WIXOM, MI, USA, Oct 12, 2026 – ANCA has announced the winners of the 2026 ANCA Tool of the Year Awards at IMTS 2026, recognising exceptional creativity, technical capability and leadership across the global cutting-tool industry.
ARCH Medical Grinding received the 2026 ANCA Tool of the Year award for a multipurpose surgical tool concept developed by Mark Delaney and Ryan Alderfer with future robotic surgery in mind. Created using ANCA’s ToolRoom and CIM3D software platforms, the entry combines realistic cutting geometry with a polished overall design. Its refined features demonstrate a strong understanding of practical multi-tool geometry, complemented by milling operations that add complexity and showcase the team’s creative use of ANCA software.
The tool combines drilling, reaming and tapping functions with a cannulated design, a milled pocket for a nitinol wire and a screwdriver at the opposite end. By bringing multiple functions into a single tool, the concept aims to reduce tool changes in robotic surgery. Delaney and Alderfer also produced the tool on an ANCA MX7 and tested its functionality, bringing traditional cutting-tool design principles to an emerging application where precise geometry, runout and cutting performance will become increasingly important.
Mark Delaney, Vice President of Operations at ARCH Medical Grinding, said: “It’s an honour to win with such gifted tool makers from around the world in the contest. It means even a little more as we are the first I believe to win from the medical device industry. It also means the mentors from my past are still influencing the next great generation of toolmakers in Ryan and others like him. I wanted to put on display the talented young team we have and Ryan’s capabilities in design, focusing on what I believe future surgical tools will look like.”
The ANCA Tool of the Year Awards have become a global platform for celebrating the skill and ingenuity of the people behind cutting-tool innovation. The 2026 competition focused exclusively on virtual innovation, inviting entrants to explore ambitious tool geometries, advanced grinding strategies and new design concepts without the material cost of producing a physical tool. The category gave toolmakers and programmers the freedom to demonstrate what is possible when precision engineering and imagination meet in a fully digital environment.
ARCH Medical Grinding has been named Tool of the Year 2026 winner
ANCA also named Jessica Kuenn from Gorilla Mill as Female Machinist of the Year 2026. Since moving from a white-collar career into manufacturing, Kuenn has developed her skills as a grinder and begun expanding into programming.
“This award feels like a reflection of all the hard work and dedication I’ve put into that journey. It’s also a reminder of how much I’ve grown and how much more I still want to learn and improve,” Kuenn said. “One of the things I enjoy most about this field is that there are so many ways to approach a challenge and reach the same goal. I am always curious to see what others are doing, how they approach their work, and what I can learn from their methods.”
Gorilla Mill accepting the Female Machinist Award on behalf of Jessica Kuenn
Celebrating the people shaping the industry
Presented live on the ANCA stand at IMTS 2026, the awards brought together customers, partners and industry visitors to celebrate the people using technology, expertise and imagination to move cutting-tool manufacturing forward.
By recognising excellence in virtual design and celebrating women making a meaningful impact in the industry, the ANCA Tool of the Year Awards reinforce ANCA’s commitment to supporting the next generation of engineers, programmers and manufacturing leaders worldwide.
2026 award recipients
ANCA Tool of the Year 2026
- Winning entry: ARCH Medical Grinding, USA
- Second place: TDM, Türkiye
- Third place: Roder Ferramentas, Brazil
ANCA Female Machinist of the Year 2026
- Winner: Jessica Kuenn, Gorilla Mill
- Finalists: Kajal Shrikant Ghule, Accusharp Cutting Tools Pvt Ltd
About ANCA
ANCA is a market leading manufacturer of CNC grinding machines. It was founded in 1974 in Melbourne, Australia where the company still has its global headquarters. ANCA CNC grinders are used for manufacturing precision cutting tools and components across a diverse range of competitive industries including cutting tool manufacturers, power generation, woodworking, automotive, aerospace, electronics and medical. For more information, visit www.anca.com.
