OT: Manage Archiving CNC Programs

[VBJB]

What do you guys used to manage archiving your CNC programs? We have a Visual Basic application that was developed internally and it is showing its age. This leads me to the question, should I update our internal application or buy something that is already out there (which I cannot find yet).

 

Some feature implemented in our application that I am sure will be hard to find:

 

1) With a click of a button a program is identified archived for future use to a particular machine.

 

2) When programs are downloaded the person’s name is attached to the NC file so we know who is responsible for any incomplete downloads.

 

3) After a person downloads a Mill program they can click a button to analyze the file to make sure it contains all it subs before they erase the program off the machine.

 

4) Our lathe programs can be interchanged between similar machines on the fly. If a person pulls a program for a particular machine and it ran on a different machine the time before it will pull the most current program and do all the necessary syntax changes on the fly (the setup person can decline this feature if he has reason to).

 

5) Our milling machines hold numerous programs with thirty plus subs each. It is a pain to separate each program when archiving is necessary. We have a feature that is called "Separate Program." It first checks and makes all programs are complete with subs. Then, it goes through the mass dump of programs and separates all programs in separate files to be put away.

 

So my question is, what do you guys use and do you recommend it?

[kunfuzed]

That sounds like an intersting program. I've never used a specail program before. But we also had the problem of operators losing subs. So to solve that, we started using local sub program calls. On our Mazaks that meant calling an M98H###, H being the sequence number of the sub. That way the subs were all in the main program, and didn't get lost.

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

VBJB,

 

I know one of those issues can be solved at the control itself, well, and as long as the title of the program share something in common, you can use GROUP. Page 843 of the Facnuc B–63014EN/02 16/18 Operator Manual can explain it in better detail but to answer your question I do not know of any application that does what you want. I have a good suggestion though, go to Rent A Coder and put the bid out there to do your custom app. Be caustioned, you'll need to provide VERY DETAILED expectations and if you have the source code for what you have currently it may help.

 

HTH

[VBJB]

It would be nice if an off-the-shelf program could do this but it not a must.

 

I am more interested in seeing what's out there. If you guys could point me to what you guys use I can look over it and see if it worth buying myself. I did some internet searching and came up with nothing.

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

Never seen anything even remotely like that off the shelf. That does not mean there is not anything out there but if there is, I've never even heard about it.

[VBJB]

AHHHhh! It doesn't have to do all the things I listed. These are feature I included in my program when I wrote it back in 2001.

 

Let's say I never wrote an application and I am looking for an application that stores Part information like Part Number, Rev, Machine, and Program Number that will allow me to store and retrieve progams?

 

And if you guys didn't buy software to do this how are you storing programs for future use are you using paper and pencil, excel,....

[kunfuzed]

"how are you storing programs for future use"

 

C:McamXmillncPART#.NC

[Kyle Waters]

We don't use it here, but I think I recall seeing something kinda like this from Cimco.

[Gilberto]

Check cimco.com and camaix.com.

 

We have developed a few applications for local users to do similar things... but not exactly the same.

Basically store all needed programs for a Job in one sub-directory and have each program include that sub-directory in its file name.

ex:

c:cnc -- main dir

c:cncPART123 -- Job dir for PART123

c:cncPART123PART123-0.iso -- Job PART123 main prog.

c:cncPART123PART123-1.iso -- Job PART123 sub prog. 1

 

The DNC programs know this rule, and retreaves the main and subs automatically from the directory structure.

 

We have another team developing "OrganiMold", to automatically manage mold shops/Jobs,Project planning, Bills of Materials changes, Costs, and all the information nightmare.