Fusion 360 Tool Library Organization - Ideas and Suggestions Needed

[AmericanMaker]

I'm just getting started in CNC machining. I'm have become familiar with CAD/CAM in Fusion 360, but I still have a lot to learn. I purchased my first VMC (a 2011 Sharp SV-2412SX with a Fanuc 0i-MD control). I purchased a bunch of used carbide tooling (mills, drills, reamers, etc.) to practice with, and some new Haas tooling (CAT40 tool holders, ER collets and more cutting toots). And I am learning how to use the machine by running test parts that I design in Fusion 360.

What I'd like to learn from experienced CNC machinists is how you manage and organize your tool libraries. Do organize tools by vendor? By tooling material? By part material (ferrous and non-ferrous)? By tool types?

One thing I have learned so far ... trying to build a Fusion 360 tool library with used tooling is a real pain. I'm using FSWizard to help me figure out speeds and feeds for the used tools for which I cannot find any technical data for online.

Thanks!

 

[DavidScott]

I do it by part material since AD hasn't made changing that something you can accomplish with the software.

 

[cngbrick]

I set up my tools a few years ago by material as above, but Fusion 360 recently added a "presets" option in the tool parameters that I haven't had time to explore. It sounds like this feature may address the issue with accommodating different materials.

I also started with FSWizard but have found that GWizard gets me much closer to starting parameters for new setups with fewer instances of broken cutters.

RT

 

[Dan B]

I'd give two thumbs up to Gwizard. It's paid for itself over and over with efficient cutting and no broken tools.

 

[BT Fabrication]

the fusion tool library is a mess, especially if you have multiple tools in more holders then spaces.
the only way it works is if you never change the tools out, but running job shop work is impossible to do that.

 

[GiroDyno]

You can add presets with different parameters to tools so you can have a preset for roughing and one for finishing, or one for aluminum and one for steel, etc.
I have multiple libraries for individual machines with dedicated tooling, and then some extra tools that aren't always used but are also saved as T99 which I update as I add them to a current setup.

It works pretty well, but man is the Fusion360 tool library slow and buggy...

 

[marccongdon]

It works pretty well, but man is the Fusion360 tool library slow and buggy...

I had that complaint when I had a bunch of manufacturer(maritool, harvey, haas etc) tool libraries loaded in and activated. I ended up deleting those until I needed to pull something in from them and it sped the tool library up to a tolerable level.

 

[cngbrick]

the fusion tool library is a mess, especially if you have multiple tools in more holders then spaces.
the only way it works is if you never change the tools out, but running job shop work is impossible to do that.

Once you pick a tool from the library for a job you can renumber it in the context of the job. This will not affect the number in the main library. I believe you can turn on duplicate checking in the post processor to verify that you didn't accidently assign the same tool number/pocket to multiple tools.

RT

 

[BT Fabrication]

Once you pick a tool from the library for a job you can renumber it in the context of the job. This will not affect the number in the main library. I believe you can turn on duplicate checking in the post processor to verify that you didn't accidently assign the same tool number/pocket to multiple tools.

RT

only problem with that is if you modify the job based tool, it doesn't update the library or vice versa so setting up tools, ie like if you changed feed or speed for one material or roughing or finishing it doesn't pass through and need to manually change each one or repick the tool with the new settings on each job.

 

[cngbrick]

only problem with that is if you modify the job based tool, it doesn't update the library or vice versa so setting up tools, ie like if you changed feed or speed for one material or roughing or finishing it doesn't pass through and need to manually change each one or repick the tool with the new settings on each job.

Agreed, that's a time-consuming gap in the tool library.

 

[DavidScott]

Agreed, that's a time-consuming gap in the tool library.

I prefer that "gap". I would hate to have a change made to a tool for a part automatically propagated to the main library.

 

[cngbrick]

I prefer that "gap". I would hate to have a change made to a tool for a part automatically propagated to the main library.

The gap in question is when you reuse a tool previously selected for a part. It would be nice if you could pick the tool from the part file tool list and have its parameters copied over instead of getting the parameters from the main tool list. Fusion 360 shows all operations where the tool is used in the part so you could pick the exact operation with the parameters you want to reuse.

RT

 

[marccongdon]

I prefer that "gap". I would hate to have a change made to a tool for a part automatically propagated to the main library.

Same, I've thrown some wonky stuff in for a one off job that would wreck my day if it ended up as the default for that tool. It would be nice to be able to "copy back" settings to the main library with one or two clicks though.

 

[AmericanMaker]

Thanks for all the responses. They were very helpful to me!

I knew about the presets but forgot about them when I created my post. They are a huge help.

For now what I've done is create a library called "Tools I Own" and I copy those tools (ie my Haas tooling) from the vendor tool libraries, then I unload all the vendor tool libraries to free up memory and improve the library performance. If I purchase another tool from a vendor I temporarily activate that library, copy the tool to my library and then deactivate the vendor library again.

I'd like to use GWizard but I don't use Windows. I'm on Mac OS. Since FSWizard is web based and the iOS app was only $18 I went with that for now.

 

[AmericanMaker]

The gap in question is when you reuse a tool previously selected for a part. It would be nice if you could pick the tool from the part file tool list and have its parameters copied over instead of getting the parameters from the main tool list.

I have not really thought this through yet, but what about creating additional tool presets for specific parts. Then the parameters for those parts are saved with the tool and only have to be created once. And when you when need to reuse a tool previously selected for a part, just select the preset needed before creating the post.

 

[cngbrick]

I have not really thought this through yet, but what about creating additional tool presets for specific parts. Then the parameters for those parts are saved with the tool and only have to be created once. And when you when need to reuse a tool previously selected for a part, just select the preset needed before creating the post.

That's a potential solution if you had a part that had multiple ops that used the same or similar tool parameters. In practice I adjust feeds and speeds for most operations, especially smaller tools.

With regards to Gwizard: have you tried running it on Wine or other WIndows emulator for MACOS? My experience is similar to Dan B, it quickly paid for itself.

RT

 

[AmericanMaker]

With regards to Gwizard: have you tried running it on Wine or other WIndows emulator for MACOS?

I'm looking into Wine now to see if it works on an Intel based Mac running Ventura (13.2.1) which is the latest MacOS version. I'll report back on this either way.

 

[Rockwolf]

I have a “Standard tools” library for my tools that live in the machine. I divide up pockets for Ferrous and Non Ferrous. Modeled with holders, stickout, and saved parameters.

I have another “Tools in inventory” which holds any special tooling or just tools that don't live in the machine.

Start off with tool recommended parameters and adjust as you see fit. Just remember your librarys are living documents. They always need to update and adapt as you gain experience.

 

[David Ferguson]

G-Wizard is an adobe air application, and runs just fine on both my Windows and MacOS machines.

 

[AmericanMaker]

G-Wizard is an adobe air application, and runs just fine on both my Windows and MacOS machines.

Ahhh yeah, I forgot about that. I'll give that a try. I used to develop Air apps. I know Adobe dropped support for Air and that Harman took over the SDK in 2020. I'm glad to see they're still supporting the SDK with fairly regular releases. Hopefully the MacOS performance is good.