In the past decade, toolrooms have evolved from simple shop storage facilities to data-driven hubs of efficiency. Manufacturers ranging from small job shops to global companies have found innovative ways to bring together people, processes, and technology that drive faster, more cost-effective workflows around comprehensive cutting tool management. 

ZOLLER has recognized this shift to more modern manufacturing with Toolroom of the Year, which marked its second year at IMTS 2026. The competition awards ZOLLER customers who demonstrate a commitment to pushing forward efficiency and connectivity in the toolroom and on the shop floor. 

“An efficient toolroom is more than organized tooling,” explained Zach Goodbody, a 2026 Toolroom of the Year Judge and Senior CNC Programmer at General Atomics. “It’s the foundation for keeping machines running, reducing setup time, and giving people the right tools when they need them.” 

Our 2026 winners have created exceptional toolrooms that inspire other manufacturers to continue building their smart factories of the future.  

Do you have what it takes to be the ZOLLER Toolroom of the Year?  
 

The Collins Aerospace toolroom is the foundation of its Smart Factory 

Collins Aerospace, based in Oakville, Ontario, is one of the world’s largest suppliers of aerospace and defense systems. It earned first place in the 2026 ZOLLER Toolroom of the Year competition for its advanced approach to aerospace and defense manufacturing and toolroom excellence. 

The Oakville site specializes in the design, manufacture, assembly, testing, and support of advanced aerospace components and systems, including landing gear and structural aerospace products for commercial and military aircraft. Collins Aerospace significantly improved operational efficiency across this facility using a combination of its integrated tool management process, RFID automation, a TMS tool management systems database, and a variety of ZOLLER technology, including tool presetters and tool management hardware. 

By integrating data across the shop floor, Collins Aerospace now has full visibility into its tooling assets and can manage inventory more efficiently. Its modern toolroom has become the foundation for continuing efforts to build a Smart Factory. 

“Collins Aerospace is a very forward-looking company, and they want to incorporate more automation. They are constantly working toward achieving their goals,” said Chander Bhardwaj, General Manager at ZOLLER Canada. “They have created a massive database to start with for automation progression.” 

The newer method has reduced setup times, minimized operator errors, improved tooling availability, and lowered the risk of machine crashes. Collins Aerospace can now manufacture complex landing gear components more efficiently than ever before. 

“If we make a mistake, that’s a $200,000-$300,000 error, so it’s a big deal that we have perfect quality. We’re always driving for zero defects in our facility,” said Sean Cox, Senior Operations Manager of Operations at Collins Aerospace. “This is one of the big achievements for us, where we can move right from the machine, right into the tooling management center, change the insert, know the insert is going to be good, and that all of that tool data is transferred onto a RFID chip back to the machine, without any possibility of error.”  
 

A modernized toolroom drives seamless production for EST Tool & Machine  

A culture of continuous improvement secured second place for EST Tool & Machine, a third-generation, family-owned job shop founded in 1994.  

The company has spent the past ten years making significant investments in shop technology to eliminate manual data entry and disconnected systems. Tool data is now captured on a »smile« tool presetter, logged with a »ZidCode« scanner, and delivered to the machine with ZOLLER »toolCarts«.  

“A connected tool room is foundational to EST Tool’s intelligent approach to manufacturing. ZOLLER’s systems keep us organized and efficient, with our finger always on the pulse of the shop floor,” said Brad Taylor, Engineering Manager at EST Tool and Machine. 
 

Milacron builds a better toolroom process with ZOLLER 

In third place was Milacron, a global industrial leader in the manufacturing and distribution of highly engineered and customized injection molding and extrusion solutions, and aftermarket parts and service for the plastics processing market.  

Milacron built a comprehensive tool library by leveraging »zidCode 4.0« and multiple ZOLLER »keepers«. The setup makes data transfer seamless and speeds up tool changeovers significantly. 

“An organized toolroom ensures the right tool is available at the right time, supporting efficiency, reliability, and continuous improvement across the entire operation,” said JC Meeker, Manufacturing Engineering Manager at Milacron. 

ZOLLER’s flexible integrations with CAD/CAM interfaces have also allowed the two companies to customize the toolroom as needed. 

“What I like most is ZOLLER’s willingness to develop solutions focused on our needs,” Meeker said.