Even though "buyer beware" is a common phrase in consumer markets, it's rarely applied to industrial buying and selling activities. But it should be. Certain trends in the metalworking industry are making this warning more urgent than ever before. These trends are occurring among both cutting tool users and cutting tool vendors. Users are eliminating or severely cutting back their technical staffs, which spur the advancement of manufacturing technology. At the same time, many users are implementing supplier-consolidation programs. Cutting tool suppliers are acquiring companies to expand product offerings and are developing sole sourcing programs. These activities dilute manufacturing technology and relegate much of the cutting tool technology development to academia and small businesses with limited resources.
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