Currently, factories work on a principle of “one size fits all” when it comes to replacing or regrinding tools such as drill bits, milling machines or planes after a specified period of time – whether they need it or not. Not only does this unnecessarily increase the time spent on maintenance, it is expensive, too. In the “Cute Machining” project, researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Microelectronic Circuits and Systems IMS in Duisburg are working on the issue by creating individual tool “service records” and employing a new communication technology that uses RFID tags. The aim is to optimize productivity, quality, throughput time and inventory in the manufacturing operations of the Industrie 4.0 era.