Apparatus and a method for establishing setup parameters for use in a machine. In one embodiment a tooling component is removably mountable to a host machine. The tooling component includes a memory that contains information defining setup parameters for the host machine for use with the tooling component. A controller associated with the host machine reads the information from the memory and configures the host machine based on the information read from the memory. In another embodiment, an information carrying tag, is associated with the tooling component. The information carrying tag is read and the identifying information obtained from the tag is used by a controller to select a set of setup parameters from one or more sets of setup parameters stored in a storage device accessible by the controller. A mechanism is provided to precisely position the adapter on the base plate for the host machine to minimize variations in production using the setup parameters derived from the stored information.