The importance of cutting tools and their management to the automotive industry, and their significant impact on production efficiency and manufacturing costs are attracting more and more attention from senior executives in automotive manufacturing companies. In today's fierce market competition, which automobile manufacturing company can better manage its tools, can more effectively improve production efficiency and reduce manufacturing costs, will be in a favorable position in the competition. How to continuously explore and innovate, carry out effective tool management and achieve a win-win goal has become a topic of discussion between automotive manufacturers and tool suppliers.

The impact of tools and their management on production efficiency
The production process of the automotive industry involves a large amount of machining, especially metal cutting. The size, precision and surface topography of the workpiece are related to the tool. The performance and quality of the tool directly affect the smooth processing of the required qualified products, which affects the processing cycle and production efficiency. Modern automobile manufacturing uses a large number of high-speed cutting, all kinds of super-hard tools and various types of standard and non-standard tools. Whether the tool can meet the requirements of high-speed cutting, how the tool life and the frequency of tool change will directly affect the starting rate of the production line. The ability to supply adjusted or polished tools to the production line on time and with guaranteed quality is directly related to whether production can continue normally.

Due to the large number of production lines used in the automotive industry, the production of the previous process directly affects the next process, especially because of the continuous implementation of lean production, the intermediate products and buffers are few, in order to improve production efficiency and reduce production costs, A large number of combined tools and non-standard tools, therefore, a key tool, especially non-standard tools, if not available on time, will cause the entire machining line to be discontinued. If the company does not have emergency measures or cannot respond quickly, it may cause the assembly line of the assembly or even the assembly line of the automobile to be discontinued.

The impact of tools and their management on manufacturing costs
Tool and its management costs account for a significant portion of the cost of manufacturing automotive parts. Under normal circumstances, a factory with an annual output of hundreds of thousands of engines can cost tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of yuan per year. In addition, its tool and tool accessories inventory also requires a lot of liquidity, so reducing tool costs has become a very important, urgent and difficult task for the company. The reduction of tool costs is closely related to the adoption of new tools, new processes, new technologies and new materials. It is also closely related to a series of tool management tasks such as tool procurement, logistics, adjustment, grinding, tool quality control and tool optimization. Union.

High tool management level makes it possible to carry out good tool cost control, which not only ensures that the production line meets the required tools in time, but also keeps the quantity of inventory tools at the minimum necessary level, so that the liquidity is occupied and caused The financial expenses are minimized, and the tool optimization and cost reduction work can be continuously carried out, and timely and rapid response can be made in the event of abnormal tool consumption to ensure normal production.

The performance, life and purchase price of the new knife have the greatest impact on the tool cost, and the number of re-grinding tools, the number of regrinds and the cost of grinding also have a significant impact on the total cost of the tool. At the same time, we also pay attention to the relationship between disposable equipment and tool investment and long-term tool consumption. Some projects may save equipment investment during project planning, but use expensive tools or unreasonable cutting parameters, resulting in short tool life and long-term high cost tool consumption.

Regarding the cost of the tool, while looking at the total tool consumption cost, it is more important to look at the tool cost of the single-piece processing product. When comparing the tool and management cost of each enterprise, it should also be used for processing a single piece of similar product. Tool costs are compared. What percentage of the total cost of manufacturing is the normal cost of the tool? What is the current level of advanced tool consumption in the automotive industry? There is no authoritative data yet.

The general statement in the tool industry is that tool costs account for 3% to 5% of the total machining manufacturing costs. But in fact, the amount of tool consumption is related to many factors, and specific analysis is needed. While looking at the total tool consumption costs, it is more important to look at the tool costs consumed by the processing of a single product. When comparing the tooling and management costs of each company, the tool cost of processing a single piece of similar products should also be compared.

In either case, the impact of tooling costs on manufacturing costs in the automotive industry is significant, requiring rigorous cost control, and tool costs can be significantly reduced by improved tool management and tool optimization.

Current status of tool management in the automotive industry
At present, there are different management modes and management methods for the management of cutting tools in automobile manufacturing enterprises at home and abroad. The practices are different, mainly in the following three categories:

1, the traditional mode
The traditional model also has no complete concept of tool management, and the business related to the tool belongs to different departments within the enterprise and is managed separately. Larger engines, gearboxes, axles and other mechanical processing plants often have tools or tool workshops, but their functions are mainly tool sharpening or tooling repair and tool library or tool library management; Ministry (section), but the tool purchase application is required by the use department; the product machine shop has a tool engineer or technician, whose task is to solve the on-site machining problems related to the tool on the one hand, and to propose the tool on time. The purchase application is responsible for the minimum inventory setting of the tool; the tooling is used and adjusted by the production workshop; the technical work such as tool optimization and improvement is handled by the technical department (process department).

Low productivity, long procurement cycles, high tool inventory and high tool costs are common problems with traditional models. In order to prevent the serious consequences of the production line being stopped due to the large number of procurement links and long cycle, the tool supply is not available when the tool is abnormally consumed, the company has to greatly increase the minimum inventory setting of the tool, so that the tool inventory is greatly increased. It takes up a lot of liquidity and the financial costs are heavy. In addition, it should be noted that the cost of the single piece of tool calculated in this traditional mode often does not really reflect the cost of the actual single piece of tool processing, and there may be labor and other labor costs on the tool. The cost of material resources is not counted in it.

