What Tungaloy does

Tungaloy Corporation is a Japanese manufacturer of metal cutting tools founded in 1934 and headquartered in Iwaki, Fukushima. The company produces a comprehensive portfolio of carbide inserts, drills, end mills, milling cutters, grooving and parting tools, reamers, boring bars, and modular quick-change tooling, organized across five core categories: turning, grooving, milling, hole-making, and tooling systems. A distinguishing technical focus is its exchangeable-head product architecture (DrillMeister, TungMeister, ReamMeister, DrillForce-Meister, ModuMini-Turn), in which only the worn carbide cutting head is replaced rather than the entire solid tool, reducing raw-material consumption and customer tooling cost. Manufacturing is conducted at four Japanese plants (Iwaki, Nagoya, Nirasaki, Kyushu), with supporting digital products including the Gabby AI tool-selection assistant, the Matrix tool management system, e-Catalog with CAD downloads, and a suite of cost-saving calculators.

Tungaloy operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of IMC Group (International Metalworking Companies), the world's second-largest cemented carbide cutting tool group, which is itself majority-owned by Berkshire Hathaway following its 2006 investment in IMC. The company sells globally through 28 overseas subsidiaries across 29 countries and 19 domestic Japanese sales offices, supplemented by authorized distributors and a direct online shop — with international sales representing 73% of revenue. The customer base spans automotive, aerospace, medical device, heavy industry and power generation, die and mold, oil and gas, bearing, and small-parts/watch/electronics manufacturers, addressed via a quote-based, B2B sales motion with multi-year contracts available. The company is privately held, does not publicly disclose revenue, and is led by President and Representative Director Satoshi Kinoshita.

The company's revenue model is anchored in B2B hardware sales of consumable cutting tools, supplemented by industrial products derived from its powder-metallurgy technology base (friction materials for brake/clutch applications, wear-resistant products, and civil-engineering tools). Pricing is not transparently published and is negotiated through distributors and direct sales representatives based on application-specific volumes and requirements. The business model is differentiated by a combination of recurring consumable revenue, a globally distributed technical-support network, and digital workflow tools (Gabby AI, Matrix, e-Catalog, cost calculators) that bind customers into Tungaloy's tool-selection and inventory-management ecosystem.

Name

Tungaloy

Legal name

株式会社タンガロイ (Tungaloy Corporation)

Website

https://tungaloy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1934

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Tungaloy Corporation, founded in 1934 in Iwaki, Japan, manufactures carbide inserts, drills, end mills, and modular exchangeable-head cutting tools for automotive, aerospace, medical, heavy industry, and bearing manufacturers globally. It operates across 29 countries as a subsidiary of IMC Group (owned by Berkshire Hathaway).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Metalworking Cutting Tools

NAICS

Cutting Tool and Machine Tool Accessory Manufacturing (333515)

SIC

Machine Tools, Metal Cutting Types (3541), Metalworkg Machinery & Equipment (3540)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Cutting tool manufacturing
• Carbide inserts
• Metalworking tools
• Exchangeable head drilling
• Indexable turning tools

Headquarters

HQ city

Iwaki

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cutting Tool Sales: Primary revenue from manufacturing and selling cutting tool inserts, drills, end mills, and toolholders to manufacturing companies globally
2. Industrial Products: Revenue from wear-resistant products, friction materials (brake pads), and civil engineering tools derived from powder metallurgy technology

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Tungaloy manufactures and sells cemented carbide, cermet, CBN, PCD, and ceramic cutting tools used in metalworking. The portfolio spans turning, grooving, milling, hole making, and tooling systems, including proprietary head-exchangeable modular platforms such as DrillMeister, TungMeister, and ReamMeister. The company also produces friction materials (TungFric), wear-resistant products, and civil engineering tools derived from powder metallurgy technology, and distributes digital tools (e-Catalog, Gabby AI agent, MATRIX tool management, cost calculators) to support tool selection and inventory automation.

Product overview

Tungaloy Corporation is a cutting tool manufacturer headquartered in Iwaki, Japan, belonging to the IMC Group (International Metalworking Companies). The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of metal cutting tools organized into five main categories: Turning (inserts, external/internal turning, small-part machining, threading), Grooving (TetraForce-Cut, TetraMini-Cut, DuoJust-Cut, TungCut, MiniV-LockGroove), Milling (high-feed DoFeed/MillQuadFeed, shoulder milling Tung-Tri/DoForce-Tri, face milling, slot mills TungSlot, profile milling TungTri-Shred, TungMeister), Hole making (DrillMeister, DrillForce-Meister, AddMeisterDrill, DeepTri-Drill, ReamMeister, TungSix-Drill), and Tooling (TungCap quick-change system). The portfolio also includes head-exchangeable modular systems (DrillMeister, TungMeister, ReamMeister, ModuMini-Turn) that reduce carbide consumption by allowing only the cutting head to be replaced. Supporting digital tools include Gabby AI agent for tool selection, e-Catalog with CAD downloads, various cost saving calculators (TungMeister, DrillMeister, ReamMeister, ModuMini-Turn, TungCap), drawing generators for special tools, and the Matrix tool management system. The company also produces industrial products including wear-resistant tools, friction materials (TungFric), and civil engineering cutting tools. Manufacturing is conducted at four domestic plants: Iwaki (cutting tools, carbide), Nagoya (drills), Nirazaki (friction materials, wear-resistant products), and Kyushu (PCBN, PCD).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NTK Cutting Tools: NTK product line covering miniature machining, HRSA machining, cast iron machining, hardened materials machining, non-ferrous materials machining, and mill rolls machining.

