Tool Utilization

Effective tool utilization is a key element to guarantee process integrity and product quality through manufacturing cycles.

Understanding which tool was utilized to complete a specific operation is essential in a regulated industry.

More important, guaranteeing the processes in place are enforced and the utilization of a compliant tool and assembly hardware is hard requirement for an operation guarantees success.

ION Tool Requirements Features include the following:

• Ability to set optional or required tools at a step level
• Ability to set tool validations at tool selection level, such as specifying the exact tool that must be used for an operation

See Diagram 1 below:

How to Implement Tool Requirements in ION:

Step 1: Complete Tool/Operation Analysis

• List all operations in your manufacturing process.
• Identify and list all tools required to perform your manufacturing operations
• Map each operation with their corresponding tool requirement(s)

Step 2: Complete Tool Maintenance Analysis

• Identify and list the maintenance cycle and criteria for each tool necessary for your manufacturing processes.

Step 3: Incorporate all Tool requirements and validations identified during the Tool/Operation analysis into the necessary ION procedures.

• Create a Field Type: Tool at each step/operation necessary. See Image 1 below:

• Set the proper validations and requirements for the tool field. This is the stage where you tell ION if a tool MUST be used for an operation, if so, which tool(s) can be used.

By completing the above tasks, your organization will:

• Identify any gaps between your tool inventory and operation requirements
• Enforce the utilization of a tool at an operation level

Visualize Tools

To build on top of the in process requirements for tools. Organizations can pull this information into reports to manage tools better.
Here are some dashboard ideas we have seen work for customers:

Tracking Tool Inventory Attributes

• Tool
• Serial Number
• Location
• Service Due Date
• Last Service Date
• Service Interval
• URI - Universal Resource Identifier
• Status - Available/Unavailable

Tool Management Reports

• Automate the delivery of tool inventory reports based on specific parameters, such as cadence or specific conditions. For example:
  • Get a weekly report on all your tools automatically sent to the tool manager in your organization.
  • Never miss a calibration or maintenance date for your tool inventory by get a report of tools 2 weeks prior to their service due date.
  • Get a report of the tool inventory that is currently unavailable and requires maintenance and/or re-calibration.
  • Get a report of tools that have been 'Unavailable' for a certain period of time.