Tool Management in the Cloud

For over a year MAPAL has been offering its ‘Tool Management 4.0’ solution that utilises the open-cloud platform from c-Com GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of the MAPAL Group. The processes are digitised and displayed transparently using the c-Com SaaS (Software as a Service) solution. In addition to the benefits of classic tool management, such as 100% tool availability, resource conservation and reduced inventory costs, Tool Management 4.0 opens up completely new potentials for the customer.

Where individual lists with limited access were used in the past, the data is now available to every authorised person with Tool Management 4.0 access. It no longer has to be maintained in different systems, preventing data discontinuity. The individual projects are now being gradually changed over to Tool Management 4.0, depending on the agreement with the customer. The first projects are already in successful operation.

Cost per part reporting for engine production

For example, MAPAL has changed over the whole tool management to the new platform for the works of a car manufacturer with the capacity for the manufacturing of 500,000 engines per year. The existing tool management system is conducted exclusively via the platform. The most important indicators at tool level, such as consumption, stocks and overall the cost-per-part can be displayed transparently and read out automatically.

Regrinding handling for roll milling cutters 

For another MAPAL customer, a TIER1 supplier to the automotive industry, the focus is on re-grinding as the first step in the changeover to the Tool Management 4.0 platform. MAPAL has been responsible for the tool management at this company since 2012 and the customer has some 60 different roll milling cutters from various suppliers in use for more than 70 machining operations. The logistics surrounding the re-grinding of roll milling cutters that was not part of the tool management program was handled in the form of vast Excel files that are constantly sent back and forth by e-mail between the company’s logistics department and the respective supplier. The consequences were stock levels were too high or too low, there was regular difficulties with the suppliers due to a shortage of tools and resulting stoppages in production. Additionally, there were high administrative costs for clarifying misunderstandings. The manufacturers of the roll milling cutters have indeed saved the number of re-grinding processes of each individual tool in a database, but this data was not available to the customer.

With the changeover to Tool Management 4.0, MAPAL has now taken responsibility for this aspect. Firstly, these tools were personalised with a data matrix code (DMC) and the data stored in the cloud. The current stock and status, how often the tools have been reground and the remaining tool life can now be checked at any time. In this way, the tool costs for the roll milling cutters were reduced by 20 percent within a very short period of time – thanks purely to the transparent overview.

A similar project that MAPAL is carrying out for an automotive industry supplier also involves the re-grinding handling. In this case, PcBN indexable inserts used for hard milling are being serialised. With a clear benefit for the customer: The status of every single special indexable insert is known at all times so that optimum use can be made of the regrinding potential of the PcBN cutting material.