Key considerations for effective CNC tooling management

There’s no doubt that effective CNC tool management plays a vital role in optimising productivity and minimising downtime in engineering operations. Efficient CNC tool management ensures both quality and consistency in outputs and can directly impact customer satisfaction and your company’s reputation.  

It’s also a team effort, as several machine operators may need access to the same tooling, so it’s important to have a conscious, clear and consistent approach to CNC tool management. The following tips and considerations will help you and your production team to manage CNC tooling in the most efficient and effective way: 

1. Tooling Inventory Organisation: It’s important to maintain a well-organised inventory system for all your CNC tools. Keeping a clear and ongoing track of tool quantity, type, and condition will allow you to ensure that the right tool is always available during times of need. 
2. Managing Tool Data: Effective tool management software can keep track and make sense of all the information about a particular tool, such as specifications, usage history, and maintenance records. Modern digital tool management systems are easy to use yet highly sophisticated in the data that they produce, helping you to with make more informed decisions and reducing the risk of human error. 
3. Tool Inspection and Maintenance: Just as machinery and other assets are regularly inspected and maintained, the same approach should be applied to CNC tools to keeping your inventory in good working order. A tool that is in poor condition can directly impact the quality of your process and output so it’s vital to know what needs replacing and when. 
4. Proper Tool Selection: Using the wrong tool for a job is a common error yet it doesn’t need to be. It’s important to plan early and find the best tool for the required job and to do a test run to ensure the right selection has been made. Factors such as material properties, cutting requirements, and tool life are all important to consider when making this choice, in order to ensure the best quality finish and a longer tool life. 
5. Tool Pre-setting: Don’t underestimate the importance of effectively using tool pre-setting equipment, to accurately measure the dimensions of your tools before using them. By doing so, setup time is reduced, and precise tool offsets can be achieved, resulting in improved machining accuracy. 
6. Tool Storage Conditions: The best way to prevent rust, contamination, and other damage to your CNC tools is to store them in a clean, temperature-controlled environment. Modern CNC tool storage systems provide a controlled and organised environment for maintaining tool storage conditions. 
7. Tool Handling and Loading: A key part of training machine operators should focus on proper tool handling and loading procedures. Getting these right helps to avoid accidents as well as prevent damage to both the tools and CNC machines. 
8. Tool Life Monitoring: Tool life refers to the period during which a tool remains effective for cutting, but once its deterioration reaches a critical level, the cutting edge must be replaced to ensure a reliable machining process. Optimising tool life is something of a balancing act: while an inadequate tool life poses a threat to the sustainability of the machining process, an excessively prolonged tool life compromises the overall economy of machining.  It’s therefore vital to regularly monitor tool life and investigate possible causes of tooling deterioration.  
9. Cutting Parameters Optimisation: It is essential to continuously optimise cutting parameters (speed, feeds, depth of cut) for each tool and material combination in order to improve overall efficiency and tool life. 
10. Operator Training: Tooling is vital part of CNC machining so make it a key part of regular and up-to-date training on best practices, which is provided to CNC operators in both a classroom and practical environment.  

 Relying on pen and paper or spreadsheets to manage these aspects of CNC tooling puts you at risk of error, especially in High Mix, Low Volume (HMLV) engineering environments, and can waste a lot of your time. Digital tooling management software like CRIBWISE give you complete control over your tooling and manufacturing inventory and purchasing processes, eliminate the risk of error and give you time back to spend on more productive tasks. 

 We have partnered with the industry’s leading tooling providers to provide digital and highly accessible access to critical tooling data. And our software can be integrated with leading tool storage solutions including industrial vending machines, tool cabinets, drawers and more to provide a complete tooling inventory management system. Get in touch with us and discover the secrets to streamlined operations. Our team is happy to help you take your business to the next level!