Skip to content 
SECO Tools and Sandvik Coromant: Which Swedish Company Offers Better Milling Performance?
Table of Contents
There are two Swedish world cutting tool leaders nd Sandvik Coromant whose milling solutions dictate production across Europe and in Germany’s high-precision manufacturing sector. German job shops from Tier-1 automotive suppliers to aerospace component specialists, ever and anon compared these firms’ milling products for a balance of productivity, cost value and surface finish.
This blog compares both brands on technical specifications, tool range depth, business fit and service footprint. It is for use by engineering procurement buyers, production planners and operations managers. It focuses on cutting data, tool life, surface finish, cost per component and German market requirements, seeking a data-based, plain language comparison of SECO vs Sandvik Coromant.
Brand Profiles
SECO Tools
➢ Corporate heritage
SECO has established itself as a strong competence in indexable systems and solid carbide end mills. It was founded in the 1920s and has its head office at Fagersta, Sweden. SECO is operationally independent with cost effective and performance based solutions acquired by Sandvik Group in 1997.
➢ German footprint
SECO Tools GmbH in Erkrath near Düsseldorf offers quick delivery, technical seminars, and field engineer consultation. Its European service network includes Germany, Austria, Switzerland and beyond.
➢ Philosophy
SECO concentrates on value engineering, where high metal removal rates are combined with cost savings. The company addresses midsized job shops where economics are at least as critical as performance.
Sandvik Coromant
➢ Innovation leadership
With over 3,000 R&D staff and approximately 1,800 patents worldwide, Sandvik Coromant invests heavily in coatings, substrate metallurgy and digital tooling platforms.
➢ Capabilities across the entire spectrum
From milling to drilling, turning and threading, the Coromant brand is a single stop solution for aerospace, medical, tool & die and energy sector applications.
➢ German presence
Sandvik has German demo centers for Live Machining, hybrid digital & live training and a larger German language support organization.
Both companies have their roots in Sweden but stress differently: SECO tools bring together economy and performance, and Sandvik stresses precision, innovation and utmost quality.
Milling Tool Portfolios
To compare milling capabilities, we detail each company’s product into solid carbide end mills, indexable/high feed systems and micro tooling.
Carbide End Mills for Steel, Stainless and Aluminium
SECO: Jabro Q4/Q5 series provides high feed mills, general-purpose and finish geometries for steel, stainless and aluminum. The cutters feature advanced coatings and optimized helix angles to minimize chatter.
Sandvik Coromant: CoroMill® Plura series e.g., Plura 108, 114 is geared for accurate milling in Profile, slotting, ramping and finishing. The stiff Plura HD version supports the workpiece in hardened materials.
Multi-Flute vs Roughing Geometries
SECO: Provides a reliable product lineup in this class with Turbo 10, Double Octomill, High Feed Square Cut, and Octo Mill 402. These tools possess wiper inserts and flute geometry for high material removal at stable feed rates.
Sandvik: CoroMill 390, 300, and MH20 series are appropriate for many sizes of machines from heavy duty machining centers to small CNCs. MH20 is appropriate for small machines or mold & die with high feeds.
High-Speed Machining Product Lines
SECO: Niagara Cutter series provides Ø0.5 to 2 mm micro end mill bits for fine cutting mold details, medical components and miniature aerospace parts. Provides improved chip removal and coating performance.
Sandvik Coromant: CoroDrill 400/860 micro drill allows for accurate micro hole drilling. These series are designed with a focus on coolant accessibility, flute life, and positional stability for ±10 μm tolerances.
Performance Metrics
Cutting performance benchmarking is the measurement of tool life, surface finish, cutting parameters, and cost factors. Listed below are important measurements that can be utilized in the German manufacturing industry.
Tool Life ISO Material Drill Down
➢ ISO P Structural steel
SECO high feed cutters Turbo 10, HFC have standard tool lives of 25 to 35 minutes per cycle when utilizing high feed.
Sandvik Coromant carbide inserts, e.g., GC4330 grade achieve 35 to 45 minutes, largely because of advanced coatings and edge prep.
