MISSISSAUGAIsraeli cutting tool giant Iscar hosted a splashy Canadian launch for its IQ line of turning, drilling, gripping and milling tools at the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga, ON, on May 7.
A total of 312 people representing Iscar top brass, distributors, machine shops and media registered for the event. The mostly male audience, dressed in business causal, munched on catered meals and packed a Living Arts theatre for the all-day presentation.
The theme for the launch was “machining intelligently”—an attribute epitomized by the IQ line according to Iscar CEO Jacob Harpaz who led the presentation.
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Machining intelligently involves non-stop 24-hour cutting, minimum downtime and set-up time, easy cutting, less power consumption, vibration and chatter-free operations, efficient chip evacuation, lower costs and higher productivity, Harpaz explained.
Harpaz flashed slides and offered details about tools in the Dove-IQ-Turn Heavy Duty line, Sumo-Cham drill line, Dove-IQ- Grip Tiger line, Heli-IQ-Mill 390 line, etc. He was interrupted at several points by a trio of female musicians who shimmied on stage bearing violins and a cello to play music and dazzle.
David MacNiven, president of E.M. Precise Tool in Stoney Creek, ON, a major ISCAR distributor, was impressed by the day’s proceedings.
Iscar “always put on a first-class show” he said, adding, “they’re always coming out with something to machine better and faster.”
“This is the biggest investment Iscar has ever had in terms of product introductions,” noted Iscar general manager Ronnie O’Byrne, in a pre-presentation interview.
During a break, Harpaz offered a few quick remarks for Canadian metalworking. He agreed with a suggestion that the lavish launch reflected the return of manufacturing to North America.
As for IQ, it’s “a good product line,” said Harpaz.
