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Organizing a 245 Tool Matrix


JB7280
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I'm curious how you guys keep track of what tools are in a multipallet machine, what jobs they get used for, etc etc?

 

In particular I'm trying to sort out a 6 pallet, 245 tool machine.  Some tools get shared, some tools get taken out to make room for other jobs, etc etc.  Do any of you guys have any good spreadsheets, or anything like that?  Even better if it's possible to export the Mastercam library.  Just trying to get some ideas so I spend a little less time checking over and over.    

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43 minutes ago, Leon82 said:

If your plan is to share them I would do a mastercam Library 

So this is our only CAT50 machine.  No other machines will be using these tools.  When I say shared, I'm referring to multiple parts using the same tools in this machine, just to clarify.  I do have a Mastercam Library for them already, But my goal right now is to somehow track what's actually in the machine, and what tools are used in which jobs, and vise versa.  As @tinger said, I'm sure an excel spreadsheet would be the way to go.  But I thought I'd come on here and ask if anyone had something like that, that wouldn't mind sharing a template, or maybe even someone has a better way.  

 

 

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An excel spreadsheet is how I usually keep track. Each tool gets it's own row, and all the part numbers for each tool go in the same row. I find color coding the part numbers helps too. It's a lot easier for me to find tools based on a specific part number when I can scan and look for a color instead of a jumble of letters and digits. 

It kind of depends on what information you're looking to get out of this "library" too. Do you want to see all the part numbers that tool x is used for, or do you want to see all the tools used for part number x. In the case of the latter, you could flip-flop my example above and put a single part number per line and all the tools used in that part. 

Unfortunately I don't have a concrete template I always use, it kind of depends how many different parts and the number of tools.

I've also never used RFID, but I hear it is the way to go for something like this, maybe someday... 

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Without knowing what kind of parts you make or your processes,

1. How many types of material will be machined?

2, What is the average number of tools used for each of your parts?

3. Are replacement tools available?

4. How often will more than one pallet be used for the same parts?

5. Where are the tools assembled? Are you using an on-line tool setter?

6. Can you renumber tool pockets as needed? 1,2,3 -- 101, 102, 103 -- 201, 202, 203 ---

 

 

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step 1 make a plan

step 2 get the setup guys to follow said plan

step 3 beatings will continue until morale improves

All kidding aside, I made an exel file long ago but I'm only tracking 60 tools. T1-T13 of which are standard across the shop  it is less than 50 tools

This one machine has a nice feature where you can input a ton of info about the tool like HAAS does.

The biggest thing is staying vigilant on updates. I sent you a message

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16 hours ago, Tim Johnson said:

Without knowing what kind of parts you make or your processes,

1. How many types of material will be machined? At the moment, there's Aluminum, Cast stainless, multiple other kinds of stainless, Carpenter 465, Invar, and Titanium

2, What is the average number of tools used for each of your parts?  Varies.  3 of the parts use like 50 tools each.  Those don't really run at the same time though

3. Are replacement tools available?  We have a vending machine with replacement tools. 

4. How often will more than one pallet be used for the same parts? Most parts have multiple operations on separate pallets.

5. Where are the tools assembled? Are you using an on-line tool setter?  Pre-setter is not online

6. Can you renumber tool pockets as needed? 1,2,3 -- 101, 102, 103 -- 201, 202, 203 ---

 

 

 

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30 minutes ago, JB7280 said:

it is a matsuura.  Is that done at the controller or at the matrix? 

You can do it in the tool manager from the main control.

 

On our 850 with 60 tools I added 30 for a job. I go in unload the data for the tool I'm taking out and load in the data for the tool I'm putting in. Then put a tool tag on it.  You can only load it into a free pot. 

I call up tool zero because if you unload the tool while it's in the spindle it won't recognize it untill after a tool change 

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10 hours ago, JB7280 said:

it is a matsuura.  Is that done at the controller or at the matrix? 

You navigate to the Tool Manager, select the EDIT softkey, press the OUTPUT softkey and it will prompt you to insert USB stick/CF Card. You ce you press YES or OK, it will write the csv file to your USB stick/CF Card.

