Current release: ver 4.1.0.0 built 6th August 2010

   What is CNC_Scan:

   CNC Scan is a program that reads selected CNC programs (text files) and prints the search results in the text editor or MS Excel. The primary source of information are CNC programs. Tools are read from the programs and their IDs (T1, T2, T12 ...) and optionally H,D and Z values are recorded. The main purpose is to give the up-to-date summary of the tools used on a particular machining center(s) and CNC programs.

  What the CNC Scan can do for you:

• You can print setup sheets directly from your CNC programs into MS Excel including part name, description (operations) and fixtures used for particular operations.

• You can print a tool list - that is a list of all tools used in the selected CNC programs with the parts where the tool is used. This gives you a report how frequently and where each tool is used - a handy report if you want to replace a tool at some stage or merge some tools to reduce the tools used in selected programs.

• Make tool tables and part tables - building elements of each database. If you have a database, you know how hard it is to keep it up-to-date. With CNC Scan you can make a new tool table and part table with one click and use the data for export into your database.

• Use the tool tables and part tables to include additional information into setup sheets such as part name, part description, fixtures used etc. Edit tool description and parameters to suit your needs and make the setup sheets consistent for each program, without the need to edit the CNC program.

• Update tool tables and part tables easily any time your CNC programs have changed and get a fresh up-to-date information on tools and programs used in the workshop.

   What's new current release:

Ver 4.1.0.0 - User interface modified in Setting dialog box. You can specify tool data to be printed in the report and options of reading these parameters from CNC programs or a tool table.

Ver 4.0.0.1 - CNC editor improved to enable reading CNC programs with no M6 tool change format. To specify no M6 for tool change, type -1 into editor page for M code tool change.

Reading tools from CNC files improved - this applies for tools specified by a string (example is Sinumeric control T="8MM drill"). Previous versions had an issue reading this format if M6 was on the same line.

CNC file is read completely to the end of CNC file past the M2 (or M30). This allows reading tools from subroutines if they are included in the same CNC file.

Verify H and D parameters - if this option is selected (in Settings->Editor page) the CNC Scan will check for each H and D parameter value for currently selected tool and if there are differences detected, a warning is issued with the error logged into the log file.

Make Tool list - this option makes a list of tools and parts where the tool is used. You can see the frequency of usage of a particular tool.

Make Part table - this option makes a list of parts from selected CNC programs. You can modify the table - add part name, part description, fixtures and print these information as header in the setup sheet.

Make Tool table - this will create a table of the tools used in the selected programs. The table can be saved and retrieved when needed. You can modify the data (comments) in the table and chose an option to read the comments from the table rather than from the CNC program when making the setup sheets.

Update Tool table - this is useful if you have a tool table with many modified records and over the time your CNC programs have changed - you added new programs, new tools or removed some programs or tools. To add or remove tool records in the tool table one by one would be time consuming and frustrated process. You can do it with one click - select all your currently used CNC programs and drop them into the Select window. Select your existing tool table in the Settings dialog. Click Scan->Update tool table and a new tool table will be created - with all existing records in place plus new tools. You cam edit the newly added tools and save the tool table with the same name or a new name (and add it to the Table list).

Update Part table - this is the same option as above (Update Tool table) . Select your currently used CNC programs and existing part table and click Scan->Update Part table. A new part table will be created with existing records matching selected CNC programs in place and new records will be added ready for your editing. Save the table with the same name or a new name (and add the table to the part list in the Settings).

Sort the records in the table by field 1 (Tool ID or Part name).

Part table has the key parameter file name (previously path). This allows moving CNC programs into a different folder and still keep the same part table.

Print the set up sheet(s) into into MS Excel - if this is found on the computer. The option to print into the Excel is included on the General page in the Properties dialog box.

Tool parameters - G codes added to tool length offset and radius offset. This parameters are not compulsory and can be omitted. They were added into the CNC Scan program because they make the scan safer.

Read min Z - the maximum depth for each tool has been added as an option.

Comments - you can skip reading comments or you can read tool comments only or all comments from the selected files. Tool comments are the last comments before the tool change or comments on the same line as tool change.

Help file updated - compiled CNC_Scan_help.chm file should be in the same directory as CNC_Scan.exe file.

Ver. 3.9.4 - internal changes to reflect changes in C++ STL (fstream) to improve opening text files.

User Interface >>