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How to Manage Cutting Tools in ESPRITThe management of cutting tools is an important task for every machine shop. Therefore, it is just as important for a CAM system to manage cutting tools as well.

In ESPRIT, cutting tools can be created and managed three different ways:

•Individuallywithinadocumentortemplatefile

•In groups with tool libraries

•In a database with the ESPRIT KnowledgeBase™

Why use the Cutt ing Tools Manager?

The KnowledgeBase™ greatly expands the productivity and automation capabilities of ESPRIT. The Cutting Tools Manager is a specialized component of the KnowledgeBase that lets users set up and store all the cutting tools used in the shop.

Let’s compare the advantages and disadvantages of the different methods for managing tools in ESPRIT.

Option 1: Create a tool every time you need oneWith this method, tools are created and stored within the ESPRIT document.

There is no restriction when a tool is created.

You need to make sure that the created tool actually exists in your shop.

Inconsistency is introduced since different parameters may be entered the next time you create the “same tool”.

Option 2: Load tools from an existing library stored on the computer or networkAftercuttingtoolsarecreatedinanESPRITdocument,theycanbesavedtoanexternalfilecalledatoollibraryfile(*.etl).

Assuming the library is up to date, the tools exist in the shop.

Consistency is maintained because all users are using the same library.

Managinga“FileLibrary”isnoteasy.Toupdateaspecifictool,thelibraryneedstobeloadedinESPRIT,modifiedandre-saved.

Thesecurityofthelibrary(read/writeaccess)hastobedonebytheoperatingsystem;thereisnoeasybackup system

Option 3: Load tools from the Cutting Tools Manager (local/remote database)The Cutting Tools Manager lets you build a database of all the cutting tools used in your shop. After tools are set up, they can be selected in ESPRIT machining operations and used in automated machining processes.

Assuming the database is up to date, the tools exist in the shop.

Consistency is maintained because all users are using the same database.

Itiseasytofindaspecifictoolbecausetoolscanbeassignedtodifferentgroups(forexample,bymachine),sorted,andfiltered.

TheupdateofthetoolsinthedatabaseisdonedirectlyintheCuttingToolsManager(youdonothavetorunESPRIT).

TheSecurity(access)andbackupofthedatabaseishandledbytheKnowledgeBaseManager.

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How to access the Cutt ing Tools Manager

The Cutting Tools Manager in the KnowledgeBase Manager is the place to manage your tool database.

To open the KnowledgeBase Manager, do one of the following:

•In ESPRIT, click Machining > Common Machining > KnowledgeBase Manager

•From the Windows Start menu, click All Programs > DP Technology > ESPRIT > KnowledgeBase > KnowledgeBase Manager

When sharing the database with other users, only one person at a time should update the KnowledgeBase.

In the list of managers, select ‘Cutting Tools’.

A tab for ‘Cutting Tools’ will display. The Cutting Tools Manager is installed with preexisting tool groups and cutting tools to give you plenty of reference data to create your own tools.

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It is recommended that users create their own tools in the KnowledgeBase. The ESPRIT cutting tools are part of the standard database. Any changes to the standard data will be overwritten whenever ESPRIT or the KnowledgeBase is installed.

Working with Tool groups

In the Cutting Tools Manager, you can create groups of tools to manage your tool library. For example, you can use tool groups to sort tools by Machine Type.

TheCuttingToolsManagerusestoolgroupstomakeitmoreconvenienttofindandselecttools.

Since the Cutting Tools Manager is based on a database, you can share a tool across different tool groups.

For example, if you are using a tool group as the machine type, you can share the same tool among multiple machines.

Tools can also be removed from a tool group at any time without removing them from the database.

As you create tool groups and cutting tools, make sure the tools actually exist in your shop. This prevents users from inadvertently selecting tools that you do not own.

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Create Tool GroupsClick ‘Add New Tool Group’.

Forthefirstgroup,enterthename‘MillMachine’andaddthedescription‘Toolsforastandardmillingmachine’.

Click OK.

Again, click ‘Add New Tool Group’ .

Enterthename‘MillTurnMachine’andaddthedescription‘Toolsforamill-turnmachine’.

Click OK.

Now that you have two tool groups, you will create one milling tool and share that tool with both machines.

Create a standard cutting toolThe way a cutting tool is created is the same whether the tool is created in an ESPRIT document or in the Cutting Tools Manager.

•In ESPRIT, make sure you are in SolidMill mode or SolidTurn mode, then click the tools icon on the ‘Smart’ toolbarandselectthetypeoftoolyouwanttocreate(toolscanalsobecreateddirectlyontheToolstaboftheProjectManager)

•IntheCuttingToolsManager,selectatoolgroup,right-clickinsidethedatagridandselect‘Add’,thenselectthe type of tool you want to create

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ESPRITprovidesasetofpre-definedtooltypesforbothmillingandturningtools.

