# CNC Pre-Run Setup Verification Checklist > Source: https://netray.co/tools/cnc-pre-run-setup-verification-checklist > Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems. > Section: Free Tools ## Short answer A checklist for the operator or setup technician to confirm program, tools, offsets, workholding and safety before running production. ## Category mes-shop-floor ## Industry Machining ## Audience - CNC machinist - Setup technician - Production supervisor ## Tool **Kind:** checklist **Scoring Note:** Every item should be answered yes before the first cycle start. Items marked critical are safety or scrap risks and must never be skipped. **Groups:** #### Job and documentation **Items:** **Text:** Work order or traveler matches the part number and drawing revision **Critical:** true **Text:** Setup sheet is the current released revision **Critical:** true **Text:** Material on the table matches the material on the traveler, with certification if required **Critical:** true Required quantity, lot number and serial numbers are confirmed Inspection plan and gauges for first piece are available Previous job and fixtures have been cleared from the machine area #### Program and control **Items:** **Text:** Program number and revision comment match the setup sheet **Critical:** true Safe start line cancels compensation and canned cycles **Text:** Correct work offsets (G54 and others) are active and loaded **Critical:** true Spindle speed and feed override are at 100 percent or below the setup sheet limit **Text:** Rapid override is reduced for the first run **Critical:** true Program has been reviewed or simulated after the last edit Macro variables and counters are reset where needed #### Tools and offsets **Items:** **Text:** Every tool in the program is in the magazine in the correct pocket **Critical:** true **Text:** Tool length and diameter offsets are measured and entered **Critical:** true Tool holders are clean, the pull studs are tight and runout is acceptable Inserts are indexed and not worn past the life limit Tool stickout is within the program assumption Tool life counters are reset for new tools Coolant nozzles are aimed and the coolant level and concentration are acceptable #### Workholding and clearance **Items:** **Text:** Vise, chuck or fixture is clean, torqued and seated on locating surfaces **Critical:** true **Text:** Clamping force and jaw pressure match the setup sheet **Critical:** true Part is seated against stops with no chips under it **Text:** Clamps, bolts and fixtures clear the tool path and the tool holder **Critical:** true Stock height and Z zero have been checked against the program Soft jaws are bored or ground to the correct size Probe or touch-off setter is calibrated and a probe cycle has been tested #### First piece and release **Items:** **Text:** First cycle was run in single block with feed and rapid reduced **Critical:** true **Text:** Door is closed and chip guards are in place before cycle start **Critical:** true **Text:** First piece is inspected against the drawing for critical dimensions **Critical:** true Offsets are adjusted and recorded after first piece Inspector or supervisor has approved first piece release Tool and program changes are logged for revision control ## Content **Intro:** Most scrapped parts and crashed machines trace back to something that could have been checked before cycle start. This checklist covers the job paperwork, program, tools, workholding and first piece in a short sequence a machinist can finish in a few minutes. **Sections:** #### How to use the checklist **Body:** Work down the groups in order, ticking each item after you have physically checked it, not from memory. Items marked critical are those where a miss causes a crash, injury or scrapped batch. Export the finished list to PDF or Excel as a record that goes with the job. #### Why this order **Body:** Paperwork comes first because running the wrong revision wastes the whole setup. Program and control follow, then tools and offsets, since a good program with a wrong offset still crashes. Workholding and clearance come last before the first cycle because they depend on everything above, and first piece release is the final gate. #### Adapting it to your shop **Body:** Add machine specific items such as pallet changer checks, bar feeder alignment, four axis or tombstone verifications, and any customer or standard requirement like AS9100 first article. Many shops keep a short version for repeat jobs and the full list for new parts and changed revisions. #### Common mistakes **Body:** Skipping the checklist on repeat jobs, because the last run was fine, is the largest cause of problems, since fixtures, offsets or tools may have been changed in between. Also avoid ticking everything at the end of the shift, and make sure critical items are done before cycle start. **Cta:** If you want setup status, program revisions and first piece results visible from your ERP, we can walk through how that data could be captured and queried. **Faq:** #### How long should a setup checklist take? **Answer:** A well designed checklist for a repeat job takes a few minutes. A new part or changed revision may take longer since it includes program review and first piece inspection. The time is small next to the cost of a crash or scrapped lot. #### Who signs off the checklist? **Answer:** The setup person or operator completes it, and the supervisor or quality inspector approves first piece release. In regulated work the checklist and first piece record may need to be retained with the job record. #### Should every job use the same checklist? **Answer:** Use a common core and add items by machine type and part family. A lathe with a bar feeder needs different checks than a five axis mill, so keep one checklist per process type to keep it short. #### Does this replace the setup sheet? **Answer:** No. The setup sheet describes how to set up the job, and the checklist confirms that it was done. They work together, and the checklist should reference the setup sheet revision. ## Search terms cnc setup checklist, cnc machine setup verification, cnc pre-run checklist, machine setup checklist pdf, first piece setup checklist, cnc setup sheet checklist, machinist setup checklist, cnc job changeover checklist --- Talk to an engineer: https://netray.co/contact?intent=erp_ai | Machine catalog: https://netray.co/agent/catalog.json