[jheal]

Hey everyone.
So I am trying to find the best way to organize all of our tooling in our CNC department. We have a fairly large tool crib, but it is currently a total mess. We have 4 setup people, all with their own tool boxes with many random boring bars, drills, collets, etc inside. But we also have operators who go through inserts, etc. There are also many boxes beside the machines with machine specific things, like collets for that particular machine, but then other random stuff finds its way in and everything becomes a mess again.
We also have recently bought Esprit CAM system with all the categorizing and cataloguing of the tools and such, and we would like to keep an inventory of tools and inserts, much better than we already have.
Now I know the obvious thing to do would be to make a specific spot for everything in our tool crib, and tell people to put all their tools back in the correct spot, and write down what you take and let me know (I have to start inventory soon). But this was the original plan, and nobody really listens and everything becomes a mess again.
So basically my final question is: has anyone ever implemented a DIY (cant afford tool crib attendant) tool crib, in which they are able to accurately keep track of inventory. Sounds like a basic thing but actually getting it to work and everyone to follow the rules is a different matter.

[rowbare]

There are companies that make vending machine style automated tool cribs. I don't know if something like that fits your budget. I think some are leased, others are dependent on how much of their tools you buy etc...

I don't really know much about them, just something I came across once upon a time.

bob

[Smrtman5]

Unfortunately, i have no solution, but i do have the same problem. Im guilty of it at times too, but not as bad as some of the people ive worked with. If only people realized how much time (and money) they could save by knowing where all their tools and fixtures are!

Im not familiar with the espirit cam. Are you thinking of numbering tools and organizing them by number such that the program tool registry matches whats on the shop floor?

Short of locking someone in the toolcrib, or getting one of those nifty vending machines (which ive heard great things about), im short on ideas.

But if you figure it out, please do share!

[TheBigJW]

Unfortunately, i have no solution, but i do have the same problem. Im guilty of it at times too, but not as bad as some of the people ive worked with. If only people realized how much time (and money) they could save by knowing where all their tools and fixtures are!

Im not familiar with the espirit cam. Are you thinking of numbering tools and organizing them by number such that the program tool registry matches whats on the shop floor?

Short of locking someone in the toolcrib, or getting one of those nifty vending machines (which ive heard great things about), im short on ideas.

But if you figure it out, please do share!

It goes back to school for me. We each had say twenty dog tags with our own unique number on them. We would leave a tag in the bin to take a tool. Kinda worked.

John

[underthetire]

Might be out of your budget, we use these.
Automated Storage & Retrieval Systems (ASRS)| Mobile Shelving | Storage Carousels, Shuttle VLMs, and Vertical Lift Modules

[DANTEATER]

i used to sell cutting tools and the company i worked for used Autocrib or Robocrib style machines. They are also cheaper similar style machines out there called Supplypro. Both have technology in them that allow you to have traditional items in there such as inserts, that operators check out of the machine, it sends a usage email to whoever and however. More importantly there is also technology that allow you to check out fixtures from the machines, so in the event a fixture is "missing" you'll know who the last person was that checked it out, what time, what day, and for what job and you can trace backwards that way. they are handy. honestly i'd look for a used unit to purchase from a manufacturing place going out of business or even a cutting tool distributor/integrator thats going out of business. i wish i would've known you were looking because my old employer had like 6 of the nice autocrib units sitting around, that they paid cash for and couldn't find a buyer for them before they went under. not sure what happened, but the info is the same no matter what unit you go with.