We only work with 2D drawings and 3D models, the platform can recognise and compute the cost of bends, holes, etc. while generating production drawings on its own.
The easiest way to get an instant quote is simply by using a 3D model in STP, SLPRT or IPT format. Our platform automatically performs manufacturability checks on your parts and will let you know if there are any improvements needed.
When submitting drawings in DXF format, please remember to ensure that the drawings show only the cutting contours. Delete all the unnecessary lines or dims before uploading, to save your time. See the CAD Design Tips section for more information.
You can add a PDF drawing with tolerances and all other information you deem necessary for the manufacturing.
Related capabilities
We produce parts of this type with Sheet metal fabrication.
Related pages
- the CAD file formats we accept
- our design-for-manufacturability (DFM) review
- rapid prototyping from CAD
- send us your CAD files for a quote
- our metal fabrication knowledge base
What makes a CAD file ready to quote
A CAD file that quotes cleanly is one that carries the information a fabricator needs without any of the geometry that only existed for the designer. The drawing should show the final part, not a construction view, and it should make the manufacturing information explicit: material grade, thickness, finish, quantity and annual volume. Where a model is available, sending it is almost always better than sending a flat drawing, because the flat pattern can be unfolded from the model and checked against the material rather than reconstructed by hand.
Which format to send, and why
DXF is the format to use when only the cut profile matters. It should contain the cutting contours and nothing else, because every stray line or dimension is read as part of the cut path and has to be removed before nesting. STEP, STP, SLDPRT and IPT are the 3D formats, and they are the easiest route to an instant quote because manufacturing checks can run against the solid. DWG is useful where the part is defined on a 2D drawing with the tolerances stated, and PDF is the format to attach alongside any of the others when tolerances, notes or finish requirements have to travel with the file.
What the DFM review checks
The design-for-manufacturability review is free and it runs before any price is committed. It checks bend radii against material thickness, hole-to-bend clearances, reliefs at corners, grain direction where it affects a bend, and minimum flange lengths against the tooling. It also looks at whether the part would be cheaper formed in one piece or welded from several, and whether the quantity would justify a stamping die rather than laser cutting and bending. This is the step where cost normally comes out of a part, and it is worth doing even if the design is already frozen, because the answer arrives before tooling or material is committed.
What affects cost and lead time on a CAD-based job
Cost is driven by the material and gauge, the number of cutting and forming operations, the tolerances on the drawing and the finishing. Tight tolerances on a feature that does not need them add cost without adding value. On lead time, a prototype cut and bent from a released CAD file is a matter of days, and a sample is typically 7 days. The quotation, the DFM review and the lead time come back within 24 hours. Because the same drawing runs from prototype through production in one plant, nothing is redesigned at the volume handover.
Common mistakes buyers make with CAD files
The usual mistakes are uploading a DXF full of construction lines, leaving the material grade unspecified when the finish depends on it, and putting tolerances only in the email rather than on the drawing. Another is sending a model with no indication of which dimensions are functional, which forces assumptions about how the part is set up and held. Sending both the model and a PDF drawing that carries the tolerances removes almost all of the questions that otherwise delay a quotation.
Key facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Accepted formats | DXF, STEP, STP, SLDPRT, IPT, DWG and PDF |
| Best route to an instant quote | A 3D model in STEP, SLDPRT or IPT format |
| DXF files | Show only the cutting contours; delete unnecessary lines and dimensions before uploading |
| Always attach | A PDF drawing carrying the tolerances and any other manufacturing information |
| DFM review | Free; checks bend radii against material thickness, hole-to-bend clearances, reliefs and grain direction |
| Engineering response | Quotation, lead time and DFM feedback within 24 hours |
| Company experience | 28 years in sheet metal fabrication |
For the recognised reference on dimensioning and tolerancing practice on engineering drawings, see ASME Y14.5, Dimensioning and Tolerancing.
Frequently asked questions
Which CAD file formats are accepted?
We accept DXF, STEP, STP, SLDPRT, IPT, DWG and PDF. A 3D model in STEP, SLDPRT or IPT format is the easiest route to an instant quote, because the platform can compute the cost of bends and holes while generating production drawings on its own.
What should a DXF file contain?
A DXF file should show only the cutting contours. Delete every unnecessary line and dimension before uploading, because stray geometry is read as part of the cut path and has to be resolved before the part can be nested and cut.
Why send a PDF drawing as well as the model?
A PDF drawing carries the tolerances and the other manufacturing information that a model alone does not express, such as the material grade, the finish, the quantity and which dimensions are functional. Attaching it to the CAD file removes most of the questions that otherwise delay a quotation.