Development of Tool Management System based on Django Web Framework

Abstract

To maintain process stability and yield improvement in a small and diverse market, digitization equipment and managing tools intelligently through the IoT are necessary. Although many traditional manufacturing factories have used IoT technologies, they cannot control the tracking flow and condition of each cutting tool owing to a lack of systematic tools. This easily causes machine downtime or even damage to the machine spindle due to tool-related problems. Therefore, the tool management system (TMS) in this study is designed based on a browser/server (B/S) web architecture and is designed to use a non-relational database for storing tool data with a non-fixed structure. The TMS is proposed to integrate two management modes: tool management and engineering development. The functions of tool management are mainly about querying the database through specific codes and keeping the usage records oftools. It enables processing staff, purchasing staff, warehousing staff, and administrators to have useful information on each tool at each stage. In addition to recording the usage of the tools, when the inventory level of the tools is lower than the safety level, the purchaser is immediately notified to place an order with the tool supplier for shortening the tool preparation time. On the other hand, the functions of the engineering development are designed for CAD/CAM manufacturing staff to query the tool inventory through the TMS to obtain suitable matching components in real-time. DXF files are used to assemble tool components and generate 3D models in CAM software for simulation tests. Then, the production staffprepares the tools according to the tool list from the simulation. The staff of the measurement department also measures and updates the tool compensation data of the TMS. Thus, the operator quickly places the tool into the corresponding number on the tool magazine (or turret head) and update the correct compensation value of the CNC controller via TCP/IP.