# Tools

Tool record fields, status and condition values, tabs, and commands.

Source: https://support.toolingmetrics.com/en/production/reference/tools/
Updated: 2026-10-29

A **Tool** is the digital twin of one physical, assembled tool on the shopfloor — a specific holder-and-cutting-edge stack built from a Tool Assembly design. For how the Tool record fits into the wider digital thread, see [How the Tool Digital Twin Works](https://support.toolingmetrics.com/en/start-here/digital-twin/).

## Fields

### Identity

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| **Tool ID** | Auto-generated identifier for this physical tool (the `number` field). |
| **Name** | Defaults to the linked Tool Assembly's name; editable. |
| **Tool Assembly** | The Tool Assembly design this tool was built from. Optional — a Tool can also be created without one for ad-hoc holders. |
| **Type** | The tool's Category. |
| **Location** | Where the tool currently is — a storage location, a machine, or a Warehouse Access Point used as an assembly station. Updates automatically as the tool is picked, transferred, or returned. |
| **Status** | `Draft`, `Released`, `Active`, or `Retired`. See [Status flow](#status-flow) below. |
| **Completed** | Whether the tool's actual components fully match its Tool Assembly's bill of materials. Toggled automatically as components are picked or removed. **Mark as Completed** / **Mark as Incomplete** switches it by hand, and is offered only for a Released or Active tool that has no Tool Assembly and holds items. |

### Life and condition

These fields are kept for **each cutting edge** mounted in the tool, on the tool's **Cutting Edges** tab, not for the tool as a whole.

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| **Life Limit** | The usage limit set on the cutting edge before it needs replacing. Enter it when editing the cutting edge. |
| **Usage Life** | Accumulated runtime recorded against this cutting edge since it was last reset (see [Record tool runtime](https://support.toolingmetrics.com/en/production/guides/record-runtime/)). |
| **Remaining Life** | Life Limit minus Usage Life. |
| **Condition** | `Unknown`, `Uncut`, `Used`, `Pre-warning`, `Warning`, `Expired`, or `Broken`. Recalculated automatically from the Usage Life / Life Limit ratio each time runtime is recorded — Pre-warning at 80% consumed, Warning at 95%, Expired at 100%. `Broken` is set manually when a cutting edge fails in use, and `Unknown` is the reset state right after a cutting edge is replaced. |

Each cutting edge has its own Usage Life, Life Limit, and Condition, and the tool's **Rem. Life** shows them side by side. For the condition of an individual serialized piece mounted in it (a specific insert or holder), see [Serialized Items Reference](https://support.toolingmetrics.com/en/inventory/reference/serialized-items/).

## Status flow

| Status | Description |
|---|---|
| **Draft** | Just created, not yet released. |
| **Released** | Released for build. Switches to Active automatically as soon as the first component is picked onto it. |
| **Active** | Built (fully or partially) and in use or in inventory. |
| **Retired** | Taken out of service. Can be returned to Active. |

Status and cutting-edge Condition are two independent tracks — a tool can be Active while one of its cutting edges is at Warning. Nothing in the system forces a Retired tool to also be Broken or Expired; that pairing is a convention, not a rule.

## Tabs

| Tab | Content |
|---|---|
| **Overview** | Identity and status fields. |
| **Cutting Edges** | Each mounted cutting edge with its Life Limit, Usage Life, Remaining Life, and Condition. |
| **Items List** | The items currently physically mounted in the tool, with quantity and — for serialized pieces — condition. |
| **Assembly History** | Every item picked onto or returned from this tool, with the reference document, date, and status. |
| **Moves History** | Every move of the tool itself between locations — storage, assembly station, machine — with date and status. |
| **Usage History** | Every usage cost line posted for this tool's items. |
| **Life History** | A record created each time a cutting edge mounted in this tool is replaced — the runtime it accumulated, its life limit, and whether it broke. Usage Life resets to zero after each entry. |

The **Comments & History** panel on the record adds the human trail — status changes and comments with timestamps.

## Commands

| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| **Release** | Moves a Draft tool to Released. |
| **Mark as Completed / Incomplete** | Manually overrides whether the tool's build is considered complete. |
| **Set to Draft** | Available while the tool holds no items — reverts it to Draft. |
| **Mark as Retired / Active** | Toggles a tool in or out of service. |
| **Print Tag** | Prints a Tool Tag — a label with the Tool ID and a data matrix barcode for scanning at a Warehouse Access Point. |

To swap a worn cutting edge, return the old piece from the tool and pick a new one onto it using the same pick list / return list mechanics described in [Track tool condition](https://support.toolingmetrics.com/en/production/guides/track-tool-condition/) — there is no separate "replace edge" document.