A CNC job is programmed but has not been proved out
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A folder containing a CNC program can make an unfinished job look further advanced than it is. Before the workshop closes, describe which stages the job has actually reached and what evidence supports that description.
The person receiving the work needs to know whether the file is a draft, whether it relates to the current drawing and whether any parts have been produced and accepted. Ask the responsible programmer and quality person to supply that account. Do not try to establish the answer by running unfamiliar code.
Consider this fictional job-state record:
| Element | Recorded position |
|---|---|
| Customer drawing | Revision C identified in the agreed job record |
| Program | Draft file prepared; revision relationship needs confirmation |
| Setup information | Notes exist, but the named setup has not been verified |
| Trial work | No completed trial recorded |
| Output | No accepted components recorded |
The honest summary is that programming work exists and further assessment is needed. “Ready to manufacture” would say more than the record supports.
Retain the relevant file references and who supplied the explanation. If several programs have similar names, record that uncertainty for the authorised technical person to resolve. Do not choose a file because it has the newest timestamp or a reassuring name such as “final”.
CMM programs and inspection results raise a related distinction: instructions for a process and evidence from completed work answer different questions. In both cases, a readable file is only one part of the handover.
Decide the purpose of sharing the work
The customer may need a status report. Another workshop may need information to assess whether it can quote for completion. Those purposes do not require the same material or create the same agreement.
Government guidance on using another party’s intellectual property makes permission a separate issue from possession. Ask about the actual rights, confidentiality arrangements and recipient before releasing programs or customer drawings. A machine sale should not become an accidental transfer of customer work.
For a possible new provider, use the introduction and scope questions. State what remains unverified and let that provider assess its own proposed work. Avoid claiming that a program can be used on a different setup or machine without the appropriate technical review.
Keep the software access plan alongside the job record so the closing business can answer authorised later queries. That may require retaining an explanation of the file’s status even where the program itself cannot be shared.
Tell UK Auction Group which machinery remains subject to an unfinished-job decision. Once that decision is resolved, update the asset availability separately. The customer job and the business’s machinery should each have a clear, accurate status.
Explore workshop and engineering exit.
Sources
This guide is general information and education only. Legal, tax, employment and safety decisions may need a qualified adviser who knows your situation. Read the disclaimer.