tool
IRI: https://spec.industrialontologies.org/ontology/construct/Tool
Defined In: https://spec.industrialontologies.org/ontology/productionplanning/ProductionPlanning/
SubClass Of: material artifact
Class Hierarchy
owl:Thing › bfo:entity › bfo:continuant › bfo:independent continuant › bfo:material entity › bfo:object › material artifact › tool
Direct subclasses:
Definition
material artifact designed to be held, guided, or attached to help a person, machine, or mechanism perform a task
Explanatory Notes
- “designed to be held, guided or affixed” distinguishes tools from machines: often simpler, may require manual or machine guidance.
- “facilitate execution of a task” covers uses ranging from hand‑tools (hammer, wrench) to machine‑tools (cutting insert, fixture) in the broader sense.
- By stating “by a human, machine or mechanism,” the definition remains flexible to tools used both manually and in automated contexts.
- a tool is guided or affixed by a human, machine or mechanism to facilitate execution of a task
Examples
- adjustable wrench used to maintain a pump; multimeter used to troubleshoot an electrical cabinet; borescope used to inspect a pipeline; calibration gauge used to verify a pressure sensor; cleaning brush used to service processing equipment
Adapted From
- ISO 15531‑1 (resource definitions) refers to tools as devices used in manufacturing (implicit) NIST+11Iteh Standards+11ISO+11.
IEC 60050‑851 (Electropedia) defines “tool” as “an implement, usually manually controlled, used to perform work” machinerysafety101.com.
NIST Dictionary of Metrology describes a tool as “a hand‑held or mechanically actuated item used to apply force or precision to a workpiece” (NIST work) — general metrological usage. Other references (Shumaker et al. 2011; Jones & Kamil 1973; Hauser 2000; Britannica; Merriam‑Webster; Oxford; Meanings & Definitions of English Words | Dictionary.com ) define a tool as a physical instrument (often hand‑held), used to extend an agent’s ability to modify environment or material.
Primitive Class
This class is declared primitive and it does not have necessary and sufficient condiftions defined.
Primitive Rationale
Many of the core characterizations of production tool (more broadly tool) captured in the trait analysis (see https://oagi.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/IOF/pages/5952208897/Characterization+of+machines+and+tools#Trait-analysis) cannot be formally expressed, especially energy transformation, power, control, motion and mechanical structures.
Formal Axioms
First-Order Logic Axioms
Tool(t) → MaterialArtifact(t)
Semi-Formal Natural Language Axioms
if an entity is an instance of ‘tool’, then it is an instance of ‘material artifact’
Description Logic
SubClassOf: constr:MaterialArtifact