Tradesman in a Box™
Use software to produce metal fabrication shape patterns used in manual lofting and hand cutting. Assists the person on the shop floor to layout developments from a list of co-ordinates. Loft and cutout by hand, or printout at a 1:1 scale and use with an Optical Machine.
MANUAL FABRICATION LAYOUT
Tradesman in a Box ™ is based on our FastCAM® and FastSHAPES® programs for burning machines. It provides part automation for the metal fabrication workshop without CNC machinery using a hand held torch. It was designed as a tool for operation on the shop floor to aid in laying out a variety of common metal fabrication patterns and complex developments. Built for the heavy engineering plate market it can also be used for complex sheetmetal work.Tradesman in a Box™ will handle any number of transitions for hand cutting. There are a number of shapes in the 'Tradesman's Box': Common Shapes - Rectangle to Round, Elbow, Pipe Branch, Cone and similar. Power Transmission - Chain Sprocket, Universal Sprocket, Rack & Pinion, Involute Gears. Complex Shapes - Tapered and transforming Lobsterback Bends, Offset & mitred transformers and more.
- Develop 3D shapes and unwrap them into 2D shapes for 'realworld' flat patterns & layouts.
- Output is in printed format allowing the person on the shop floor to layout from a list of co-ordinates. The detailed printout makes it simple to loft and cutout by hand, or printout at a 1:1 scale and use with an Optical Machine.
- 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).
- Full set of shape development modules as listed (note that DXF output versions are $99 EACH versus paper layout $99 for the 'Tradesman in a Box' SET).
- Calculations with material usage for cost estimate.
- Inch and Metric.
- Full manufacturing details, ie. bend lines, bend angle, longitudinal seam offsets, 'green' allowance for forming.
- Caters for optimized seam locations.
- Full 3D viewing and printing of developed shapes.
Tradesman in a Box™ lets you develop the most complex shapes in minutes, model the item in 3D and provides complete data including Cut Distance, Marking Distance and Mass of Cut Components and Parts List. To create a development you simply choose your 'shape', input your dimensions and create an instant 'fabrication ready' pattern with 3D view. Tradesman in a Box™ will produce a plotted pattern output for optical tracing machines and a p
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.
