A cutting tool, system, method and computer program product for increasing traceability of at least a first cutting edge of a cutting tool. The method includes detecting at least a first identification marker on the cutting tool, reading the at least first identification marker, decoding the at least first identification marker to determine at least a first cutting edge information data included in the machine readable code of the at least first identification marker, generating a first cutting tool identification data based on at least the at least first cutting edge information data, and storing at least any of the at least first cutting tool identification data and the at least first cutting edge information data in a memory.

A maintenance indicator stores an information bit string. The information bit string encodes at least a section of a piece of maintenance information of a component of a cutting tool in binary. The information bit string has a plurality of information bits. Each information bit has an information bit state. In an activated display state, the maintenance indicator emits flashes that follow the information bit states of the information bit string and thus displays an information signal. In the activated display state, the maintenance indicator displays an announcement signal. The announcement signal announces the information signal. The information signal can be filmed by a photosensitive element while maintaining an air gap.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including medium-encoded computer program products, for computer aided design and manufacture of physical structures using subtractive manufacturing systems and techniques include, in one aspect, a method including obtaining information regarding a geometry of a part to be machined by a computer-controlled manufacturing system from a workpiece; based on the information regarding the geometry, identifying machine components to be used by the computer-controlled manufacturing system during machining the part; determining a position for the machining of the part with respect to at least one of the machine components, to even out wear on the machine components, based on data indicating previous positions, movements and wear of components associated with the computer-controlled manufacturing system; and providing instructions usable by the computer-controlled manufacturing system, wherein the instructions are configured to cause the computer-controlled manufacturing system to use the position for the machining.

A real-time calibration-based tool condition monitoring system, device and method for repetitive machining operations to monitor tool conditions by a combination of a calibration procedure using a reference tool and similarity analysis comparing the reference tool with a working tool is disclosed.

The invention relates to a device for knife cutting or sawing workpieces, with an endless, circumferential band knife (26) or an endless, circumferential band saw, respectively, wherein the device (10) has at least one sensor (42a, 42b, 42c, 42d, 42e, 42f), wherein the at least one sensor (42a, 42b, 42c, 42d, 42e, 42f) acquires a measuring value representing the band damage and wherein the sensor (42a, 42b, 42c, 42d, 42e, 42f) is connected to at least one evaluation unit (44) and the measuring value representing the band damage is supplied to the evaluation unit (44) and wherein based on the measuring value, information about the damage state of the band knife (26) or of the band saw can be generated by means of the evaluation unit (44).

Tool bodies, tools and machines for operating the tool include electronic circuits for providing data, collecting data, analyzing data and for controlling machines based on such data. Tool bodies and tools may include electronic circuits having data collecting sensors, which may be embedded in a housing with the electronic circuit and/or positioned outside of such a housing. Sensors include temperature sensors, motion sensors, strain sensors, moisture sensors, electrical resistance sensors, position sensors, antennas, and other components.

A machine tool includes a tool main spindle device to execute machining of a first system in a first workpiece main spindle device for rotationally holding a workpiece and machining of a second system in a second workpiece main spindle device for rotationally holding the workpiece by an exchangeable main spindle head tool. Drive control of each device is performed by a control device, the control device including a tool management processing section to calculate a total usage time of the main spindle head tool based on the machining of the first system or the machining of the second system executed in the tool main spindle device, to store the calculated total usage time as first tool management data or second tool management data, and to rewrite the same total usage time in the other of the second tool management data or the first tool management data.

A tool state learning device has a storage unit for storing an arbitrary image captured by an imaging device imaging a machined surface of an arbitrary workpiece cut using an arbitrary tool, and a teacher data acquisition unit for acquiring, as input data, an arbitrary image stored in the storage unit, and acquiring, as a label, the state of the tool annotated according to prescribed levels indicating the degree of wear of the tool on the basis of the arbitrary image. The tool state learning device also has a tool state learning unit for using the acquired label and input data to perform supervised learning, and generating a learned model in which a machined surface image of the machined surface of a workpiece imaged by the imaging device is inputted and the state of the tool that cut the machined surface of the workpiece is outputted.

A tool management system includes a tool management device and an information input/output unit. In the information input/output unit, the tool component and/or the assembled tool stored in the tool information database in which unique identification information is assigned is selectable together with a plurality of predetermined action patterns representing actual operations necessary for preparing an assembled tool used in machining. The tool management device includes a list generating unit and a data determining unit. The list generating unit automatically generates a preparation tool list including the selected tool component and/or assembled tool for each of the action patterns when the tool component and/or the assembled tool is selected together with each of the action patterns. The data determining unit determines whether the unique identification information of the actual tool component and/or assembled tool matches the unique identification information listed in the preparation tool list or not.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including medium-encoded computer program products, for computer aided design and manufacture of physical structures using subtractive manufacturing systems and techniques include, in one aspect, a method including obtaining information regarding a geometry of a part to be machined by a computer-controlled manufacturing system from a workpiece; based on the information regarding the geometry, identifying machine components to be used by the computer-controlled manufacturing system during machining the part; determining a position for the machining of the part with respect to at least one of the machine components, to even out wear on the machine components, based on data indicating previous positions, movements and wear of components associated with the computer-controlled manufacturing system; and providing instructions usable by the computer-controlled manufacturing system, wherein the instructions are configured to cause the computer-controlled manufacturing system to use the position for the machining.