Products and services

• DrillMeister Head-exchangeable solid carbide drilling system covering diameters Ø6.0–25.9 mm with L/D ratios 1.5–12 and DMP, DMF, and DMC head types for general-purpose, counterbore, and high-precision drilling. Targets manufacturers needing to reduce tool change downtime and carbide consumption.
• TungMeister Head-changeable milling system using a single shank with exchangeable heads for milling, slotting, drilling, tapping, and special form cutting. Designed for high-mix manufacturing operations that require quick tooling changes and reduced carbide waste.
• DrillForce-Meister Head-exchangeable drill for large hole diameters Ø20–41 mm with L/D ratios 3–8. Suited for heavy industry and large component manufacturing requiring solid-drill performance with indexable-drill convenience.
• ReamMeister Head-changeable reamer system offering diameters from 11.000 to 32.100 mm in multiple tolerance grades for through and blind holes. Targeted at precision machining operations in automotive and aerospace component production.
• ModuMini-Turn Modular head turning toolholder system for Swiss machines and small CNC lathes, achieving ±5 µm repeatability accuracy. Available in QC10, QC12, and QC16 square shank sizes for small parts and watch/electronics machining.
• TungCap Quick-change polygonal coupling tooling system conforming to ISO 26623-1, covering sizes C3 to C8. Provides high clamping rigidity through dual-contact at taper and flange face for turning and rotating tool holders including collet chucks.
• DoFeed / DoFeedQuad / MillQuadFeed High-feed milling cutter series optimized for face milling of steel, cast iron, stainless steel, and heat-resistant alloys. Features helix insert geometry for improved chip flow in roughing operations.
• Tung-Tri / DoForce-Tri Shoulder milling cutters with high-positive helical cutting edges delivering surface finish quality and wall accuracy. DoForce-Tri offers double-sided 6-corner T-type inserts for economical shoulder milling.
• TungForce-Rec Small-diameter cutter for deep shoulder milling and grooving operations, offering superior cutting performance compared to solid carbide tools. Recently expanded with new cutter body options in 06, 12, and 18 insert sizes and AH8015 material grade.
• TungCut / DuoJust-Cut Grooving and parting tool series featuring high-rigidity clamping systems. TungCut offers 1.2 mm groove width with 3D chipbreaker inserts; DuoJust-Cut features unique dual-side clamping for stable parting. TungShortCut offers 0.8–1.0 mm widths for narrow parting.
• TetraForce-Cut / TetraMini-Cut Economical grooving tools with 4-corner insert design and unique pocket shapes for ground inserts. TetraMini-Cut is optimized for narrow groove and shallow machining with superior cost efficiency.
• DeepTri-Drill Deep hole drilling system with chip splitter inserts for improved chip evacuation. Standard L/D ratios include 8, 10, 15, 20, 25, 35, 40, and 45; achieves IT10 hole accuracy with high straightness and surface finish.
• TungSix-Drill Indexable drill with unique 6-corner insert design for economical hole drilling. Central insert geometry provides edge strength and stability even in interrupted cutting conditions.
• StreamJetBar Anti-vibration boring bar with internal coolant channels for suppressing chatter in long overhang boring applications, compatible with extended tool lengths up to 10× bar diameter.
• BoreMeister Anti-vibration boring bar system with built-in damping mechanism for suppressing chatter in extended boring operations, enabling stable machining with long tool overhangs.
• DoTwistBall Contour copying ball nose end mill featuring high-positive helical insert geometry and strong insert seat design. 4-corner inserts with 120° spread suitable for ramping operations.
• TungSlot Series Slot mill series covering thin-blade/slitting saw types for cut-off and thin slots, side and face cutters for grooves, half-side cutters for one-side shoulder machining, and form slot mills for profile generation. Minimum groove widths from 1.6 mm to 25 mm.
• CBN Inserts Cubic boron nitride cutting inserts including BX5015 for gray cast iron and HF/HS/HP/HM chipbreaker types for finishing to medium cutting of hardened materials. Tungaloy ranks 4th globally in CBN production.
• Cermet Grades Specialized cermet insert grades combining ceramic and metallic components for precision finishing in steel and alloy-steel applications, optimized for shallow depths of cut and high cutting speeds.
• PCD/PCBN Tools Polycrystalline diamond and polycrystalline cubic boron nitride cutting tools manufactured at the Kyushu plant, used for machining non-ferrous materials, hardened steels, and precision components.
• YCGT Precision-Ground Inserts for Y-Pro Series Precision-ground YCGT inserts with 25-degree corner angle for complex turning operations including profiling, undercutting, and V-groove machining. Incorporates 3D chipbreaker geometry and SH7025 grade for dimensional accuracy and optimized chipbreaking.
• NTK Cutting Tools NTK product line covering miniature machining, HRSA (heat-resistant super-alloy) machining, cast iron/ductile cast iron machining, hardened materials machining, non-ferrous materials machining, and mill rolls machining.
