TDM Systems Tool Data Management focuses on Tool Lifecycle Management.
TDM Systems offers Tool Lifecycle Management, which is designed to enhance digital manufacturing, tool management and interconnected IT.
"The machining industry is traditionally localized," said a company spokesperson. "On one hand, there are fully automated shop floors in which tool data management is fully integrated as a component of digital production engineering. On the other hand, there are a large number of plants that in many areas are still getting by with insular digital solutions."
"There are roughly a million plants in the machining industry today worldwide," said Adir Zonta, Product Manager at TDM Systems GmbH in Tbingen, Germany. "Only 30% of them use CAM systems. 700,000 plants still do not use any CAM systems, but instead operate, for example, with manual CNC programming. All of them are potential customers for digital Tool Lifecycle Management. Through modern software concepts, the correct conditions can be provided to easily and economically launch into digital manufacturing."
"The advantages of Tool Lifecycle Management are obvious throughout all departments," said the spokesperson. "Every employee has access to the tool data. The feedback from the shop floor flows back to development and is used for continual improvement of the planning. This is because digital manufacturing includes primarily the transfer of planning and tool data to the shop floor, which only works if these data records are also made available to all those involved within the company and to its partners."
"For optimum control of global processes, it will be necessary to build a bridge between one's own network and the networks of suppliers, partners and customers - this carrier system will be the Internet," said Peter Schneck, Managing Director of TDM Systems. "This will make it easier to collect more information about the creation as well as the selection of the tools."
According to the company, the Tool Lifecycle Management approach ensures that tool data is available at every level - right where it is needed - at any time. Data is also significant in tool management. "Whoever supplies the data is ahead of the game," said the spokesperson. "This knowledge is one of the fundamentals of the TDM principle because tool data management must be open, supply numerous import and export interfaces and integrate data from various sources - such as manufacturer catalogs or 3D models created in house - into a management module. For TDM Systems, the highest priority is therefore on the development of interfaces."
"To link CAM systems, pre-setting and crib systems, and machine controls - but also at the planning and execution level - to PPS, ERP and MES systems, Tool Lifecycle Management is an important contribution to industrial technology," said Schneck.
According to the company, TDM offers multiple connections to various systems that support the production process. "Only by closing the gap between planning and production is it possible to speak of comprehensive networking," said the spokesperson.
"The tool manufacturer must also continuously adapt to international standards with regard to the description of tools (governed by ISO13399) and their classification," continued the spokesperson. "Such a standardization would help everyone with the integration of systems."
"Whoever wants transparency and comprehensive integration will have to be more open because only in this way can a comprehensive Tool Lifecycle Management be realized with the greatest customer benefit," said Schneck.
According to the company, Tool Lifecycle Management makes the entire process the focal point from the definition of the tools to their use in the planning to seamless transfer and use on the shop floor. "Information from the individual process steps continuously flows back and improves the data permanently," said the spokesperson. "This produces a growing treasure of data, which can be made accessible via a networked system."
TDM Systems has provided tool data management for more than 25 years.
For more information contact:
TDM Systems
1665 Penny Lane
Schaumburg, IL 60173
847-605-1269
info@tdmsystems.com
www.tdmsystems.com