Tools

Tools are uniquely identified and classified by tool type. Properties can be defined to describe the characteristics related to a tool. These properties can be same or different from material properties. Assets tools can also be associated with suppliers, manufacturers, cost centers, and other asset-related information.

Tools can be organized in a two-level hierarchy consisting of a tool pack (parent) and associated sub-tools (children). Sub-tools can be replaced within the tool pack, if required. While sub-tools remain assembled within a tool pack, transactions applied to the tool pack are also applied to the associated sub-tools.

Tools can be configured with multiple named cavities. Individual cavities can be in opened or closed status, with a reason recorded if required. Cavities can also contain sub-tools that can be installed or replaced based on the requirement.

Routing operations define the valid tools that can be loaded into a machine. Multiple tools can be associated with a routing operation, and individual tools can be assigned to a specific machine position.

For production runs that require tooling, specific tools can be allocated in advance to ensure that the required tools are available before production is started.

Tools are loaded into machine positions for production use and are unloaded when no longer required. When a tool is replaced during a production run, a tool change reason can be specified for analysis.

Tool counters are used to track tool usage during production. When asset counters are configured, counts accumulated during the production run are attributed to the tool, to provide a tool usage count.

Up to three different asset counters can be defined for a tool, such as:

• Piece count
• Cycle count
• Length count

End-of-life thresholds can also be specified for asset counters. When a counter reaches the defined threshold, the tool is no longer considered to be operational.

When a tool is not in use, the tool can be transferred between locations or stored. This allows the physical location of the tool to be tracked when not installed in a machine.

Asset states indicate the current status of a tool, such as Available, In Use, and Requires Maintenance.

Some state transitions occur automatically based on the tool related transaction. For example, loading a tool into a machine, sets the asset state to In Use. Other asset states can be assigned manually based on the requirement, such as Requires Inspection.

As assets, tools can be inspected. Inspection variables and specifications can be defined to be measured with specifications. Over time, the wear and condition of the tool can be monitored.

Maintenance procedures can be defined and performed for tools to support activities, such as cleaning, preventive maintenance, and other planned maintenance tasks.

Tool repairs can be recorded as maintenance work to support maintenance tracking and reporting.

Tool lifecycle management supports the tracking of tools from acquisition through operational use, inspection, maintenance, and final disposal.

A special set of functionalities exists to support bodymaker tools used in can manufacturing. When this functionality is used, tool packs define the collection of sub-tools used on a bodymaker machine. Each tool pack is associated with a template that defines the required sub-tool structure. Based on the manufacturing configuration, the structure can include components, such as punches, rings, and ironing dies.

As sub-tools wear overtime, the sub-tools can be replaced based on the defined rules. These rules are maintained through progression tables that define the relationship between the different sub-tools within a toolpack based on the measured diameter values.

Diameter is a reserved measurement property for bodymaker tooling. The measured diameter is also used to determine the grade of the tool.