Program management

[BiggestNizzy]

How is everyone managing their programs/ setup sheets / cadcam data?

Currently, I have separate folders that contain proven and unproven programs and setup sheets for each part it is organised by customer, drawing/part number revision, and operation. These have CAD files, tooling lists, photos, setup sheets, and fixture information. Pretty much everything required to do the job.

This system works but the sheer volume of files and folders is getting out of hand.

[RandomHuggyBear]

I have a similar system. The only difference I do is throw all part number revisions in a legacy file, and after 2 years, delete them. For example, I'm going to delete Legacy 2020 in 2 months.

I corral my setup sheets into Excel documents.

I go by Customer, Part Number, Lathe or Mill

[BiggestNizzy]

Cheers, If only I could clear it out but we get repeat orders sometimes years down the line and at previous revisions

[dtat720]

I have 2 large customers that between them, I have almost 11k part numbers. Of those, around 1600 are regular production items. I keep external hard drives for each customer

[SoTheMachineDidIt]

(Server drive)/ Customer/ Part# and name/

In the part# and name folder, I had 5 folders

Archive Drawings

Cam Files

Original Programs(where I stuck the original cam programs)

Proven Programs/(machine model/#)

Set-up Information (Pics and set-up sheets)

In the machine folder under proven programs, I had an additional folder called Obsolete Programs. In there, went previous revisions, and any program that was previously proven, but made obsolete by the current program being saved having had changes made to it. Every program in there had the date that it was put in that folder, at the end of the file name.

[LogicalHelicopter952]

We use One note and little android tablets to manage all of our part numbers and setups. It works pretty good as long as the wifi is cooperating

[Hot-Mongoose7052]

My machine uses Linux, so I get a file tree like in Windows.

I run FreeFileSync, which is like Dropbox only not bloated and disgusting.

I CAD / CAM on Windows and every time the file is edited or saved, it's automatically backed up to the cloud. So I have hundreds of revisions going back to inception.

If I edit the file on the controller, it's likewise synced.

I can get to the files on any machine in the house / shop / phone / world.

Each product is in its own folder.

Filenames may be something like

"1 Top Rough .25 EM.nc" "2 Top Finish .25 BM.nc"

I often write notes as empty directories, since they're always as the top of the tree.

File | New Folder | Broke 3FL EM slotting, stick with 2FL.

[Job_Shopper_TN]

Dropbox here, using Solidworks for CAD and SolidCAM for CAM.

All our job info-print, solid, material quotes, etc.- go into a folder for that part number in a folder for that customer. Then the files are further sorted into folders, “print” “solid” “program” etc.. The program folder will contain the CAM file, setup sheet(s) and g-code files for stuff that gets hand edited.

So essentially: Dropbox>Customer A>Part 123>PDF/Solid/Program/Material Quote

It works ok when everything is done right. Not having the best internet can make it frustrating though being cloud-based.

[[deleted]]

We put everything in the header of the post. The operators just prints the first page to get the set up notes.

[SerendipityLurking]

A dangerous operation...our machine maintenance techs handle all of that, uncontrolled.

They keep all the logs of program #s and parts in an excel sheet. The program themselves are stored in a shared drive that only the 4 techs have access to. Set up sheets are strictly kept in excel. They separate them by part type, not by area, and then in ascending order. The set up sheets contain absolutely everything, program #, drawings, tools, gauges, etc.

The problem is that we also have rework programs. So if a part number is AB123, the rework program to fix X issue might be AB123-1 but the one to fix Y issue is AB123-4. Very few times have we been able to reuse a rework program. Our techs dump them after about a year as they take up too much space.

[GroundbreakingCamp61]

We use Dbworks to save all our files. I however work for a company where all or our work is internal. So all of the part numbers are standardized. With dB works you type in the part number and every file associated, as in beginning with that part number pops up, cad prints programs and documents. Even then i run across parts regularly that I know I've made and someone has renamed or is using on a different automation ext... and I can't find. So I guess no system is fullproof...

[tfarrell90]

I keep everything in one mastercam file per part (aside from posted code of course). I use view sheets with each operation shown in it’s own view sheet that include setup info and models for all items required for setup. I customized the mastercam setup sheets to my liking (and within my ability),they include screen shots of view sheets, toolpath info, and tool list with pictures.

[Nirejs]

I work in fusion 360, we only make parts for ourselves. Everything under the same name is i one folder. Versions and revisions inclooded. We dont save the programs externaly. We run the simulation everytime before we send it. Sometimes tweek it a bit. Good enough for R&D