 

Here's what the file looks like from a MAM72-35V;

ToolData.csv

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I would suggest building a Master Tool List, and forcing your programmers (you?) to always use the "Tool List Tool Number", rather than always renumbering every job as T1-Tx. (T1-T40, T1-T28, etc.)

When you create a tool assembly, and that gets loaded in your Tool Magazine, it should always be that combination of Holder + Tool + Stickout, so you can rely on that tool not only "being there" in your magazine, but also that it is defined and built to match the Tool Assembly in your database.

You can build a master library in the Tool Manager (.tooldb) in Mastercam, or you can build one using Excel, but someone has to manage and maintain that list. The moment you get a cowboy who makes a swap/substitution, because "that holder wasn't available", or another excuse, you're running the risk of a collision or scrapped part, because the proper Tool Assembly wasn't being used.

For "common tools", which get used across multiple jobs, or see heavy wear/use, consider using "backup or redundant" tooling (Tool Life Management), so you've got multiple of the same common tools. This way you're assured that even when "T10" has reached it's limit, that you've got T101, T102, and T103, with the exact same configuration (tool assembly) ready to go. The control will take care of grabbing the "fresh" tool, and should also grab the Tool Offset for the redundant tool, provided you are programming your Tool Length Offset values using the "H" value where the machine will actually "look up what tool is in use". (H99 or H999 on Fanuc machines.)

I'd implement Tool Breakage Detection using your Tool Probe, so the tool is checked either before or after use. (Sometimes, both on a critical job/feature!)

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2 hours ago, Colin Gilchrist said:

I would suggest building a Master Tool List, and forcing your programmers (you?) to always use the "Tool List Tool Number", rather than always renumbering every job as T1-Tx. (T1-T40, T1-T28, etc.)

When you create a tool assembly, and that gets loaded in your Tool Magazine, it should always be that combination of Holder + Tool + Stickout, so you can rely on that tool not only "being there" in your magazine, but also that it is defined and built to match the Tool Assembly in your database.

You can build a master library in the Tool Manager (.tooldb) in Mastercam, or you can build one using Excel, but someone has to manage and maintain that list. The moment you get a cowboy who makes a swap/substitution, because "that holder wasn't available", or another excuse, you're running the risk of a collision or scrapped part, because the proper Tool Assembly wasn't being used.

For "common tools", which get used across multiple jobs, or see heavy wear/use, consider using "backup or redundant" tooling (Tool Life Management), so you've got multiple of the same common tools. This way you're assured that even when "T10" has reached it's limit, that you've got T101, T102, and T103, with the exact same configuration (tool assembly) ready to go. The control will take care of grabbing the "fresh" tool, and should also grab the Tool Offset for the redundant tool, provided you are programming your Tool Length Offset values using the "H" value where the machine will actually "look up what tool is in use". (H99 or H999 on Fanuc machines.)

I'd implement Tool Breakage Detection using your Tool Probe, so the tool is checked either before or after use. (Sometimes, both on a critical job/feature!)

Colin, thanks for the reply.  A few of these things we already have in play.  For instance, T4 is always a Helical #### endmill, 1.0 out of the holder, in a Lyndex SK10-105 holder.  T543 is always a 1.6mm drill in an SK6-165 holder, etc etc.  And I do have the tool breakage detection worked into my post.  With the info from James, being able to output from the machine what's actually in there, I think I'll be able to put a maintainable spreadsheet together that shows which jobs use which tools, which are in the machine, etc.

On 10/1/2022 at 7:54 PM, cncappsjames said:

You navigate to the Tool Manager, select the EDIT softkey, press the OUTPUT softkey and it will prompt you to insert USB stick/CF Card. You ce you press YES or OK, it will write the csv file to your USB stick/CF Card.

 

Here's what the file looks like from a MAM72-35V;

ToolData.csv 28.8 kB · 10 downloads

Thanks, I looked at the file you attached, and that'll be a huge help.  

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