Paperless shop CNC programs

[T_MALENA]

We are finally going paperless, no more program printouts. We will still print setup sheets, sketches, tool lists etc.

So my question: How do you all verify that your operator downloads the program? How to tell when they have downloaded all the programs on a multi op job? I have my ideas but I'd like to see if someone else has a better/ more reliable way.

 

Thanks

[Cobra Driver]

The setup sheet goes up on the machine, when the program is complete it goes in a finished pile. Pretty simple. We keep the pile going for awhile in case we have to look back at tool numbers or something. Each machine has a tray in programming and the operator pulls each setup in order. Either a programmer or the operator shoots the Hurco programs beacause they go out on com ports. The high-speed machines are networked. 5 people total in CNC (including manager) so it's pretty easy to tell who's doing what.

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

If you FTP t machines, you only need to look at the log to see what was sent to where. Pretty straightforward.

[doyleg]

an easy way to tell is if the program was downloaded from machine to the computer you should have no spaces between info. If it wasn't downloaded there will be spaces.

[Bill Sutton@Accurate Machine]

We have a good check list system(Paper though).

From both program side/and setup there is a series of checks that both do(programmers/set-up) get done properly. All our machines have Floppy disk. When a program has been proven and ran through the setup guy backups on the floppy and makes a statement Good Program with his intials. After the job has been completed the setup sheets and floppy gets turned into programmed where it reviewed and put into the system as good.

This has work out very well. Even thought it took a while to buy into. Now its like a habit to everyone, and nothing evers get missed.

[SLJ]

So far we're small enough(11 machines, 1 shift) that I send all programs to the machines. No programs are kept in machine memory after the current run. No program is downloaded from machine to working directory!!! Any changes needed are made in MC and reposted so everything is current. This way I know what they're running and where they got it. As we continue to grow I'm sure there will be changes, but there are no plans for programs to be kept in the machines.

[Leif Johnson from MICO Inc]

We only keep the current program in the machine. It gets deleted from the machine once the job is done running. We use Jobpack for our DNC and every workcenter has a computer terminal. This has everything they need to run a job and it is all accessed through the viewer. The only paper our shop uses is a print if there is alot on it. We have it set up to create a DCR (document change request) if there needs to be process changes. Jobpack also creates a .RTN file if a program is returned. The original is still named .NC. I then use Beyond Compare to see what they are requesting to change. Jobpack won't let the operator load the program in the machine until I have looked at it and removed the .RTN file. HTH

 

 

Leif

[connormac]

I agree with SLJ, all changes need to be made on MC and reposted. If the operator needs a change done. I fix the problem and repost for all machines using multi_post.vb. My only problem is I want the operator to reload the fixed program and run it to prove out any changes. Some believe that is a waste of time. So sometimes I'm not sure if I did exactly what they wanted or needed.

[Guest]

If you really want to go paperless I think you might want to consider terminals at every machine.

 

Setup sheets can be accessed using html, gcode programs could be accessed with read only permissions, DNC uploads could be kept segregated to be checked for their voracity.

 

This is what we were leaning towards at Kevlin and it is something I am thinking about here.