2, outsourcing management mode
Tool management involves tool selection, testing, purchasing, adjustment, sharpening, repair, inventory setting and control, tool life control, tracking analysis and resolution of machining problems in production, and tool optimization.

With the development of modern large-scale production methods, the rapid response of enterprises to market competition and the need to reduce manufacturing costs require the integrated management of all aspects of the tool, and a unified department can then use social resources for management. This allows companies to focus more on their core business, focusing on the development of their products, production and technology development and quality control.

Tool management, which requires specialized technology and multiple resource support work, is outsourced as a supportive work to optimize the allocation of resources, maintain competitive advantage, and effectively achieve cost control in order to achieve higher efficiency and better. The quality and lower cost, so there is a management mode of tool outsourcing management.

Tool outsourcing management first appeared in North American automakers. With the deepening of China's reform and opening up and the establishment of many joint ventures in China, the concept of tool management and its outsourcing management model also appeared in China. At present, quite a few factories in China have adopted or are beginning to adopt this new tool management mode.

3, Toyota mode
Japan's Toyota Motor Corporation was once an advocate of lean production methods, and it has its own unique approach to tool management.

Toyota has a centralized management of the tools, a specialized tool management organization in its management department, and a central tool magazine. For some tools shared by some factories and standard tools and tooling tools with a wide range of applications, the implementation of unified procurement and order pull tool supply, one of the important features is that many tools are prepared by the supplier, the tool supplier Make an immediate response based on the received tool order and provide on-site technical support and on-site service for tool usage.

Toyota's central tool management organization also coordinates and guides the tool procurement of each subsidiary. The tool price negotiation between each subsidiary and the tool supplier and the tool price information obtained can be obtained by the central tool management organization. Get useful guidance and the benefits you get can be shared by other subsidiaries. At the same time, the cost of the entire tool has been greatly reduced due to the fact that many knives have library work assigned to the supplier, which reduces the use of tool inventory and liquidity.

Tool development in the automotive industry
More and more auto manufacturers are trying to improve the management of tools, explore new tool management modes or management approaches, and try to improve tool performance and life through effective tool management and tool optimization processes under management. Improve production efficiency and processing quality, significantly reducing tool management costs and tool consumption costs.

The integrated management of tools will be further developed, and the theory and practice of tool outsourcing management will be further explored. Based on the original 5-level tool management, a new tool management mode is developed which is more conducive to improving work efficiency and reducing tool cost. More companies will strengthen the integrated management of tools, and align tool-related procurement, logistics, inventory, adjustment, sharpening, repair, tool optimization and improvement, and organize and manage them by a unified department. Coordination to improve work efficiency, reduce management and tooling costs, and enhance service and technical support for production lines.

Different levels of tool management will have demand and development. With the development of tool grinding, tool coating and other social tool services, and the development of logistics and other industries, the tool sharpening, repair, inventory management and other work will be outsourced. The trend is gradually increasing. Some auto manufacturers may still control the technical work of the tools, tool optimization, etc., and outsource the tool sharpening, adjustment, inventory management, etc., and seek on-site technical support from some tool suppliers. This will not only enjoy the many benefits of tool outsourcing management, but also reduce the excessive dependence on tool management outsourcing suppliers.

Some large auto groups may set up relevant platforms for tool management at the group level, like Toyota Motor Corporation, but their working models and working methods will be improved and developed. They will further strengthen the planning and coordination of the tool management work of the group's factories or subsidiaries, including the guidance and coordination of the tool outsourcing management work of the relevant subsidiaries; strengthen the leadership of the tool optimization work, and have a large part of the scope The tool implements unified procurement, and supplies the pull tool. The technology, procurement information and tooling optimization and tool solving experience are shared within the group. Due to the Group's unified procurement, the purchase volume is large and stable, and it is possible to establish a better long-term partnership with the tool supplier to obtain a lower purchase price.

In the tool management work, the automobile manufacturing enterprises will invest more efforts to seek the localized supply of tools and seek more real-time on-site technical support. In order to shorten the tooling time, improve the response speed and greatly reduce the tool cost, the automobile manufacturing enterprise will work with the tool supplier to establish and improve the tool early warning mechanism and quick response mechanism to strengthen the tool optimization work.

Conclusion
At present, almost all the famous international knives and knives and their products have entered China. Many companies have also set up factories in China to provide cutting tools and technical support services for domestic auto manufacturers. Domestic tool manufacturers are also working hard to improve the technical level of tool design, manufacturing and sharpening and coating to meet the requirements of the large-scale use of CNC machining equipment in the domestic automotive industry and the continuous development of high-speed and high-precision machining. All of this provides excellent external conditions for the automotive industry to further improve tooling and management.

Whether it is the centralized and unified tool management carried out by the auto manufacturing enterprises themselves, or the tool management outsourced, or the combination of the two, the social resources will be fully utilized. This is the inevitable result of economic globalization and industrial informationization, and is also an inevitable trend in the development of tool management.

Automobile manufacturing enterprises will establish long-term partnerships with various tool manufacturing and service companies. The tool management software and tool information database based on computer and information technology will further develop communication production and demand, customers and suppliers. The role of problems and solutions.

With the development of some professional tool development, tool manufacturing, tool grinding and tool coating companies and their extensive service network in China, tool management in the automotive industry will be more strongly supported. Other auxiliary tools such as various new tool holder systems, tool adjustment, testing equipment, tool balancing systems and their suppliers will also develop in the country with the rapid development of the automotive industry and the need for tool management, and to the automotive industry. Industry provides effective service and support.

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