ESPRITalsoprovidestheabilitytocreatecustommillingandturningtoolsfromuser-definedgeometry .

Right-clickinsidethedatagridandselectAdd>MillingTools>EndMill.

Learn MoreFor more information about custom tools, see Custom Milling Tools and Custom Turning Tools

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Set the General parameters as follows:

ToolMaterialisdefinedintheSpeedFeedsManager.Itwillbediscussedinaseparatedocument.

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Set the Machine parameters as follows:

Set the Holder parameters as follows:

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Set the Shank parameters as follows:

Set the Cutter parameters as follows:

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Click OK to add the end mill to the database.

Share the tool across tool groupsNow that the data for the 10mm end mill is added to the database, you can share that tool among other tool groups.

Right-clickontheendmillandclick‘AddtoGroups...’.

Select the tool group ‘Milling Machine’ and click OK.

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Set ‘Tool Groups’ to ‘Milling Machine’ and you can see that the tool has been added to the group.

Toseeallthegroupstowhichatoolbelongs,selectthetoolinthegridandthenright-clickandselect‘ShowToolGroup Membership’.

The dialog lists all the tool groups associated with that tool.

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searching for tools in the Cutt ing Tools Manager

Whendealingwithhundredsoftools,thebiggestissueyoumayencounterishowtofindatool!

The Cutting Tools Manager has functions that let you narrow the search.

Inthisexample,youwillfindalltheballmilltoolswith:

•A diameter between 5 and 10 mm, and

•Aflutelengthofatleast35mm

Step 1: Show all tools in the databaseSince a tool group has no unit of measure, we cannot sort the tools by tool group because the statement does not specify the tool group.

SettheToolFilter(atthebottomofthegrid)to“Any”toshowalltoolsintheCuttingToolsManager.

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Step 2: Show only ball mill toolsWearelookingforaBallMill,sowecansetthefilterfor“ToolStyle”to“BallMill”inordertoseeonlytheBallMilltools.

Right-clickontheheaderrowandclick‘ShowRowFilteringonColumns’.

Clickthefiltericononthe“ToolStyle”columnandselect“BallMill”.

Now only ball mills are displayed in the grid.

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Notethatwhenthefilterisblue( ),afilterisappliedontheselection.Ifyouwanttoclearafilter,select(All)inthefilterlist.

Step 3: Narrow the search to a range of tool diametersNow we will narrow the search even more by keeping only the tools with a diameter between 5 and 10 mm.

Youwilluseacustomfiltertodefinearangeofdiameters.

Clickthefiltericononthe“ToolDiameter”columnandselect“(Custom)”.

IntheCustomDialog,createthetooldiametercriteria“5≤ToolDiameter≤10”.

Forthefirstcondition,settheOperatorto“≥Greaterthanorequalto”andenter‘5’fortheOperand.

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Click‘AddCondition’andsetthesecondconditionto“≤Lessthanorequalto”10.

WhenyouclickOK,onlythetoolsthatmeetthecriteriaofthecustomfilteraredisplayed.

Step 4: Filter by flute lengthThelastconditionistohaveaflutelengthgreaterorequalto35.

Iftherearestillalotoftoolsremaining,usethecustomfilteronthe“FluteLength”tokeeponlythevalidtools.

Otherwise,justusethesortdescending/ascendingontheflutelengthtosorttheremainingtools.

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Filtering by groupInthisexample,youweresearchingforballmilltoolswithinaspecificrangeofdiameters.But,whatifyouwerelookingforanytoolstyleinthatrangeofdiameters?Youcannotusethesamefilteringtechniqueshowninstep1.

Inthiscase,usegroupby“ToolStyle”toseeallthetools(groupedbyToolStyle)withthepreviouscondition.

Setthefilterfor“ToolStyle”to“(All)”toshowallthetoolstylesthatmatchthecriteriafortheToolDiameter.Noticethattheiconforthefilterisnowwhitetoshowthatnofilterisapplied.

Right-clickonthe“ToolStyle”columnandclick“GroupByThisColumn”.

Now all the tools that match the range of tool diameters are grouped by Tool Style.

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using the Comment field to get an extra group

The Cutting Tools Manager only allows users to create one type of group, a Tool Group. Users cannot create sub-groupswithinagroup,forexample:

The Machine Type can be “represented” by a Tool Group,butsub-groupsthatcanfurtherdefinethetooldo not exist in the database.

IfyouarenotusingtheCommentfield,youcoulduseit as a “Custom Sub Group”. You will have to make sure the strings “Rough Tools” or “Finish Tools” are correctly entered for each tool.

When Comments are entered correctly, you can use the “Group By This Column” functionality of the Cutting Tools Manager to show the tools sorted by the Machine Type(ToolGroup)andCuttingStyle(Comment).

Toremovethegroup,right-clickontheheaderrowandclick“ClearAllGrouping”.