➢ ISO M Stainless steel
SECO tools customers experience high performance with an optimized helical geometries tool life of ~20 to 30 minutes.
Sandvik attains prolonged life with hard substrate and PVD coatings to 40 minutes, for instance, in marine grade stainless.
➢ ISO N Aluminum alloys
Both these brands provide Al specific coatings and polished flutes. Tool life is similar to 60 to 80 minutes although Sandvik is slightly higher with the polished tools.
Recommended Cutting Parameters (vc, fz, rpm)
Typical applicable ranges Germany, 2025 standards:
Parameter | SECO Turbo/HFC Series | Sandvik CoroMill 390 |
Cutting speed vc | 180 to 300 m/min ISO P | 220 to 350 m/min with chip thinning |
Feed per tooth fz | 0.05 to 0.15 mm/tooth | 0.06 to 0.18 mm/tooth |
Depth of cut ap | Up to 8 × D roughing | Up to 10 × D in some cases |
Chip thickness | ~0.5 mm max | up to ~0.6 mm high feed |
SECO: German shops always achieve a Ra of 0.4 0.8 µm using wiper inserts and corner radius cutters.
Sandvik Coromant: Ra of 0.3 to 0.7 µm is standard even for trimming with high speed using corner radius, ball nose mills, and face mills.
Cost Per Machined Part
SECO’s regrinding possibilities and double sided inserts offer an average 5 to 10% reduced cost per part in roughing operations against Sandvik.
However Sandvik’s premium tools have a price premium of 20 to 30% higher cost by conserving change over time, downtime and rework particularly in surface integrity-sensitive applications.
Service and Market Presence in Germany
Lead Time and Inventory
SECO Germany Erkrath offers same day or next day delivery of indexable tools and classic Franco European tooling.
Sandvik Coromant maintains large inventories of tooling and inserts in Germany with constant production replacement and logistics support.
Digital Tool Selection Platforms
SECO Suggest
Tool comparison website enabling German shops to scan in existing cutters (e.g., competitor SK or Walter tools) and receive SECO tools replacements by geometry, tool material and cut.
Sandvik CoroPlus® Tool Guide
Sandvik is a digital configurator with tool selection guidance, cutting data calculation, and downloadable CAD/CAM data for Siemens NX, Mastercam, etc.
Technical Support & Training
Both companies possess vast support:
SECO’s field engineers visit German shops quite often to check tool setups and optimize cycles.
Sandvik provides live machine demonstrations, hybrid training courses, and certification training in the German language.
Pros and Cons
Cost per part
- SECO Tools: Employ double sided inserts, modular cutter bodies and low cost regrind programs in Germany for the best tool life and lowest total cost of ownership. In high volume production conditions, this can result in cost per part savings of up to 12% over single use equivalents.
- Sandvik Coromant:Commands a premium price in solid carbide and specialty tools. But this is often offset by longer unbroken tool life, decreased variation in tool wear and reduced tool changeover that translates into reduced downtime and maintenance labor. In the case of OEM producers with narrow production windows, this cost-effectiveness comes at the expense of higher spindle uptime.
Tool life across materials
- SECO Tools:Consistently achieves in ISO P and ISO N materials, especially structural steels S235, 42CrMo4 and aluminium alloys. With their Advanced Chip Control geometries and wear-resistant coatings like Niagara XT, SECO provides consistent tool life even at challenging feeds.
- Sandvik: The family of CoroMill indexes has the best performance in harder materials like ISO M stainless steel and ISO S heat resistant super alloys. Because of proprietary coatings like Inveio®, the family of CoroMill indexes typically lasts 15 to 25% longer than the others in high heat or interrupted cuts applications mission critical to medical, aerospace and energy applications.
Surface quality
- SECO Tools: Offers uniform Ra values under 0.8 µm in most finishing operations with ball nose end mill, corner radius end mill, and designed-for-performance chip breaker geometry. Particularly successful in aluminum die cast parts and general mold making.
