Tool Crib Software

Smart Metal · May 27, 2008

Hi Guys,

I am planning to get some tool crib management software for my shop. I don't want to spend a fortune and want some basic software that gets the job done. I have found some really high end software and some really basic stuff for checking in and out.

Can you guys tell me what you have in your shop, the website/phone number of the vendor, and also approximately what you paid?

Thank you,

Smart Metal

Tonytn36 · May 27, 2008

Smart Metal said:
Hi Guys,

I am planning to get some tool crib management software for my shop. I don't want to spend a fortune and want some basic software that gets the job done. I have found some really high end software and some really basic stuff for checking in and out.

Can you guys tell me what you have in your shop, the website/phone number of the vendor, and also approximately what you paid?

Thank you,

Smart Metal

You could set this up yourself in MS Access or Open Office base with a front-end form for no cost other than some time.

Smart Metal · May 27, 2008

Tonytn36 said:
You could set this up yourself in MS Access or Open Office base with a front-end form for no cost other than some time.

Thanks for the input Tony, however I need software with more security and bar code capability. I want something that works so we don't have to deal with the bugs.

I found a software from primasoft which is $250 which does the job, however it is a little more basic than I would like. How do we account for the same tools? If we have 40 of the same drill bit how do we scan it in an out of inventory if we can't put a barcode on it? How do we know which one is which when it is returned to us?

www.primasoft.com

If anyone would like to share their experiences from your shop, please let me know.

Thanks,

Smart Metal

Perry Harrington · May 27, 2008

There is a company that makes a robo tool crib, you go to the screen, identify yourself, tell it what you want, then it opens a compartment or vends a package. It has all sorts of features, like only allowing certain amounts, or only permitting certain items to be vend to a given person. I think they are called robocrib or something like that. Check out their website.

Tonytn36 · May 27, 2008

Most tooling vendors are offering these vending machines now. Another nice thing is they usually will do it on consignment, so you only pay for what you've used.

I can't really comment on software for a small shop. We run SAP corporation-wide, and have modules for tool crib, with barcodes. For tools too small for a barcode, a barcode sticker is placed in the drawer where the tool resides, and scanned when you get one out. When you replace the tool, you scan it back in. There are actually two barcode stickers, one for new tools, one for used or reground tools, as there is a cost difference between the two.
For each job on the floor, a barcode is printed for each operation (machine), when you go to the tool crib, you check out tools to that specific job and operation via the barcodes, and those tools are charged to that job and operation via the accounting and order modules of SAP. I can pull up a report that will tell me the exact tool usage (and cost) for any period of time or job, including what my per-piece tooling cost is.

CarbideBob · May 27, 2008

I think Cribware is the biggest player in this field.

Some people doing this in auto plants have the tools in drawers with the bar code on the front of the drawer. You scan the code and take one from the drawer. Only drawback is you need honest people taking stuff out of the drawers. Sometimes someone in a hurry won't bother to scan the tool out so you have to audit check the computer's numbers every now and then.

Much depends on how much you have to spend. A vending machine setup will cost you 15-20K and still won't handle all of your tools.
Bob

ARB · Dec 18, 2011

Did you find a solution?

I'm looking for something simple and reasonably priced for my small shop. $200-$400 price range. Mainly I want to have a better idea what is in stock and not run out of things that are important. We don't use any great amount of tooling but I would like to make keeping track of it easier.

iMagic might do the trick. iMagic Inventory - Inventory Software - from $249

What I would like is something simple like MePro or something from Kentech. Something geared toward a machine shop.

jCandlish · Dec 18, 2011

Seeing as this application depends upon expert knowledge about the individuals "checking out" the equipment, I don't see how this can be done.

The guy that's in charge of the tools is more valuable than the accountant.

Edit: Access to the tool crib is the responsibility of a single human. Even if its just the secretary. Inventory is a separate matter.

John_B · Dec 19, 2011

Apollo Machinery offers the Tool Wall Management software, for free still I believe. It might be a good fit for you, maybe not - the price is right though...

Tool Wall - CNC Tool Storage

sagespecialized · Dec 19, 2011

One hitch with some of the vendor managed vending machines is they will only allow the tooling they sell to be put in their machine. Some care some don't, it's a vendor by vendor policy.

CNC-Team · Apr 9, 2019

CarbideBob said:
I think Cribware is the biggest player in this field.

Some people doing this in auto plants have the tools in drawers with the bar code on the front of the drawer. You scan the code and take one from the drawer. Only drawback is you need honest people taking stuff out of the drawers. Sometimes someone in a hurry won't bother to scan the tool out so you have to audit check the computer's numbers every now and then.

Much depends on how much you have to spend. A vending machine setup will cost you 15-20K and still won't handle all of your tools.
Bob

CRIBWARE is a life saver when it comes to avoiding downtime or over buying. We tracked the savings and it paid for itself within the first 4 months.

Perry Harrington · Apr 9, 2019

CNC-Team said:
CRIBWARE is a life saver when it comes to avoiding downtime or over buying. We tracked the savings and it paid for itself within the first 4 months.

Shilling your software on Practical Machinist won't get you anywhere. In fact it'll probably get your account canceled. Your testimonial sounds inauthentic and I can easily confirm that the company is headquartered in the same state as your location.

TeachMePlease · Apr 10, 2019

Perry Harrington said:
Shilling your software on Practical Machinist won't get you anywhere. In fact it'll probably get your account canceled. Your testimonial sounds inauthentic and I can easily confirm that the company is headquartered in the same state as your location.

And his only interest on his profile is "Production plant automation"

Yeah, CNC-Team... Bumping 11 year old threads just to give an inauthentic review of your own software, or a software you sell will only hurt your business. You're on the largest manufacturing forum on the internet... And we don't take kindly to spam.

Head over to the Additive Manufacturing forum and look at the thread started by the guy from Form Labs....

CNC-Team · Aug 9, 2019

Wow. Really? You accuse me of shilling my own software? Sorry, sonny boy. You are wrong. Do I now accuse you of shilling that autocrib thing you spoke about earlier. I can say for a fact they have some of them in Oregon.

ripperj · Aug 9, 2019

CNC-Team said:
Wow. Really? You accuse me of shilling my own software? Sorry, sonny boy. You are wrong. Do I now accuse you of shilling that autocrib thing you spoke about earlier. I can say for a fact they have some of them in Oregon.

So I guess we are expected to believe that you joined just to respond to a dead thread?

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