Methodology for Assessing the Competitiveness of Metal-Cutting Tools

The competitiveness of metal-cutting tools depends on many factors, including the dynamics of market changes, the development of technologies and competencies, and the expansion of the range of raw materials and components, which are thoroughly studied and analyzed. Simultaneously, it is necessary to have reliable information about the level of products’ competitiveness. In this regard, it is necessary to improve the theoretical and methodological foundations for forming a mechanism for evaluating and increasing the competitiveness of metal-cutting tools. The research presents the author’s methodology for assessing competitiveness based on two important indicators of the studied products—the total amount of material removed by the cutter and the cost of processing a cubic centimeter. The methodology is developed considering the market’s specifics and the instrument’s peculiarities. The proposed evaluation algorithm, which includes ten stages, gives and substantiates recommendations for forming a group of experts, creating certain conditions for the experiment, choosing the size of the assessed products and brands of the processed material, defining the composition of indicators, and deriving formulas for the total amount of material removed by the cutter per life cycle and the resulting index of the cutter’s competitiveness. The study of product competitiveness according to the proposed methodology makes it possible to obtain data that contribute to correcting the following indicators: cutting speed, minute feed rate, and tool life. Moreover, it makes it possible to improve pricing policy and promote the company’s strategy.