ADVANCED MANUFACTURING NOW Katie Richardson
Cloud-Based Tool Management for Today a M
arked by limitless storage and ease of access, hun- dreds of millions of users think nothing of obtain- ing, downloading, and playing digital fi les, whether
music or video, from cloud-based servers. The cloud can be seen as the newest utility, with an architecture in place, and where a user can obtain access and pay for a scalable amount of data use. For manufacturing, with hundreds of thousands of tooling choices and a strong traditional use of paper catalogs to research tooling options and tool up jobs, cloud-based tool data management is an exciting oppor- tunity for entirely reshaping traditional thinking to how work gets done.
Many such an opportunity are available to production shops. Downloadable for free, cloud-based resources combine tens of thousands of tools with decades of process knowledge in a powerful digital knowledge stream that does not stand alone, but interfaces with CAM pack- ages, presetters, and a growing number of technology providers. Responding to user questions, digital tool data management programs defi ne machining sequences, select and rank the best tools, allows building assemblies, downloads 3D CAD graphic models for simulations and process planning, and obtains application parameters including speed and feed recommendations and inventory availability, all in minutes. Tooling recommendations can be further optimized for
customer-specifi c machines and conditions. For example, if you need to drill a tight-tolerance hole with an entry angle, there are programs that automatically recommend not only the drill, but also the end mill to spot-face the inclined surface prior to drilling. Users can “assemble” a holder, an adapter and inserts in seconds and load the assembly into their CAM or other software. As programs will recommend the most productive and
cost-effective tooling and process solution in minutes, such advanced “fi ts-with” technology greatly reduces the time to build assemblies. It also adds invaluable error-proofi ng that assures that your tools will fi t together when they show
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up at your door, while providing a higher confi dence level when simulating crash tests. A recent addition is that such programs will recognize obsolete tools and recommend replacements. Since such functionality is delivered on cloud- based technology, it always offers the most current version of the truth.
Using such digital tool data management at Kennametal, we have seen 20% or more reduction in process planning time in our own manufacturing operations, in addition to more rapidly solving customer-service issues. With deep ex- perience identifying tool packages and making improved pro- cess recommendations, there are programs that now include industry templates for OEMs and tier suppliers in aerospace and energy, with transportation coming soon. These users can quickly take advantage of proven tool packages tailored to their applications.
Open platforms, whether in music or tool data management, keep winning because they make it easy to rethink how work gets done and then do it. Job functionality in such programs is also a cloud-based
repository linked to a user via a unique ID. Previous tool lists can be stored here for future use, accessed via multiple types of devices, and edited, copied, and shared with others. Shops can quickly choose the most effective tooling package based on performance, availability, price, or whatever param- eters they choose. Move to the purchasing feature in such programs, and customers can connect with their distributors for ease of purchase. All of this is creating new work habits that will result in new expectations for how products are created and pro- duced. Open platforms, whether in music, videos, or tool data management, keep winning in the marketplace because such new programs use digital means to make it easy for companies to rethink how work gets done and then go out and do it.
Director of Program Management/ NOVO
Kennametal Inc.
www.kennametal.com/novo MODERN MANUFACTURING PROCESSES, SOLUTIONS & STRATEGIES
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