The ultimate closed-door machining challenge: Inside the turnkey collaboration with Niles-Simmons and Sandvik Coromant
When precision isn’t optional, you need more than the newest, shiniest technology — you need a partnership built on trust, expertise, and vision. That’s what brought Niles-Simmons (part of NSH Group) and Sandvik Coromant together to deliver a complete turnkey solution for an international customer in the aerospace industry.
At the center of the project was a major challenge: machining landing gear. These parts are integral to aircrafts and must be produced with extreme precision and process security. To meet this challenge, Niles-Simmons enhanced their existing machine platform by integrating Sandvik Coromant tooling, software, and deep application expertise — introducing CoroPlus® Connected for a smoother and safer machining process.
This collaboration clearly demonstrates the essence of manufacturing wellness: embracing new technology, sharing know-how across organizations, and building smarter solutions that benefit everyone involved.
Insights from the experts
To dig deeper into the story behind the solution, we spoke to two people who lived and breathed this project: Michael Herrmann, Account Manager for Niles-Simmons (NSH Group), and Jens Nannen, Global Business & Partner Development Manager at Sandvik Coromant. From commercial context to technical fine-tuning, their perspectives help uncover what really made this collaboration tick and what it means for the future of aerospace component manufacturing.
Let’s pick their brains.
Tackling the challenge
One of the key challenges was understanding the behavior of the titanium under varying machining conditions. Its challenging machinability can lead to rapid tool wear and concentrated heat at the cutting zone — factors that demand precise process control to avoid variation and ensure consistent quality. But this project added another layer of complexity: it had to be done under closed-door machining conditions. With no operator watching the cut, everything depended on digital transparency and real-time feedback.
The team needed a system that could monitor load, deflection and vibration to help avoid scrap and ensure consistency. The end result was powered by live sensor data, representing a major leap beyond traditional static programming.
Can you walk us through how the sensorized tools helped in this tough application?
Jens Nannen: With the sensorized Silent Tools™ Plus in place, we were able to achieve tight, hard-to-reach geometries while maintaining full control over surface quality and tool load — all visualized in real time through the app’s user interface.
This transparency helped us increase the material removal rate by 20 percent. The proven damping system also stabilized the process, even with the long overhang required in this application (14 times the tool diameter).
When combined with CoroPlus® Connected and its machine control integration, we added an extra layer of security. The stop-and-retract function automatically activates in case of unexpected events such as overload, tool breakage, or excessive vibration.
Unlike traditional monitoring systems that rely on machine drive data, this solution measures directly in the tool itself, offering a much higher level of reliability. That kind of dependability is essential when machining in closed environments where visual monitoring isn’t possible.
It gives the operator confidence and control, even without direct line of sight to the cutting process.
The power of collaboration
Beyond technology, the success of the project came down to close collaboration. Frequent dialogue, early involvement, and a shared goal allowed both teams to co-develop a solution that worked — not just in theory, but in practice.
Michael Herrmann: We didn’t go into this just a supplier; they brought us in as a strategic partner. That kind of trust doesn’t happen overnight – it’s the result of years of working side by side, solving problems together. From the very beginning, we worked closely to integrate the right tooling and software into the machine concept. That early involvement made a big difference. It helped us anticipate challenges, move quickly, and build a solution that truly delivered.
What’s one moment during the project where the collaboration really stood out or led to a breakthrough
Michael Hermann: Passion to win – that mindset carried us through. When things got complicated, that shared drive, and commitment helped us push through the frustration and stay focused on finding the right solution. Otherwise, you’d go crazy!
The final result
The outcome is not just a high-performance machining solution but a smarter, more sustainable manufacturing approach. Automation supports consistency, tooling extends tool life, and waste is engineered out of the equation. These are the real gains of practicing manufacturing wellness: less stress for operators, better margins for manufacturers, and higher confidence for end users. A win for quality, a win for uptime, and a win for the environment.
What lessons or approaches from this project do you think will become more common in aerospace or other industries going forward?
Both: There’s definitely a shift toward smarter, in-cut monitoring and real-time process feedback, especially in industries like aerospace, where component value is extremely high, and scrap must be avoided. What we implemented here with live sensor feedback, automation, and close integration between tooling and machine will likely become the norm.
But more importantly, the collaborative model — getting involved early and solving challenges together — will be key to future success. No one can deliver something like this alone; it has to be done in partnership.