• TungFric Friction Materials Friction material product line for brake and clutch components, manufactured at the Nirasaki plant from powder metallurgy technology. Used in industrial braking and clutch applications.
• MATRIX Tool Management System Tool management system for automated inventory control, tool issuance/return tracking, and purchase order management. Features automatic ordering to maintain inventory levels and reduce machine downtime from tool shortages.
• Gabby AI Tool Selection Assistant AI-powered conversational agent supporting tool selection, catalog checks, machining record searches, and competitor alternative recommendations. Uses natural language processing to interpret machining conditions across turning, grooving, milling, holemaking, tapping, and thread milling applications.
• e-Catalog Online catalog system providing CAD data (DXF, STP), specifications, dimensions, and compatibility information for Tungaloy's complete product range, accessible at catalog.tungaloy.com.
• Tung-Navi Tool Search Engine Online tool search engine for finding optimal cutting tools based on specific machining requirements, available via web browser and as the Dr. Carbide mobile app for iOS and Android.
• Tungaloy Mobile App Mobile application offering machining solutions for engineers and salespersons, providing tool selection assistance, specifications lookup, and technical resources on iOS and Android.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 50% reduction in tool cost achievable with DrillMeister compared to solid carbide drills
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IMC Group (International Metalworking Companies)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMC Group is the parent company of Tungaloy, representing world's second-largest cemented carbide cutting tool group. Tungaloy operates as a member of IMC alongside Iscar, TaeguTec, and Ingersoll. IMC is an Israeli-headquartered international metalworking companies group.
• Xebec Technology Co., Ltd.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerXebec Technology hosted a seminar on 'Total Solution for Process Integration from Program Creation to Processing and Finishing' at Okuma Corporation's facility, with Tungaloy as a participating company demonstrating machining solutions for addressing manufacturing labor shortages.
• Daishowa Seiki Co., Ltd.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerParticipating company in the Xebec Technology-hosted seminar on process integration, alongside Tungaloy, for collaborative presentation on manufacturing efficiency solutions.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sandvik Coromant: Sandvik Coromant is the world's largest cemented carbide cutting tool manufacturer and a direct competitor to Tungaloy across turning, milling, drilling, and tooling systems, serving the same automotive, aerospace, and general manufacturing customers.
• Kennametal: Kennametal is a US-listed tooling and wear parts producer that directly competes with Tungaloy in carbide inserts, milling, turning, and hole-making products for aerospace, transportation, and industrial markets.
• Mitsubishi Materials (Cutting Tools): Mitsubishi Materials' cutting tool division is a major Japanese competitor offering inserts, drills, end mills, and tooling systems across the same automotive, aerospace, and heavy industry verticals as Tungaloy.
• Walter Tools (Walter/United Grinding): Walter is a German premium cutting tool manufacturer (part of Walter/United Grinding Group) that competes directly with Tungaloy in precision turning, milling, drilling, and grooving tools for aerospace and general industrial customers.
• Iscar: Iscar is Tungaloy's sister company within IMC Group and a direct peer, offering a parallel portfolio of carbide inserts, milling, turning, and tooling systems under the same IMC/Berkshire umbrella.
• TaeguTec: TaeguTec is another IMC Group sibling company and direct peer, providing turning, milling, drilling, and grooving tools that overlap with Tungaloy's product range, particularly in Asia.
• Ingersoll Cutting Tools: Ingersoll Cutting Tools is an IMC Group sibling specializing in milling and turning tooling, providing a direct comparable for Tungaloy's milling product line and serving overlapping aerospace and heavy equipment customers.
• OSG Corporation: OSG is a Japanese manufacturer of taps, end mills, drills, and threading tools that directly competes with Tungaloy in hole-making and small-diameter tooling for automotive and general industrial customers.
• Kyocera (Industrial Tool Division): Kyocera's cutting tool business offers carbide inserts, drills, and modular tooling systems that overlap with Tungaloy's portfolio in automotive, aerospace, and electronics manufacturing.
• Sumitomo Electric Hardmetal (Sumitomo): Sumitomo Electric Hardmetal is a Japanese carbide tool maker producing inserts, drills, and milling cutters that compete head-to-head with Tungaloy in automotive powertrain and general industrial machining.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tungaloyjapan
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TungaloyCorporation
• Facebookfacebook.com/TungaloyJapan
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tungaloy-corporation
• Instagraminstagram.com/tungaloyjapan
• TikToktiktok.com/@tungaloy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries28 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 Tungaloy