Tool room in a manufacturing plant

The tool room is a very important part of every production plant, providing essential support in ensuring the smooth running of processes. It is a place where all the tools necessary to perform technological operations are stored, along with equipment for maintaining machines and devices. It is worth finding out what exactly the role of the tool room looks like and what solutions will help in its proper maintenance.

The role of the tool room in the plant

Regardless of the industry, every manufacturing company must ensure that tools are available, functional and ready for use. Any potential lack of availability, damage or improper management can lead to serious consequences – e.g. costly downtime and reduced production quality. Due to the fact that the tool room is used to store the most important devices and tools used in the company, this is an area that requires special attention.

However, in the traditional tool shop management model, problems may arise due to the lack of control over the condition of tools, as well as their inefficient use. This in turn can lead to unplanned breakdowns and other unfavorable situations. In many cases, employees do not have access to current information on the location and condition of equipment, which can extend the time of task execution. In addition, there is a lack of systematic maintenance activities, which results in shortened tool life and premature wear of equipment.

How to cope with these challenges? More and more companies decide to implement CMMS , or Computerized Maintenance Management System. The functionality of such software allows for significantly improved tool room management, as well as better access to information on the technical condition of the equipment. Another benefit is the ability to automatically plan maintenance activities – all this leads to better maintenance of the tool room and the devices contained therein.

How does CMMS optimize tool management?

CMMS platforms are advanced systems that allow companies to effectively manage tools and other resources used in production. Using such software, you can, among other things, centralize data in one place, which in turn provides better control over equipment availability, support for the automation of maintenance processes, and convenient monitoring of the history of device use. CMMS is also the answer to one of the biggest challenges in tool shops, which is the identification of tools and their location. Manual management of such resources is particularly time-consuming and error-prone in plants carrying out complex processes, where employees use dozens or even hundreds of different tools. However, CMMS allows for automatic and accurate tracking of tools in real time – thanks to this, each employee can check in just a few seconds where the necessary equipment is and whether it is available for use.

The CMMS system also allows tools to be assigned to specific employees and work stations. As a result, it is possible to track who and when used a given tool, which helps identify possible problems related to improper use or damage. Registering such information in the system allows, among other things, to minimize losses resulting from lost equipment, as well as to better control situations that may lead to failures.

Technical condition monitoring and maintenance planning

Regular tool maintenance also plays a very important role in tool management, as it is necessary to ensure their long life and maintain high production quality. However, technical inspections or calibrations are often performed irregularly or are based on manual records, which leads to an increased risk of errors or missing important deadlines.

With CMMS, inspections and maintenance can be planned automatically – as a result, the risk of errors drops to practically zero. The software automatically reminds you when an inspection is due, and also records the service history and information on the technical condition of the equipment. In this way, the company can easily avoid situations in which, for example, tools are still used despite their excessive wear. This is also an effective way to reduce the overall risk of failures and support predictive maintenance processes.

Importantly, maintenance planning in CMMS is based on actual tool uptime instead of rigid service intervals. This approach allows both to avoid unnecessary service activities and to detect unexpected failures early enough. Because inspections are performed exactly when they are needed, rather than according to arbitrary deadlines, companies can reduce the costs associated with excessive maintenance while minimizing the risk of failure.

Cost optimization and better resource control

It is worth noting that despite some initial costs associated with implementation, the CMMS system provides significant financial savings in the area of ​​tool management. First of all, companies can better control the costs associated with the purchase of new tools – tracking consumption and history of use allows for more rational planning of purchases, as well as the elimination of unnecessary expenses. In addition, CMMS ensures more effective management of spare parts and consumables. Due to automatic notifications and ongoing access to information on consumption, companies can effectively monitor inventory levels and replenish shortages only when necessary. This in turn leads to another benefit of using CMMS systems, which is the reduction of storage costs along with the avoidance of downtime caused by the lack of necessary components.

Why is it worth implementing CMMS in the tool shop?

Effective tool management has a huge impact on the efficiency of a production plant. Without the right approach, various unwanted situations can occur, such as the lack of the right tool at a crucial moment, equipment failures or unplanned downtime. However, a CMMS system allows you to maintain full control over tools, their technical condition and maintenance schedule. Thanks to this, companies can not only reduce operating costs, but also improve production quality, increase work safety and optimize logistics processes. We invite you to contact QRmaint to learn more.