Sharp Tools, Smooth Operations: Behind the Scenes with Stephen Davis and Tool Sharpening at Serviform America

Tool sharpening may not get the spotlight—but it’s absolutely essential to keeping your equipment running at peak performance. At Serviform America, that job falls to Stephen Davis, our surface grinder operator. With a careful hand and attention to detail, he ensures every tool that comes through our doors leaves in top condition.

Getting Started in Sharpening

Stephen’s path into surface grinding wasn’t a typical one.

“Before this job I was working in the food industry and did a little bit of apprenticing as an Electrician for a year and a half. Got hired at Carton Craft Supply and the current Tool Sharpener was looking for new work and trained me to be up for the job.”

With hands-on training and a knack for precision, Stephen quickly stepped up to keep our customers sharp and productive.

The Day-to-Day Process

What does an average day look like in tool sharpening?

“My day-to-day process is quite simple. Keeping up with all the POs that come in to make sure they are sharpened and sent back out to our customers as soon as possible.”

It’s this commitment to consistency that ensures we deliver sharpened tools quickly and accurately—every time.

Why Tool Sharpening Matters

Over time, even the highest-quality tools wear down. Regular sharpening is key to maintaining performance.

“Regular tool sharpening is important so that your tooling doesn’t chip or become damaged. With regular sharpening we can remove basic amounts of steel from the tooling at a ‘normal’ rate instead of having to do extra sharpening for worn down tooling which will go through the tools lifespan a lot faster.”

Know When It’s Time

Not sure if your tooling is due for service? Here are some warning signs:

“Some of the common signs will be a lessened quality of product from the production of the tooling. Overuse of the tooling can cause the cartridge to jam when things aren’t cutting smoothly. The tooling being worn down can also cause the cartridge itself to have issues such as the tooling getting stuck when it is punched.”

Don’t Wait Too Long

Letting tools go too long without maintenance doesn’t just affect quality—it shortens the life of your tooling.

“If shops skip intervals of sharpening the result will most likely be that the tooling will need to receive ‘Extra’ sharpening causing the lifespan of the tooling to deteriorate.”

Even with a strong sharpening program in place, one recommendation Stephen also emphasizes (in addition to regular sharpening, of course!) is to keep spare cartridge tooling on hand. Spare cartridge tooling allows you to rotate tools properly, maintain consistent performance, and protect your workflow from disruption. Shops that operate proactively with backup tooling don’t just reduce downtime—they reduce stress and stay in control of their production schedule. If you don’t have a backup set on hand, fill out this short form to getcha one: https://form.jotform.com/260413226396051

Sharpening Turnaround and Process

What happens when you send your tools to us?

“Once a package arrives at our location I will empty the contents and lay them out on a mat, label it, and get everything organized. After we receive a confirmation of the PO I will proceed with sharpening with a 72-hour turnaround period on all tooling. After the tooling is sharpened I will deburr and demagnetize each tool and then measure the outgoing heights and shim the females accordingly.”

Sharp Tools = Smooth Production

Tool sharpening is a small service that delivers major results. It protects your investment, maintains the integrity of your die making process, and keeps your production running without interruption. We appreciate Stephen’s dedication and professionalism in keeping Serviform tooling sharp and our customers productive. His role may be behind the scenes—but the impact is front and center in every die that runs just right. Thank you, Stephen, for everything you do!