Assigning tools to spaces in a tool magazine

A method for assigning tools wi to spaces pi in a tool magazine, wherein the tool magazine is configured to hold ready a number of tools wi for a machine tool, wherein the tool magazine comprises a feeder for conveying tools wi;

• wherein the method comprises the following steps:
• acquiring a sequence (S) of planned working steps si of the machine tool;
• wherein each working step si is assigned a tool wi, by means of which the machine tool carries out the working step si, and a processing time ti, during which the tool wi is used by the machine tool,
• wherein, before the working step si, the feeder conveys the tool wi from its assigned space pi in the tool magazine to a transfer point,
• where said tool is picked up by the machine tool,
• wherein, after the working step si, the tool wi is set down by the machine tool,
• from where said tool is conveyed to its assigned space pi in the tool magazine by the feeder;
• wherein each space pi is assigned a time bi that the feeder requires to convey a tool wi from the space pi to the transfer point or vice versa;
• the method further comprising the following steps:
• determining a maximum cycle time that the feeder requires to convey a tool wi−1 of a working step si−1 that has been performed from the transfer point to its assigned space p1−1, to move from there to the space pi+1 of the tool wi+1 of an impending working step si+1, and to convey the tool wi+1 from there to the transfer point;
• determining a set M with all triplets ri of successive working steps si−1, si, si+1 in the case of which the processing time ti of the working step si is shorter than the maximum cycle time;
• (a) determining relevances of the triplet ri of the set M, wherein the relevance of a triplet ri comprises a number of movements or conveying actions that are defined as the tool wi−1 is assigned to a space pi−1 and the tool wi+1 is assigned to a space pi+1;
• (b) determining a triplet of the set M with the highest relevance;
• (c) assigning a tool w1 of the determined triplet to a space p1 and/or a tool w3 of the determined triplet to a space p3 such that a processing time t2 is longer than, or is shorter to the least possible extent than, the sum of the times required for conveying the tool w1 from the transfer point to the space p1, for moving the feeder from there to the space p3 and for conveying the tool w3 from there to the transfer point;
• (d) removing the determined triplet from the set M;
• repeating steps (a) to (d) until the set M is empty;
• and
• assigning unassigned tools wi to unassigned spaces pi of the tool magazine.