For a long time, China's carving tool industry has been mired in homogeneous low-price competition, with most manufacturers clustered in the general-purpose tool segment. This price-driven volume strategy has led to stagnant industry profits and slow technological iteration. With the downstream high-end industrial upgrade, the implementation of new industry standards, and the acceleration of domestic substitution, the carving tool industry will officially bid farewell to its extensive development model in 2026, entering a golden period of structural upgrading. By leveraging five major transformations—materials, processes, products, services, and overseas expansion—the industry will unlock new development opportunities.
Material superhardening has become the core of industry transformation. Currently, the market share of carbide engraving tools accounts for 63.4%, while PCD diamond superhard tools make up 18.7%, making high-end tools the mainstream. Ultrafine-grained low-coefficient carbide and CVD diamond composite materials are widely applied, significantly enhancing tool wear resistance and impact resistance. These tools are suitable for complex processing scenarios such as rock panels and high-density boards, effectively eliminating low-end high-speed steel tool production capacity and putting an end to the chaotic practice of low-price volume sales.
Precision manufacturing breaks the monopoly of imports. The femtosecond laser cold machining process enables mass production, addressing the challenges of thermal damage and insufficient precision in traditional machining. Miniature precision engraving tools achieve micron-level accuracy, suitable for high-end applications such as PCBs and precision molds. The new industry standard for engraving tools is now mandatory, incorporating 12 core precision metrics into compulsory testing to standardize the production system.
Meanwhile, three major industry transformations continue to deepen: product specialization replacing generalization, with customized tools for woodworking, rock panels, new energy, and semiconductors becoming essential; intelligent services take shape, with integrated tool monitoring, leasing, and customization services gaining widespread adoption; and export branding accelerates, as domestic superhard tools see export growth exceeding 20%, gradually shedding the label of low-end OEM production.
Overall, in 2026, the engraving tool industry will completely bid farewell to low-price internal competition, forming a high-quality competitive landscape centered on technology, quality, and service. Domestic tools will usher in vast opportunities for substitution and incremental growth.