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add a tool from the Cutt ing Tools Manager to an esPRiT document

ESPRITsupportsdrag-and-drop,soyoucanselecttoolsintheCuttingToolsManageranddrag-and-droptheselection to the active Tool tab.

access the Cutt ing Tools Manager from an esPRiT operation page

All technology pages for milling and turning operations support the loading of a tool directly from the Cutting Tools Manager without creating the tool in ESPRIT.

Whenthedatabaseicon( )totherightoftheToolIDisclicked,ESPRITwillloadasimplifiedversionoftheCutting Tools Manager.

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ThissimplifiedversionofCuttingToolManagerhasthesameSorting/FilteringfunctionalityastheoneintheKnowledgeBaseManager(exceptfor“ShowAllTools”).

LimitationsThissimplifiedversionoftheCuttingToolManagerisdesignedtobea“selectiontool”,notamanagerapplication;thereforeyouwillnotbeableto:

•Add/Remove/EditToolGroups

•Add/Remove/EditTools

access the Cutt ing Tools Manager from the esPRiT Tool Manager

You can access the Cutting Tools Manager at any time from the Tool Manager in ESPRIT from the menu KnowledgeBase > Cutting Tool Manager.

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When loaded, you will have access to the full version of the Cutting Tool Manager. Since the manager is loaded from ESPRIT, the Cutting Tools Manager will have the “Add Selected Tools to ESPRIT” functionality available.

This version of the Cutting Tool Manager has all the functionalities of the KnowledgeBase Manager.

Ifyouwanttoaddoneormoretools,selectthetool(s)inthegridandthenclick“AddSelectedToolstoESPRIT”.

Managing tools from the Tool Manager

The Tool Manager displays the status of the tool within the database using icons in the tool grid.

Thestatusofthetoolisnot“live”.Ifauserisadding/removingatoolwhileworkinginthecurrentdocument,thetooltabwillnotrefreshthestatusofthetooluntilyoureopenthefileormanuallyrefreshthe manager.

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Saving an ESPRIT tool to the databaseIfyouhavecreatedatoolinthedocument(orloadedfromatoollibrary),theToolManagerletsyousavethetool(s)directlyintotheCuttingToolManagerwithoutevenopeningtheKnowledgeBaseManager.

When the “Save Tools” dialog displays, you can select the tool group where you want to store your tool, or even create a new one.

You will notice that after tool is saved in the Cutting Tool Manager, its KnowledgeBase status will be updated( ).

Updating the database with the current toolWhen refreshing tools from the database, the tool in the current document will be “replaced” by the one in the database.

However,ifyouwanttoupdatethedatabasewithatoolthatwasmodifiedinthedocument,youneedtousethecommand “Update Tool In Database”.

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Thedatabasewillbeupdatedwiththetoolinformationfromthedocument(inthiscase,thetooldiameterwaschanged).

Refreshing tools from the databaseWhen the tools in the document come from the database, you have a way to synchronize your tools with the database.

When refreshing tools from the database, ESPRIT will override the current tool in the document with the one from the KnowledgeBase.

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Deleting a tool association with the databaseWhen a tool comes from the database, you can break the link between the tool and the database: the tool will remaininthedatabasebutthetoolinthedocumentwillbecame“unique”tothedocument.Thiswaywhenrefreshing the tool from the KnowledgeBase, this tool will remain the same.

Deleting a tool from the databaseWhenatoolcomesfromthedatabase,youcandeletethetoolfromthedatabase(ifyouhavetheprivilegeaccessinthedatabase)directlyfromtheToolManagerwithoutusingtheCuttingToolManager.

The tool is permanently deleted from the database, including all Tool Groups it belongs to.

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DPTechnologyCorp. Phone:1800627-84791150AvenidaAcaso OutsidetheUS:+1805388-6000Camarillo,CA93012USA Email:esprit@dptechnology.com

ESPRIT is a registered trademark of DP Technology Corp.©2010 DP Technology Corp. All rights reserved.

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Conflict Management

EachcuttingtoolintheToolManagermusthaveauniqueToolID.IfyouaretryingtoloadorpasteatoolthathasanexistingToolIDorDatabaseID,theToolManagerwillprompttheusertomanagetheconflict.

Adialogwillprompttheuserforeachtoolconflict.

•Replace Tool “Name of the Tool”: the tool in the document will be replaced by the tool you are copying

•Do No Replace “Name of the Tool”: no action, it will skip the current tool

•Create a New Tool Renamed “Name of the tool (1)”: the tool will be copied under a different name

•Do this for all conflicts:specifytotheToolManagertousetheselectedoptionforallotherconflicts(onlyinthecurrentcopyaction)

•Skip: no action, it will skip the current tool

This dialog does not display when a new tool is created. If the name already exists, it will be named with theextension(1),(2),etc…