An automated manufacturing process tooling setup assist system includes a controller configured to control movement and positioning of tools to provide a first tool spatial arrangement within a workspace. Responsive to an unsuccessful test process run using the tools in the first tool spatial arrangement, the controller may control movement of the tools so as to replace a tool in the first tool spatial arrangement with another tool configured to perform a function of the tool to be replaced. Responsive to a successful test process run using the tools in the first tool spatial arrangement, the controller may control movement of the tools so as to reposition one or more tools in the workspace to provide a second tool spatial arrangement within the workspace different from the first tool spatial arrangement.

A system and method for synchronizing instrument specification data between a process control system and an external database are provided. A software application automatically connects to the process control system and scans a set of data utilized by the system to detect changes in the data since a previous scan. If changes are detected, the application notifies a manager to accept or reject changes. If changes are accepted, the application updates data stored on an instrumentation database external to the process control system so that the data stored on the instrumentation database is synchronized with real-time data used by the process control system. The system and method provide automated updates to ensure the accuracy of data utilized by users not having regular access to the process control system.

In a numerical control system including a numerical controller having a tool database and a tool catalog database which can be referred to from the numerical controller, the tool catalog database has tool catalog data including first cutting condition data, and the tool database has tool data including second cutting condition data to be used for machining. After execution of the machining, the numerical controller updates the first cutting condition data to be stored in the tool catalog database based on the second cutting condition data stored in the tool database.

A system and method for synchronizing instrument specification data between a process control system and an external database are provided. A software application automatically connects to the process control system and scans a set of data utilized by the system to detect changes in the data since a previous scan. If changes are detected, the application notifies a manager to accept or reject changes. If changes are accepted, the application updates data stored on an instrumentation database external to the process control system so that the data stored on the instrumentation database is synchronized with real-time data used by the process control system. The system and method provide automated updates to ensure the accuracy of data utilized by users not having regular access to the process control system.

A machining condition selecting device includes a machining condition contribution data management unit configured to manage machining condition contribution data in which each of a plurality of machining conditions is associated with a 3-dimensional surface roughness parameter and degrees of contribution to each item of a required condition related to productivity of a target product; a matter of priority acquisition unit configured to acquire a combination of the 3-dimensional surface roughness parameter and at least one item of the required condition as a matter of priority; and a machining condition selection data management unit configured to manage, for each of the plurality of machining conditions, machining condition selection data in which a combination pattern of the matters of priority is associated with a sum of the degrees of contribution to each item in the combination pattern.

A tool management system of machine tools includes a reader, a receiver, a storage unit, a processor and a control unit. The reader is configured for reading at least one category parameter of the tool according to a tool index code of the tool. The receiver is configured for receiving real-time process information of the tool with a preset periodicity. The storage unit is configured for storing the tool index code, the category parameter, and the real-time process information. The processor is configured for processing a weighting algorithm to obtain a result according to the category parameter and the real-time process information. The control unit is configured for sending a control instruction according to the result.

A machine tool (1) includes a tool information storage (9) storing therein used tool information for, when an NC program execution part (5) executes an NC program, specifying a tool used for machining, and a magazine operation panel (18) includes an announcement part (18b) for announcing an alarm to an operator. When receiving an operation signal from an input part (18a) while the NC program execution part (5) is executing an NC program, a tool change control part (11) checks the used tool information stored in the tool information storage (9), and in the case where a tool held by a tool pot (17a) corresponding to the operation signal is not used for machining, moves the tool pot (17a) to a tool attachment/detachment position (17c), and in the case where the tool is used for machining, causes the announcement part (18a) to announce an alarm indicating that it is unavailable.

A machining system that uses a plurality of tools to machine a workpiece includes a display unit capable of displaying a search screen for searching for a tool. The search screen can accept input of a search condition related to the remaining lifespan of a tool. The machining system also includes a search unit for searching for a tool whose remaining lifespan or amount of usage satisfies the search condition, among the plurality of tools, based on the amount of usage of each of the tools from a new state. The search screen displays information regarding a tool that satisfies the search condition as a search result.

Disclosed herein is a management method of a processing tool mounted to a processing apparatus. The management method includes an information input step of inputting product type information that indicates a product type and a serial number displayed on the processing tool or a case of the processing tool to the processing apparatus when the processing tool is mounted to the processing apparatus, and a tallying step of counting the number of inputs of the serial number regarding each identical product type and tallying the number of uses regarding each product type from the input information. Order timing of each product type is determined from the number of uses.

A tool management system of machine tools includes a reader, a receiver, a storage unit, a processor and a control unit. The reader is configured for reading at least one category parameter of the tool according to a tool index code of the tool. The receiver is configured for receiving real-time process information of the tool with a preset periodicity. The storage unit is configured for storing the tool index code, the category parameter, and the real-time process information. The processor is configured for processing a weighting algorithm to obtain a result according to the category parameter and the real-time process information. The control unit is configured for sending a control instruction according to the result.