Tool Crib Management
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Tool Location Control Systems Since 1980
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 See Tool Management Articles go to Newsletters - Archives for details.
Who Controls the Tools in Your Company?

Many manufacturers will claim they are in control of their tools. A few quick questions will point out how in control they are. Ask what the is current value of the tools in their tool crib, the value of tools in use on the shop floor, where any particular tool is in use at the present time or what was the cost of tools issued, returned, scrapped or reworked from any job running in their shop. If they answer, you can bet it's a guess. However, to be fair, let them show you some proof to back up their answer.
You say nobody can answer those questions without doing some research! Right, in two keystrokes or the double click of a mouse button, an ITC TLC customer could call up the Job Status Costing screen and answer the question concerning the cost of issued, returned, reworked and scrapped tools for any job currently running in the shop, or he could request a Tool Status and tell you where any one of those tools are in use on the shop floor, or if it is in rework or in the tool crib or if they are on order and finally, they could run a Total Inventory Review and give you the cost of all the tools in the crib or on the shop floor, or both, and by consumable, durable, assembly or gage/inspection classification. So I would not wait more than a couple of minutes for the answer to those questions.

 Track All Your Tools

Try tracking all your tool inventory, not just the 20% of fast movers. Your supplier should be able to get those tools to you almost immediately. Usually the tools that cause serious delays are the other 80%. Can't find a tool holder, collet, special tool, or even a die or fixture when it's needed.  These are the tools that cause setup delays, production delays and cost the most to get and keep a job running or meet schedule.

TLC32 tracks all your tools. If that special one of kind holder is in a rack in Preset or in one of the pockets of a 140 tool change magazine, TLC32 will know.

TLC32 has a comprehensive algorithm for replenishing tools that need reordering. It looks at needs you define for restocking each tool, fast moving or not, expendable or not. It will factor tools that are refurbished (In Rework) to minimize ordering new tooling.

The tool crib can track who has your tools, what machine is using them and what job (work orders) they are charged. So at any time you can find any tool issued. When and if they are returned, the crib can restock them, send them to rework to be refurbished or scrap the tool. You can control all this information for notification of availability, condition and reorder status of all your tooling.

TLC32 will assist by issuing reworked or used tooling first, unless you override the issue or specify new only for an assembly/kit build.

Since TLC32 tracks all tool issues and returns you can easily spot tool abuse or overuse at your machines or by operators with the Status Reports provided by the system. If you turn the Job Costing feature ON you can track the cost of tools issued, scrapped, returned from the Job. It breaks the cost down by perishable, durable and inspection tools/gages and gives you running totals. You can monitor how close you are to maintaining your tool budget for each job. (You do have a tool budget, don't you??)

And all this activity is reportable through the many standard reports that TLC32 provides, or write your own through the optional ReportWriter, where you can define your own reporting parameters. You can also access TLC32's data files and export information to other software.

Tool Vending not saving as much as you expected? Or Costing more than expected?

Still having tool shortages?

If you have tried other systems, or are still using brass chips or cards or have installed tool dispensing machines and haven't achhieved the accountability your desired ----
Try TLC32's approach of tracking control for all your tools Gages, fixtures, dies, tool holders, special tools and tooling components.

Although these WebPages will promote ITC's tool management products, its long reaching purpose is to familiarize its visitors with the common situations and experiences of other tool management users. Hopefully, the information you will view on these pages will assist in your search for an effective and efficient tool control solution. The information on this page may not change all too frequently, but it is my intention to continually update the information upon other pages of this Website and provide you with LINKS to other Websites with supporting information.

The intent of this site is to exchange information about Tool Crib Control problems, procedures and solutions. In addition. I will include specific information about using ITC's Tool Location Control Products. The goal will be:
-- To provide information about using ITC's Tool Management Products.
-- To provide answers to day-to-day questions that arise.
-- To provide useful hints for using the Tool Location & Crib Control software.

Unzip file, Run SETUPTWD32.EXE to install
and view TLCSTARTUP.PDF for a quick Tutorial.
 

Do you have a specific question about Tool Tracking? Enter it here and we will get back with an answer. 

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Providing Tool Management Solutions Since 1980