At JIMTOF 2026, held from October 26–31, 2026, WALTER presented four machines at the UNITED MACHINING SOLUTIONS booth. In addition to the VISION LASER, HELITRONIC POWER DIAMOND 400, and ATP – Automated Tool Production, the German machine tool manufacturer also exhibited the proven HELICHECK PLUS measuring machine.
VISION LASER
WALTER’s latest laser machining center, the VISION LASER, offers innovative laser technology for a wide range of applications involving brazed tools in modern tool production. The machine’s design is based on the HELITRONIC VISION, which has proven its reliability over decades.
The laser technology used offers industrially proven reliability for the precise and efficient laser machining of tools with high quality requirements.
The VISION LASER offers all the capabilities needed for machining:
- PCD (polycrystalline diamond)
- CVD (chemically vapor-deposited diamond)
- MKD (monocrystalline diamond)
- Carbide
The VISION LASER industrial laser system enables:
- Applications: Applications include, for example, end mills, ball-end mills, step tools, and many more.
- Chip- and crack-free cutting edges: Perfect for both fine and coarse grit sizes, which enhances performance and maximizes wear resistance.
- Machining complex geometries: Complex 3D geometries, such as chip breakers and concave internal contours, can be machined with the highest precision.
- Operation without consumables: No need for cooling lubricants, filters, or wires, which reduces resource consumption and operating costs.
Compared to wire EDM, the VISION LASER offers:
- Manufacturing in a single setup: The blank is clamped in place, and the finished tool is removed, including, for example, chip breakers.
- Impressive cutting speed: Up to twice as fast with comparable materials.
- Material independence: The hardness and electrical properties of the material are irrelevant, enabling seamless machining of even the hardest composite materials.
- Highest surface quality: Extremely low surface roughness values (Ra), ideal for high-performance tools
The GTR ProfDia Laser software is used as a classic application, similar to GTR ProfDia Erosion, which has been widely used in wire EDM for decades and thus offers GTR-experienced users an easy introduction to operating the new laser machine.
Additional features of the VISION LASER:
- Automatic calibration: Precision made easy. Automatic calibration of the axes, the laser focus position, and the center of rotation minimizes operator effort and enables highly precise and efficient manufacturing processes.
- Sustainability: Continuous monitoring of machine consumption data, such as air consumption, energy consumption, laser and scan head status, and temperature monitoring.
- Live Process Cameras: Three optional cameras are available for measuring blanks and monitoring the machining process; they can display the machining process in an overview or individually in full-screen mode.
25 Years of HELITRONIC DIAMOND
What began in 2001 with the HELITRONIC POWER DIAMOND is now the industry standard: the WALTER 2-in-1 concept for grinding and EDM in a single machine. For a quarter of a century, tool manufacturers worldwide have benefited from high flexibility, efficient processes, and consistent tool quality.
The DIAMOND family has been continuously refined over the years and currently includes the following machines:
- HELITRONIC DIAMOND EVOLUTION
- HELITRONIC RAPTOR DIAMOND
- HELITRONIC POWER DIAMOND 400 (displayed at the UNITED MACHINING SOLUTIONS booth at JIMTOF 2026)
- HELITRONIC VISION DIAMOND 400 L
In addition to combining both technologies, cost-effective production through automation also plays a central role. All machines in the DIAMOND family can be equipped with robotic loaders and grinding wheel changers, enabling unmanned production.
Two of the latest developments:
- Fire Stop & Go (launched in 2025): The system detects critical situations in real time and interrupts the process before major damage occurs. This reduces downtime and increases safety and productivity.
- Next-Gen Eroding (launched at GrindingHub 2026): With the new generation of controls, EDM becomes up to 20% faster, while maintaining the same machining quality.
ATP – Automated Tool Production
Increased efficiency, competition, and a shortage of skilled workers make a higher degree of automation in industrial production absolutely essential. The new “Automated Tool Production (ATP)” system from WALTER requires no additional floor space, can be integrated into existing system layouts, and is also suitable as an interface for machines from other manufacturers. WALTER works with strong partners to develop this automation solution.
It consists of at least one robot cell (ATP ROBOCELL) accessible from the front for automatic loading and unloading of the machines, and at least one autonomous, mobile transport robot (ATP AMR) for transporting workpiece pallets and individual parts between the storage and processing stations. This also includes a standardized communication model between the machines and the ATP AMR transport robot, as well as a control system for higher-level data and process control.
WALTER customers can easily retrofit the ATP system into their existing production facilities without having to change the existing system layout. A separate removal station for the in-process exchange of individual parts between the measuring and machining machines enables automatic correction and thus fully closed-loop processes.
In the ATP ROBOCELL, a multi-range gripper contributes to the system’s high flexibility. It covers a wide range of workpiece diameters without changing the gripper unit and can exchange the collets simultaneously.