The digitalization of production processes plays an important role for any company that wants to operate successfully on the market. In machining, the tool is an essential part of the process chain and must fit into the digital production environment. "This includes the consistent implementation of all digital options - from the tool itself to the tool holder, including the clamping process and balancing, through to tool presetting and use on the machine," says Andreas Haimer, Managing Director of Haimer, summarizing the spectrum. An important approach in this context is the digital service offered by tool manufacturers for their customers, for example, that all tool data can be accessed online. According to Haimer, a tool management solution that enables a digital workflow for tool data is also crucial. This means that the software must be able to integrate the entire tool environment - shrinking, balancing, presetting - into the digital process and make it automatable.

Location-independent data exchange

Digitalization is changing the entire production process. With the help of stored tool data, the entire production process can be simulated and optimized in advance. Storage systems are also often connected and the whereabouts of each individual tool can be tracked. "The bottom line is that digitalization in production saves companies time, money and resources," says Bernd Schwennig, Technical Sales Manager at E. Zoller in Pleidelsheim, a member of the GTDE association (Graphical Tool Data Exchange - Standard Open Base), which has taken on the topic of tool data exchange under the umbrella of VDMA Precision Tools.
The basis for every automation process is always the tool data, which now includes much more than just geometry data. In addition to machine-specific data, it also includes, for example, the available remaining tool life or the storage location or magazine location on the machine. "This data is, of course, available worldwide if the company so wishes," Schwennig continues. It can also be assumed that data within a company will increasingly be exchanged across location boundaries. "The fact that an order is triggered with a tool supplier when a minimum stock level is not reached in a production plant is certainly only a small aspect of this, but it is already being used today. Overall, the entire exchange is becoming much more open. Of course, this brings with it completely different challenges," he adds in conclusion.

Optimize tool supply to the machine

More than just a tool dispensing system: the GTMS can be used to control machine connection, networking and data evaluation. © Gühring

"Even in digital production, the actual machining process is still significantly influenced by the tool in terms of component quality and cost-effectiveness. The tool therefore remains a decisive success factor in machining production," adds Dr. Steffen Lang, Head of the Service Division at Gühring in Albstadt. The digital integration of cutting machines makes it possible to record the performance and current condition of the tool used in the machine much more accurately than before. With the resulting transparency, the entire logistics for tool supply to the machine can be optimized. Lang summarizes the scope of automated tool provision: "It starts with the presetting of the tools actually required on the machines, which are assembled and set in the optimum sequence. It continues with the monitoring of stock consumption and the recording of tool life changes and their direct consideration in further tool scheduling. And finally, the consumption and performance data is forwarded to the suppliers in order to optimize tool performance and supply."

In this context, Gühring offers a machine connection with which the machine status and technological process parameters such as spindle power and torque as well as feed axis forces can be recorded. In addition, the machine data can be recorded directly in production and the machining process can be optimized immediately on this basis.

Digitalization in the tool environment

In order to further advance digitalization, the company has also developed its own tool management software for its products, which carries out and organizes the exchange of target and actual values as well as other tool data between the individual stations in the tool room and the company network. The Haimer devices from the Industry 4.0 series can also be automated using modern digital features and interfaces.