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to storage, assembly and production,
and culminating in waste disposal. Any
optimization of this kind harbors vast
potential for saving money. Due mainly
to the fact that the organizational over-
head associated with the increased va-
riety of tools and the more frequent tool
changes can consume as much as one
quarter of total production costs. The
tool circuit becomes much more effi-
cient when using a central database like
z.One. When SmartTool is involved, addi-
tional information loopholes get closed.
For example, where the tool is when not
in its storage bay in inventory, on a tool
presetter and measuring machine, or on
the machining center. This is because
SmartTool uses UHF tags
**
for identifica-
tion purposes. These differ from the HF
tags
**
currently in use. Their presence
can be registered over greater distanc-
es. That makes it possible to track the
RESEARCH FOR THE SOLUTIONS
OF TOMORROW
SmartTool:
SmartTool is a project backed
by the German Ministry of Research and
Education. Companies like Heidelberger
Druckmaschinen, Siemens, Gühring and
ZOLLER collaborate here with the Insti-
tute for Production Management, Tech-
nology and Machine Tools from the Tech-
nical University Darmstadt. The project
portrait describes it like this: “The aim of
the SmartTool project is to develop a CPS
comprising an intelligent tool system
and its interaction partners in the tool
circuit, such as the machining center or
the tool measuring device. This intelli-
gent tool system constitutes the core
innovation on this project.“
*
This intelli-
gent tool system is intended to optimize
the complete tool cycle, from purchasing
location of a tool on the tool carriage
eliminating the need for searches, and
shortening transport routes. However,
that is not the only benefit of SmartTool.
The new generation of sensors also re-
cords what is happening with the tool on
the machine. The data collected, after
post-operation analyses, can be used to
reach conclusions about improvements.
The data also supports automated deci-
sions, for example, in respect to an opti-
mum ordering strategy.
* See German Ministry of Research and Education
[Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung]
(publisher): ‚Industrie 4.0. Innovationen für die
Produktion von morgen‘ [Industry 4.0: Innovations
for the Production of Tomorrow], p. 38 f.
** UHF(Ultra-High-Frequency) and HF(High-Frequen-
cy) tags are RFID transponders (Radio Frequency
Identification) for ‚contactless‘ (i.e. inductive)
identification and localization of objects.
SmartTool: Seamless information to tool via UHF tag.
T I TLE TOP IC
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