Today’s machine shops need to be bottom-line focused to maintain a competitive edge in a fast-paced global manufacturing economy. One way to control costs and increase margins is to reduce tooling costs with proper maintenance and storage, whether long or short term.
First, what constitutes short versus long term in terms of tooling? Short-term storage generally amounts to a week or less. Long-term storage generally amounts to durations of more than a week, and is more common for tools like boring bars, or custom toolholders and tools, that are required intermittently for specific projects.
On the other hand, backup toolholders tend to require storage that isn’t really short or long term. Most shops have toolholders constantly in use to avoid the mistake – and cost – of having an idle inventory of toolholders that aren’t contributing to the bottom line. However, it is smart to have a backup set of toolholders that are regularly rotated with the in-use set to extend toolholder life and reduce machine downtime.
But the duration of storage is only half of the story. Another important factor is pre-storage preparation. Prior to any type of storage, three actions must be taken: evaluate, clean and preserve.
First, evaluate the overall condition of your toolholder. Look for nicks, dents or burrs – the appearance of which may mean there’s a potential for runout or performance issues that could have a costly impact on your machine, not to mention the quality and accuracy of the part being manufactured.
Next, once you’ve evaluated your toolholder, proper cleaning is important no matter how long you plan to store tools. In most cases, you don’t need to worry about the use of aggressive, caustic cleaning agents. A light oil is sufficient to clean the toolholder, removing gummy or tacky materials like coolants, or other debris such as chips. In some cases, a special taper cleaner can be used; in more extreme cases, such as those in which the toolholder has been in use for long periods of time or hasn’t been properly maintained, an ultrasonic cleaner may be necessary to remove heavier stuck-on debris or dirt.
Lastly, because humidity and the rust it causes have a damaging effect on toolholders, once you’ve evaluated and cleaned your toolholder, preserve and protect it by applying a light mist of oil. For short-term storage, products like WD-40 are sufficient.
Finally, store unused toolholders in a tool room on a storage rack or in a cabinet rather than leaving them out on the shop floor on a workbench or shelf. Racks and cabinets help protect valuable toolholders and create a well-organized, productive and safe workshop environment. Proper storage also prevents toolholders from hitting each other, which may damage them, and keeps them neatly stored for quick and easy identification.
It goes without saying that well-maintained tools and an organized, clean environment are key to maximizing efficiency and boosting productivity, which is critical to the success and survival of any machine shop. Every shop should integrate proper tool storage practices into their workflow to enable optimized production and efficient operations.