New features make drawing software for steel structures even more productive

Automation and digitization have become part and parcel of the manufacturing industry. This also applies to metalworking companies, which can call on a specialist like TOPSOLID to support them in this regard. With more than 35 years of experience, this company offers fully integrated CAD/CAM solutions for most diverse industries. For example, TopSolid'Steel is the drawing software for steel structures. Meanwhile, the software house continues to invest in the optimization and expansion of this package to guarantee customers even better results.

With TopSolid'Steel, any type of structure - staircase, balustrade, steel structure - with any requirement (size, material, complex shape) can be designed. Drawers can therefore give free rein to their creativity. They can design from profiles, sheet metal, mechanical parts... combining different materials (steel, wood, glass, composite, plastic, stone...). This software includes a complete sheet metal module and numerous libraries containing, for example, profiles, fittings and standard materials. This software solution is parametric and associative. A change in the 3D automatically leads to an update of the production documents. This saves valuable time and reduces the risk of errors.

Experience from applications and market demands allow TOPSOLID to continually optimize and expand the software. For example, additional libraries were integrated into TopSolid'Steel. 

"We have also added several new functionalities to modulate stairs very easily. After all, these consist of different elements, such as walls, trees and steps, and designing them therefore involves a lot of customization. Thanks to a configurator in our software, certain aspects can be combined, so we still managed to automate the process to a certain extent," says business development manager Jasper Steylaerts. 

"Furthermore, hard work was done on visualization. Through photomapping, photos and 3D designs can be mixed, allowing documents, such as renders, to be sent from the 3D tool to the end customer as sales support. Finally, there is "Work Documents. Once a 3D design is ready, thanks to this new functionality one can automatically generate profile lists, parts lists, sheet metal... at the push of a button. Since this previously had to be done manually, this automation means a huge time savings. And this is a very important aspect in our current manufacturing industry, where customers are demanding ever faster deliveries, without sacrificing quality." ■