About this template
CNC Tool Register & Tool Life 2026/2027 – Excel, Word and PDF
How long are the cutting tools in your CNC production being used? When do tool changes occur, what is the consumption cost, and which cutting edges need to be inspected? With CNC Tool Register & Tool Life, you receive a structured template package for tracking cutting tools, tool changes, wear measurements, actual cutting minutes, and parts produced. Designed for workshops, CNC operators, production engineers, supervisors, and smaller manufacturing companies.
15 editable and print-friendly files: 7 Word (DOCX), 7 searchable PDF, and 1 Excel workbook (XLSX) with nine tabs and status charts. Five Swedish master documents plus a Swedish and an English user guide. One-time purchase, no subscription.
Cutting tool life varies based on tool material, cutting data, workpiece material, cooling, and process conditions. The package does not set generic safety or wear limits. The user must establish their own limits and conduct an actual risk assessment. The calculation does not replace the machine's safety instructions, physical tool inspection, or authorized decisions regarding continued operation. The designation 2027 indicates the document version.
01. Package Contents
- 7 Word files (DOCX): five Swedish, editable master templates, a Swedish guide, and an English User Guide.
- 7 corresponding searchable PDF files: A4 for archiving, reading, and printing.
- 1 Excel workbook (XLSX): nine calculation and register sheets with validation formulas, data validation, and graphical overviews.
Total 15 files in ZIP. Swedish is the primary language; an English guide explains the Swedish documents. Delivery: digital download, no physical shipping, and no subscription. Document version 1.0 – 2026/2027.
02. What the files contain
| No | Document | Content and function | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | CNC Tool Plan and Life Routine | Setting internal limits (min/pcs), quality and safety risks, inspection frequency, and decision responsibility. | DOCX + PDF |
| 02 | Cutting Tool Card & Start-up Checklist | Unique edge/lifecycle ID, insert type, CNC machine, operation, cutting data, and risk control. | DOCX + PDF |
| 03 | Run Log and Consumption Protocol | Actual cutting time, parts produced/scrapped, order, operator, and log ID. | DOCX + PDF |
| 04 | Tool Change and Scrap Protocol | Actual change, old and new instance, reason for scrapping, cost, and follow-up. | DOCX + PDF |
| 05 | Wear Inspection and Non-conformance Report | Wear type, actual VB dimension, local limit, risk assessment, and effectiveness verification. | DOCX + PDF |
| 06 | Swedish User Guide | Step-by-step instructions, documentation, formulas, Excel instructions, data quality, and sources. | DOCX + PDF |
| 07 | English User Guide | English guidance for the Swedish master templates and Excel; not a full translation. | DOCX + PDF |
| 08 | Excel – Tool Register | Nine tabs covering tool registry, run log, change history, wear, inventory, and costs. | XLSX |
Tool Register in Excel – nine tabs and actual tracking
The Excel workbook provides a clear workflow from the first use to actual tool changes, wear investigation, and cost follow-up. Users can register up to 200 tool instances, 400 run log entries, and separate registers with up to 200 events each. A tool instance refers to a specific cutting edge or usage cycle – after a change, a new ID must be created so that the history is not accidentally reset.
- Overview: number of active instances, runs, changes, actual cutting minutes, parts produced, warning signals, blocks, inventory needs, open actions, and status charts.
- Tool Register: insert article, machine, operation, self-determined life limit in minutes or parts, editable warning threshold, actual accumulated consumption, and warning indicators.
- Run Log: up to 400 chronologically documented events, actual cutting time and production counts, plus instance ID verification.
- Changes & Scrap: change, reason for scrapping, old/new cutting edge instance, documented actual cost, and execution.
- Wear Inspection: wear type, observed VB dimension, separate locally established limit, manual assessment, and indicative comparison.
- Inventory: article number, current reported balance, reorder point, unit price, and simple indicative inventory value.
- Actions: responsibility, due date, actual status, and implemented effect check.
- Costs: actual replacement costs, total cutting time, and preliminary cost key figures with explanations.
- Read me: review of instance IDs, units, limitations, sources, and workflow.
The workbook is delivered without fictitious machine or consumption data. Key figures start at zero; results become meaningful only once the user has entered real data. No automatic CNC/PLC connections or inventory deductions are included.
How to use the tool – step by step
- Document the machining process, tool article, machine, operation, product requirements, and risk profile in the CNC tool plan.
- Choose an internal, factually justified life limit per tool type and process, in cutting minutes or number of parts produced.
- Create a unique cutting edge instance in the Excel "Tool Register" sheet and complete a start-up checklist.
- Register actual data in the Run Log. Excel sums minutes and parts separately and calculates the chosen consumption ratio.
- Physically inspect wear, product dimensions, and consumption signals. Document any VB measurements against a locally chosen limit.
- Document tool changes or scrapping, close the old instance, and create a new instance ID when replaced.
- Manually adjust inventory balance and register actual completed actions, effect checks, and decision responsibilities.
Important method, operational, and safety limitations
Wear is not always linear. Monitoring flank wear, crater wear, chipping, or plastic deformation may require different methods. A local numeric VB limit is not a universal safety limit. It must not replace the assessment of process risk, machine instructions, technical advice from the cutting tool manufacturer, or physical issues discovered by the operator.
No automatic release: when Excel shows "BELOW LIMIT," it only means that the reported consumption is below a user-registered administrative limit. A deviant or damaged cutting edge may still require an immediate stop. Likewise, "AT/ABOVE LIMIT" is not proof of a product defect – it is a signal for investigation.
No statutory standard form: this is an independently developed, voluntary production and quality administrative support tool. It does not replace the employer's instructions, risk assessments, work environment responsibilities, accounting, or applicable customer requirements. Reference to industrial methodology does not imply ISO certification or manufacturer certification.
Supplementary templates and relevant internal links
To link tool changes to production efficiency, you can use OEE – Machine Efficiency. For ongoing dimensional variation after tool changes, there is SPC & Process Capability. For start-up and drawing inspections, First Article Inspection & FAI is relevant, and for reviewing the entire measurement process, Measurement System Analysis MSA & Gage R&R. More documents are available in Production & Industry – Templates and Quality Management & ISO – Templates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I track tool life in minutes and parts?
Yes. The Run Log stores both values separately, but each registered cutting edge instance uses exactly one chosen unit to calculate its life ratio.
What happens when I change an insert?
Document the change, mark the old cutting edge instance as replaced, and create a new instance with a new unique ID. Otherwise, two life cycles might incorrectly be summed into the same history.
Can the calculation automatically approve a cutting tool?
No. Formula-based signals are administrative indicators. Measurement, quality assessment, and workplace safety risks must be reviewed by the appropriate personnel.
Are tools automatically deducted from inventory?
No. Registered changes do not trigger automatic inventory transactions. The inventory sheet is based on actual reported balances, avoiding the risk of a logged event being incorrectly equated with a physical inventory change.
Are cutting data and life limits from manufacturers included?
No. No generic cutting speeds, VB limits, or safe tool life values are pre-set. They must be selected for the specific cutting article and actual process.
Are all master templates available in English?
No. Five master documents are in Swedish. The English User Guide describes the contents of the documents and how the calculations are used.
Sources and edition
Technical review 2026-10-14. Sandvik Coromant – Diagnosing Insert Wear (2025), Sandvik Coromant – Technical Guide on Insert Wear, and peer-reviewed overview of tool life and flank wear. Edition 1.0, document version 2026/2027, ZIP cnc-verktygsregister-livslangd-2027.zip. Neither protected manufacturer documents nor certification certificates are included.
