Tool assemblies

Tool assembly document fields, component compatibility rules, and cutting data configuration.

Updated October 29, 2026

A Tool Assembly is the digital design of a complete cutting tool — the ordered stack of products (holder, adaptors, cutting unit, insert) that form a physical tool ready for use in a machine. Tool assemblies are the central design artifact in Engineering and the unit of demand that drives inventory requirements.

Fields

Field	Description
Name	Descriptive name for the assembly (e.g., Ø63 Face Mill — Aluminium Roughing).
Number	Auto-generated unique identifier within the organization.
Category	Not chosen by the user — automatically derived from the components added to the assembly.
Description	Optional free-text description.
Status	See Status below.

Components

Each assembly is built from an ordered list of components. The first component connects to the spindle; the last is the cutting unit.

Field	Description
Product	The catalog product used at this position in the stack.
Position	Sequence number from spindle (1) to cutting end.
Machine-Side Code	Connection code at the top of this component (faces the spindle or previous component). Auto-populated from the product’s ISO 13399 data.
Cutting-Side Code	Connection code at the bottom of this component (faces the next component or workpiece). Auto-populated from the product’s ISO 13399 data.
Compatibility	Automatically validated: the cutting-side code of position N must match the machine-side code of position N+1. A warning is shown if codes do not match.

Cutting data

Each assembly can have multiple cutting data entries, typically one per workpiece material or operation condition.

Field	Description
Material	Workpiece material (from Material Library) this cutting data applies to.
Vc	Cutting speed (m/min).
fz	Feed per tooth (mm/tooth).
ap	Axial depth of cut (mm).
ae	Radial engagement as % of cutting diameter.
Name	Optional name for the entry (e.g., roughing condition, finishing pass).

Calculated fields (n, vf, MRR) are derived from inputs. See Cutting Data Reference for the full field list and formulas.

CAD viewer

The CAD Viewer renders a 3D visualization of the stacked components using their attached STEP models. It is available on the assembly detail page when all components have basic model files attached.

Status

A Tool Assembly has one of five statuses:

Status	Meaning
Draft	Under construction. The Bill of Materials can be edited.
Released	Approved for use. Products in the assembly have been synced to inventory Items. Only Released and Active assemblies can be selected to build a physical Tool at the WAP kiosk.
Active	Reached automatically — not a manual choice — the first time a physical Tool built from this assembly is itself released.
To archive	An intermediate state: an Admin requested Archive, but at least one physical Tool built from this assembly is still non-draft and non-retired, so full archiving is blocked until those tools are retired.
Archived	No longer offered for building new tools.

Status transitions available from the action bar depend on the current status: Draft shows Release; Released shows Set to Draft (reverts); Active shows Archive (which resolves to To archive if non-retired Tools still exist, or Archived otherwise); To archive and Archived show Mark as Active (which resolves to Released if no Tools have been built yet).

Commands

Command	Description
Add Component	Appends a product to the Structure. Validates connection code compatibility automatically.
Build Assets	Generates the assembly’s 3D model, 2D drawing, and calculated parameters from its components. Required before the assembly can be exported. Runs inline; falls back to a background job if it takes too long.
Release	Syncs every component product to an inventory Item, then sets status to Released.
Set to Draft / Archive / Mark as Active	Status transitions — see Status above.
Export Package	Opens the export dialog: download the assembly’s picture, drawing and 3D models one by one, or export the assembly as a GTC package or an Autodesk Fusion tool library. Packages are built in the background and arrive in Notifications, on the Exports tab. Only available once assets are built.
Send to CAM	Pushes the assembly directly into a connected CAM tool library. Only available once assets are built, the assembly’s category has an export mapping for that CAM vendor, and CAM Connect is online.