- Sandvik:Sandvik cutting tools routinely achieve surface finishes of below 0.7 µm at high-speed finishing with improved edge preparation and micro polished flutes. In aerospace wing ribs or implants, the increased finish minimizes or eliminates Secondary polishing or grinding requirements.
Digital enablement
- SECO Tools: SECO Suggest web platform provides quick cross referencing with current tools and provides easy selection advice. Ideal for production managers and operators requiring a quick match by tool diameter and part material.
- Sandvik Coromant: Offers a full package under CoroPlus®, which includes Tool Library, Tool Guide, and Machining Insights. These are tightly integrated with industry leading CAM solutions such as Siemens NX, Master cam, and Hyper Mill offering simulation, collision check and real time optimization. It is of greatest use for digitally sophisticated German Tier 1 suppliers.
Logistics & availability
- SECO Tools:Maintains a large local stock of carbide end mill cutters, indexable tools, and micro drills in their Erkrath facility and has a secure supply on hand across Germany and Austria. Lead times for off-the-shelf items are approximately 24 to 48 hours.
- Sandvik:Operates a more comprehensive distribution and restocking system from its European Logistics Center with same day shipment capability for many SKUs. Has managed a strong lead in unusual tool geometries such as nonstandard corner radius end mills and special ball end mill
Training and support capabilities
- SECO Tools: Provisions on site application engineers, web-based training modules, and periodic technical workshops across the DACH region. SECO also collaborates with German technical universities and CNC schools for training.
- Sandvik Coromant:Offers Live Machining Events, qualified workshops and all-encompassing German language e learning. Their demo centers in Munich and Stuttgart contain live production cycles with Coromant tooling and are a valuable resource for large OEMs planning tool changeover projects.
Technical Comparison
The following table provides a side-by-side comparison of features and tools germane to German processing lines:
Application Type | SECO Tools Solution | Sandvik Coromant Solution |
High feed milling ISO P | Turbo 10 + HFC with wiper inserts, VC 200 to 300 | CoroMill 390/300 with chip thinning, VC 230 350 |
Finish milling ISO M | Jabro JSE 514 corner radius cutters, Ra 0.4 0.8 | Plura HD cutters, Ra 0.3 0.7, coated grade S205 |
Micro‑machining <Ø2 mm | Niagara micro end mills, high precision flutes | CoroDrill 860 micro drills with coolant fed design |
CAM/CAD integration | Tool Compare API + NX support | CoroPlus digital suite + libraries for CAM systems |
Decision Matrix Which Brand Best Fits Which Scenario?
Take your shop’s principal machining focus and make a tool choice accordingly:
● High volume roughing, cost conscious steel/aluminum work
SECO’s high feed indexables provide maximum cost efficiency and fast cycle times.
Precision finishing in stainless, titanium, alloy steel
Sandvik radius cutters and fine grade coatings offer superior surface finish and improved edge life.
● Mixed shop environment with micro hole and micro feature work
Use SECO tools small diameter end mills for features and Sandvik CoroDrill 860 for precise holes.
● Large OEM or aerospace supply chains
Sandvik supports CAD/CAM integration, certification and simulation based tool paths.
● Cost focused job shops
SECO suggests simplifying upgrades and cost comparisons.
Conclusion
Germany’s milling shop environment requires milling tools that can provide not only speed and surface quality, but the optimum cost per part and integration into digital tooling systems.
SECO Tools offers a compelling value proposition for budget-conscience and productivity-focused shops. With good field support, comparison websites and quick delivery in Germany, SECO meets the needs of mid-range and high turnover shops.
Sandvik Coromant gains its place in high precision niches through best-in-class materials science, combined digital solutions and training infrastructure. While the cost of tools is higher, so is performance consistency especially in aerospace, medical and tool and die applications.
Final Recommendation
- Choose SECO Tools if your CNC milling emphasis is on high throughput with lower tooling costs.
- Choose Sandvik Coromant If precision tolerances, extended tool life and extensive digital machining are necessary in your operations.
- A number of German shops employ a hybrid strategy where they use SECO Tools for rough machining and Sandvik in finish and close tolerance operations.
