Tools
Tool record fields, status and condition values, tabs, and commands.
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.
Fields
Section titled “Fields”Identity
Section titled “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 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
Section titled “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). |
| 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.
Status flow
Section titled “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.
| 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
Section titled “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 — there is no separate “replace edge” document.
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