New Website Publicizes Generic Tool Format Information
The Generic Tool Catalog was developed by Siemens PLM, Sandvik Coromant, Iscar and Kennametal.
NTB Interstate University of Technology Buchs, an institute that specializes in engineering informatics, has launched a new website, gtc-tools.com, which provides information on the Generic Tool Catalog (GTC) cutting tool data exchange format. The GTC data exchange format was developed through collaboration between Siemens PLM Software, Sandvik Coromant, Iscar and Kennametal. The GTC format is available to all tool vendors and application developers, enabling them to share cutting tool data more easily and precisely.
GTC enables a direct connection between the tool vendor and the software application without the need of an intermediary company. ISO 13399, established by the International Standards Organization, created a common language for industrial product data, but there is also a need for additional information such as tool classification, class drawings and pictures, according to Sandvik Coromant. GTC makes this additional information available for use by cutting tool vendors and application developers.
The format is supported in Adveon, a tool library application developed by Sandvik Coromant for interface with some CAM systems.
