Solutions for Miniature Applications Specialized tools for small part manufacturing on Swiss-type and small CNC machines, including PICCOJET, PICCO-DRILL, PICCO-SUMOCHAM, QUICK-SWISS, NEOSWISS, SWISS-GRIP, MULTI-MASTER, SWISS-CUT, SWISS-TURN, JET-CUT, and medical applications solutions.
• Heavy Duty Heavy-duty machining tools for large-scale operations including Milling Tools, Grooving Tools, Drilling Tools, and Turning Tools designed for wind energy, shipbuilding, steel forging, and oil & gas industries.
• ISCAR Grades Comprehensive range of carbide grades including PVD coated IC882 for hard machining, CVD coated IC5820 for milling, IC5500 multi-layer CVD, PVD IC806 for superalloys, IC1010/IC1030 for parting/grooving, SUMOTEC for rough turning, plus ceramics, diamond, CBN, and SiAlON grades.
• Microtools Division Specialized microtooling division for ultra-precision machining applications, focused on microtools and miniature metalworking cutting tools for Swiss-type and small CNC machines.
• LOGIQUICK Products Quick-change tooling product lines including LOGIQUICK-GROOVING, LOGIQUICK-TURNING, LOGIQUICK-MILLING, LOGIQUICK-DRILLING, and LOGIQUICK-GOLD for rapid tool changes and increased productivity on CNC machines.
• E-Catalog Interactive online product catalog with search, specifications, dimensional drawings, recommended cutting parameters, and 3D tool views for comprehensive product selection by customers.
• NEOITA Intelligent Tool Advisor for CAD/CAM integration that helps select optimal tools and assembly options to ensure machining results.
• MATRIX Manufacturing technology management system for tool tracking and optimization deployed to customers.
• NEOLOGIQ Advanced machining intelligence tools for smart factories equipped with modern CNC machinery for 24/7 high productivity machining.
• HELIMILL Milling product line featuring helical-cutting edge inserts providing constant positive rake and relief, reducing power consumption and ensuring smoother cuts.

Quantifiable outcome

• An ISCAR tool can be delivered within hours to anywhere on the globe
• +1 more outcomes

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• TÜV SÜDminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTÜV SÜD is a leading European organization providing expertise and experience regarding implementation, compliance, and guidance in connection with REACH Regulations. They support and regularly advise the IMC Group on REACH compliance measures.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Walter Tools (Walter AG): Walter AG is a German manufacturer of precision cutting tools for metalworking, offering turning, milling, drilling, and threading solutions with strong European automotive and aerospace penetration. Its full-line catalog and grade portfolio directly overlap ISCAR's product structure.
• Seco Tools: Seco Tools, part of Sandvik Machining Solutions, offers a comprehensive range of metal cutting solutions including inserts, milling cutters, and toolholding. It is one of the closest direct competitors to ISCAR across aerospace, automotive, and general engineering segments.
• Mitsubishi Materials (Cutting Tools): Mitsubishi Materials produces a full line of carbide cutting tools, inserts, and coated grades for turning, milling, and drilling, with strong presence in Asia and growing global footprint. It competes head-to-head with ISCAR in insert technology, PVD/CVD coatings, and aerospace applications.
• Gühring: Gühring is a German manufacturer of rotary cutting tools, including drills, end mills, and taps, with global operations. It overlaps with ISCAR's hole-making and milling portfolios and competes for automotive and aerospace precision tooling contracts.
• Kennametal: Kennametal is a major US-based manufacturer of tungsten carbide tooling, inserts, and wear-resistant parts serving aerospace, defense, transportation, and general engineering. Its product breadth and grade portfolio are highly comparable to ISCAR's, with overlapping aerospace and automotive customer accounts.
• OSG Corporation: OSG is a Japanese manufacturer of taps, end mills, drills, and indexable tooling with global operations. It competes with ISCAR in precision milling and threading applications, particularly in automotive and aerospace component manufacturing.
• Sandvik Coromant: Sandvik Coromant is the global market leader in metal cutting tools, offering indexable inserts, milling, turning, drilling, and toolholding systems across all major industries. It is ISCAR's largest direct competitor with comparable global reach, grade portfolios, and Industry 4.0 digital tooling initiatives.
• Kyocera (Industrial Tool Division): Kyocera's Industrial Tool division produces cutting inserts, end mills, and tooling systems leveraging ceramics and cermet expertise. It competes with ISCAR in wear-resistant tooling for automotive and general engineering, with comparable grade innovation cadence.

Emerging players

• Ceratizit: Ceratizit is a Luxembourg-headquartered manufacturer of carbide cutting tools and wear parts, offering indexable inserts and milling tools. It is a significant European competitor to ISCAR, particularly in automotive and mechanical engineering applications.
• Mapal: Mapal is a German-based privately held manufacturer of precision tools, particularly for automotive engine and transmission machining. While smaller than ISCAR globally, Mapal competes directly in high-precision boring, reaming, and PCD tooling for major OEMs.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/iscarweb
• Facebookfacebook.com/IscarCuttingTools
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iscar
• Xx.com/ISCARltd

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ISCAR