Automated Steel Plate Fabrication

We built a tool for a steel fabricator that generated unique steel plates, placed them into an existing structural model, and produced CNC-ready files.

Render of the assembled steel structure with selected panels highlighted.

Overview

Challenge

A steel fabricator needed more than 150 unique steel plates modeled into an existing structural model and prepared for fabrication. Doing it manually would have taken weeks.

What We Built

We built a design tool that generated the steel plating from scratch, placed it into the existing model, and exported CNC-ready fabrication files.

The Work

Overview

A steel fabricator had a 3D structural model, but still needed the steel plating modeled and prepared for fabrication.

Doing that by hand would have meant modeling, adjusting, labeling, and drawing more than 150 unique plates one by one.

We built a design tool that generated the plates from scratch, placed them into the existing model, and produced CNC-ready files.

Results

A small automation project removed weeks of manual modeling and drafting while keeping the generated plates tied to the source model.

Results

  • 150+ unique steel plates.
  • CNC-ready fabrication files.
  • Generated geometry placed into the existing model.
  • Weeks of manual drawing work removed.

Gallery

Photograph of the completed steel structure in the landscape.
Completed structure. Photo: Janelle McLennan.
Render of the assembled steel structure with selected panels highlighted.
Generated part highlighted in the structure.
CNC fabrication file outlines for unique steel parts on a dark background.
CNC-ready part outlines.
Steel plates generated and exported automatically.
Each unique steel plate generated by the tool.
3D model view showing grouped steel panels across the structure.
Existing model with generated steel plating.
Photograph of the completed steel structure in the landscape.
Completed structure. Photo: Janelle McLennan.
Steel plates generated and exported automatically.
Each unique steel plate generated by the tool.
Render of the assembled steel structure with selected panels highlighted.
Generated part highlighted in the structure.
3D model view showing grouped steel panels across the structure.
Existing model with generated steel plating.
CNC fabrication file outlines for unique steel parts on a dark background.
CNC-ready part outlines.