Free Workshop Applications

By Niekie3 (***)

Date 03-05-2004 15:55

Hi all

I have placed the following applications on the Proknownet website for free download:

1) Fabrication Planning and Quality Control Plans: This ACCESS database allows fabricators to keep a track of jobs on the shop floor and complete typical documentation shuch as QCP's, NCR's and concession requests very simply. (I think it is simple!)
2) Personnel Training and Administration: While this is not directly related to welding, this ACCESS database allows any business to keep a track of personnel and in particular, their training needs.
3) Welder Qualifications: This ACCESS database keeps track of welder qualifications and allows you to check if you have a welder to perform a particular weld. At this stage it is only valid for SMAW, GTAW and GMAW. I will include further processes later.

I do not have any "documentation" for these applications at the moment. If you want some help, get hold of me by using the e-mail address you can find on the first page of the applications.

Please feel free to give me feedback on any of the applications. Keep in mind that these applications have been developed over many years for my own use, and were not meant primarily for commercial exploitation. (Thus the lack of documentation etc.) However, they are entirely unprotected and "open source". As such anybody with a reasonable knowlege of ACCESS can change them as required.

To download these files (in ZIP format) proceed as follows:

1) Go to www.proknownet.com
2) Click on the "Software" link in the LHS frame.
3) Click on the "Search for software" link.
4) Place an asterisk "*" in the keyword 1 field and search.
5) A list of the software available for download will appear. Just click on the relevant link and follow instructions. The QCP database is relatively large(6MEG), so it may take some time to download if you have a dial-up connection.

Regards
Niekie Jooste
Fabristruct Solutions

By CHGuilford (****)

Date 03-05-2004 17:22

Thank you, Niekie. I've downloaded the files and will take a look at them. I appreciate the fact that you are willing to share your knowledge in this way.

Chet Guilford

By jwright650 (*****)

Date 03-05-2004 17:30

Neikie,
I would like to Thankyou as well. I also have downloaded and will take a look.
John Wright

By pipewelder_1999 (****)

Date 03-06-2004 01:17

Hello Neike,

I looked at the Welder Qual Database and I Like it. The lookup feature for searching for records is in a format I like.

The macros seem to run a little slower than similar tasks using VB. I noticed it mainly from the autoexec macro that opens the menu form. It may just be my computer. It may just be tired of opening access databases:)

I have an open source mdb file also that seems to get downloaded a great deal and am glad that others have used the power of a relational database for storing welding data.

Thanks very much for the download. I'll be contacting by email about some of the technical info.

Have a nice day

Gerald Austin

By Niekie3 (***)

Date 03-06-2004 07:37

Hi Gerald

Thanks for the feedback.

The search function is a bit slow because I built this application with very little use of VB coding. The search is performed by repeatedly "filtering" data by running multiple queries and writing the data to a new table each time. This is what takes the time. I originally did it this way, because at the time my VB skills were somewhat limited. (I wrote this application many years back.) When I have the time, I will probably re-write it using coding rather than the queries, but this will probably still take some time. At the moment I am working on a WPS/PQR application.

Just some instructions on the planning/QCP application:

1) Make sure you start by entering a "job".
2) To successfully do this, you need to also select a customer. - So you need to enter that info as well.
3) Make sure you assign a "job tracking number".

When entering a QCP:

1) Open QCP database from the main menu.
2) click on "enter and edit qcp"
3) Select the job number from the drop down box.
4) Enter a QCP number.
5) Enter all relevant data as given on top part of page.
6) You can now select standard "modules" that are available by clicking on the "Add module to QCP" button. (e.g. Module 28 is for rolling and welding a shell section for a vessel.) Select by clicking on record selector on the left of the module number, and enter the weld number that you want to assign to this weld/module (e.g. LW1) and click on "Add".
7) It will now add this module to your QCP. You need to give it a sequence number depending on where in the QCP you want it to print and display. By default it is 0. If you leave all your modules 0, they will appear in the sequence that you entered them.
8) You can edit any entry in the particular module, or add more entries as you require. Just make sure you number the points in the sequence you want them to appear.
9) When you are finished, you can exit the QCP entry page and go to the pressure test or documents pages to enter info there.
10) To print the QCP and associated documents, go to the "print qcp etc" page, from the QCP menu. Select the relevant QCP, and the documents that you want to print for it.

You can also enter and print ASME VIII and BS5500 data reports if you are building a PV. They are relatively self explanatry.

Let me know if there are any more questions.

Thanks for the feedback.

Regards
Niekie Jooste
Fabristruct Solutions
www.fabristruct.com

By Niekie3 (***)

Date 03-06-2004 07:40

Hi All

Just remembered something usefull that is not necessary self explanatory in the QCP entry form. To select a standard weld prep sketch, double click on the white block where the sketch is to be inserted.

Niekie Jooste
Fabristruct Solutions