FastSHAPES® Modules can be purchased indvidually covering Common Blowpipe, Power Transmission and Heavy/Complex Transitions.

Development is the graphical process of producing a flat pattern from drawing designs of a curved surface. 3D CAD systems such as Solidworks for Sheet Metal Bending produce patterns however they are 'non-compensated' - they are limited in their ability to cater to 'realworld' workshop conditions such as true material thickness, K factors, forming equipment, weld prep design, edge green, pre or post beveling, seam locations and the many other local variations which affect assembly. For example, a particular press brake may have specific tooling for material thickness which needs to be accomodated when setting bending radius and corners. Every fab shop has its own set of equipment and all have implications for how the pattern is cut.

With shapes covering most thick development needs, FastSHAPES® offers dramatic benefits to any heavy fabrication related business but most especially with large fabricated metal shapes requiring a lot of additional fabrication information (often multi-segmented), including complex equation based development such as gears and predictable multi-component developments. Application areas include bulk material handling - chutes, fluids, conveying, transitions and transformers as well as 'industrial strength' structures. FastSHAPES® automates the development of each component and creates accurate patterns and weld prep considerations/allowances. Advantages of automation are accuracy and verifiable output (2D & 3D). The time saved over manual lofting methods is often measured in weeks.

Shapes can be created in a fraction of the time manually lofted patterns would allow and importantly, they are fabricated 'right first time'. The benefits of accuracy with heavy structures are substantial. Highly accurate components offer a marked improvement in weld quality and consistency resulting in better fitup. The software is used extensively in estimating as it can rapidly produce the total material usage for a particular development and in fact rework a development to fit available plate stock by adding and/or shifting seams and locations to best utilize material. Many design draftsmen and engineers use the software to prototype designs knowing that they can be easily fabricated from plate. 2D and 3D DXF CAD outputs are also very useful to bring the designs and patterns back into CAD systems for documentation and verification.

Each shape module can be downloaded from the FastCAM web store.

• Develop 3D shapes and unwrap them into 2D shapes for 'realworld' flat patterns & layouts.
• Save the patterns as .dxf or (Fast)CAM files for nesting and burning on a CNC burning table.
• Ideal estimation and 'workshop' supplements to a 3D drafting design system such as Solidworks but each module works as a standalone program. CAD is not a requirement.
• Automatic layout of parallel, true length, and radial line development for THICK PLATE (1/2″ or 12mm and over) - True surface calculations produce highly accurate 'compensated' patterns (not stretching as used in sheet metal).
• Develop a range of curved surfaces & transitions: Cones, Square to Round, Y Branch, Penstocks, Segmented bend, Gored elbow, Reducing elbow, Pipe branch, Conical branch, Oblique cone, Sprockets, Rack and pinion....All comply to international standards.
• Provides meaningful data for the forming and joining of parts when appropriate (i.e. bend lines, bend angle, longitudinal seam offsets, 'green' edge allowance).
• Caters for optimized seam locations.
• Full printouts including coordinate listing in X,Y, for manual lofting of the patterns in the workshop or on site.
• Provides complete data including Cut Distance, Marking Distance and Mass of Cut Components and Parts List.
• Provides estimating and production control data.
• Output to a plotter for exact scale plots for optical trace type machines.
• FastAIR® shape development module for sheet metal fabrication. Contact FastCAM for further information.

The common feature of all the Shape modules is that very extensive and complex 2D patterns for profile cutting are created from a relatively simple parametric specification of a 2D or 3D assembly (i.e. a Shape) however we presume a working knowledge of fabrication techniques and basic geometry (typically a tradesman or semi-skilled tradesman in a plate fabrication shop) for straightforward developments such as a Cone. Other complex developments presume higher level engineering skills.

Support covers software helpdesk matters only which is appropriate for the software cost - we do not provide engineering/fabrication/design development assistance.