Factory Tooling Solutions is excited to announce our return to the Wichita Industrial Trade Show 2025 (WITS), taking place October 21–23, 2025 at the Century II Performing Arts & Convention Center in Wichita, Kansas. As one of the largest regional manufacturing and machining trade shows in the Midwest, WITS 2025 brings together professionals from across the industrial, aerospace, agricultural, and energy sectors to explore the latest in machine tools, precision tooling, automation, workholding, and metalworking technology.

Held every other year since 1974, the Wichita Tool Show has built a strong reputation as a must-attend event for manufacturers, engineers, and industry leaders throughout Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and surrounding states. Factory Tooling Solutions will be showcasing product innovations from all 19 of our world-class principals, giving attendees a hands-on look at the cutting tools, toolholding systems, workholding, and metalworking fluids that drive manufacturing efficiency and precision.

Our booth will feature a wide-ranging display of tooling innovations and solutions from all of the world-class principals we represent. This is a great opportunity to get hands-on with the latest products featured on our website and speak directly with the FTS team about your application challenges.

Explore the Full Factory Tooling Solutions Lineup
You’ll find product samples and technical displays from across our lineup, including:
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• Boneham Metal Products (BMP) – Dowel pins, drill bushings, and custom precision components
• Carmex – Thread milling tools, DMT carbide, and laydown inserts
• Canela – Lathe holders, ISO boring bars, and turning tools
• Dümmel – Ultra Mini and Swiss Line micro-machining tools
• Everede – Specialty boring bars, indexable ANSI tools, and custom form tools
• Fullerton Tool – High-performance end mills like VMAC, Fury, and Aluma series
• Greenleaf – Advanced ceramic inserts and tooling for titanium and Inconel
• Hangsterfer’s Laboratories – High-performance coolants like 5080, Hardcut GTL, and S 500CF
• HEULE Tool – COFA, BSF, and other automated back chamfering and deburring tools
• Huot – ToolScoots, CNC tool storage systems, drill dispensers
• Jergens Workholding – Ball Lock, 5-Axis vises, tombstones, and quick-change fixturing
• MAPAL – Replaceable head reamers, QTD indexable drills, and PCD tooling
• Nine9 – Spot drills, chamfer mills, engraving and centering tools
• OMG – Right angle heads, speed increasers, and facing heads
• Rego-Fix – Powergrip, ER collets, and RE Cool coolant-through technology
• Riten Industries – Live centers, face drivers, and workholding support products
• Rocky Mountain Twist – Cobalt drills, threaded shank drills, and micro stop countersinks
• Superior Abrasives – Quick-change discs, flap wheels, and convolute finishing products
• Tanis Brush – Disc brushes, bore hone brushes, and abrasive filament tools

See What’s New – and What’s Next
If you’re looking to stay competitive in precision manufacturing, you won’t want to miss this event. Our team will be on-hand to guide you through tooling strategies, help identify cost-saving opportunities, and match your application with the right products.

Whether you’re optimizing for cycle time, surface finish, or material removal rates, FTS has the solutions to help you stay ahead.

We look forward to seeing you in Wichita this October!

by Bernard Martin

If you're CNC machining you already know that every saved second counts—especially when it comes to setup and cycle times. That’s where the Nine9 i-Center Drill System, available through Factory Tooling Solutions, sets itself apart. Engineered for high-speed CNC environments, the i-Center combines spotting, chamfering, and centering into a single tool, drastically reducing tool changes and setup complexity.

What Makes the I-Center, the World’s First Indexable Center Drill, Unique?
The i-Center is truly new patented innovation. Developed by Nine9, the i-Center holds the distinction of being the first indexable carbide center drill in the world. The tool's trademark design allows shops to replace inserts without regrinding or resetting tool lengths—saving significant time and improving repeatability.

Unlike traditional center drills or spot drills that require slower feed rates and specialized geometries, the Nine9  i-Center is designed to run at the same feed rates and speeds as your standard twist drills. That means no dwell time, no chip welding, and no additional spotting cycle—just accurate, efficient centering with clean chamfered edges.

Tool Life, Accuracy & Coolant Delivery
The i-Center delivers more than just a precise start—it delivers productivity. With high-pressure coolant routed directly through the center of the toolholder to the insert tip, you get enhanced chip evacuation, better cooling at the cut, and longer tool life even in tough materials.

Plus, thanks to the rigid clamping system and consistent insert positioning, there’s no need to reset tool length after an insert change. That means faster changeovers and less machine downtime.

One Tool – Multiple Operations
With a standard center drill, you're often limited by tool wear, inconsistent lengths, and added tool changes. The i-Center takes all that hassle off the table. Whether you’re prepping a hole for a twist drill or chamfering before tapping, this system allows you to:

• Spot
• Center
• Chamfer
• Deburr

—all with a single tool and repeatable performance.

Real-World Efficiency
In the demo video below, the Nine9 i-Center performs rapid spotting on hardened materials without the need for slowing the spindle or retracting between cycles. This translates to:

• Faster part-to-part changeovers
• Better alignment for deep hole drilling
• Extended insert life due to optimized cutting angles

Available Tooling Options
The i-Center system includes:

• Insert types for 90° and 120° spotting
  
• Toolholders available in straight shank or modular configurations
• Coated insert options for extended life in abrasive materials

Optimize Your Toolpath
Whether you’re working in aerospace, mold & die, medical, or general machining, the Nine9 i-Center helps improve productivity, reduce tool inventory, and ensure repeatable precision with fewer setups. It’s the ideal solution for any shop looking to streamline its drilling process without compromising quality.

Ready to streamline your spotting and chamfering operations? Ask Factory Tooling Solutions how the Nine9 i-Center can save time, reduce tool changes, and improve hole quality—right from the first operation.