Keywords TOOLS for STEEL

Trade involving the manufacture and assembly of metal parts by cutting, forming and welding. The sheet metal worker mainly handles steel, stainless steel and aluminium to produce tanks, vessels, ducts and metal structures. Sheet metal work covers both small artisanal series and heavy industrial production.

All techniques for the design, manufacture and installation of pipework networks intended to transport fluids (gas, liquids, steam) in industrial installations. Industrial piping is used in petrochemicals, energy, food processing and HVAC sectors.

Field encompassing all techniques for assembling steel structures: frames, framing, walkways, pylons. Metal construction relies on layout, cutting, forming and welding of profiles and rolled sheets.

Specialty of shaping thin sheets (generally less than 3 mm thick) by bending, stamping, laser cutting or flame cutting. Sheet metalwork applies to the manufacture of hoods, bodyshells, machine enclosures and industrial furniture.

Hollow element with a circular cross-section, characterised by its outer diameter (OD) and wall thickness. In piping, tubes are designated by their nominal diameter (DN). The cylindrical tube is the base geometry of TubeMaster Pro, which calculates cutting and assembly blanks.

Truncated conical part connecting two sections of different diameters. The reduction cone is common in piping for diameter transitions. It is characterised by its large diameter, small diameter and height. ConeMaster Pro calculates its flat blank for cutting.

Metal element with a pyramidal or truncated conical shape, used for collecting, guiding or distributing bulk materials (pellets, powders, chips). A rectangular hopper has four trapezoidal faces. TremieMaster calculates the blanks of each face for layout and cutting.

Connection of a secondary tube onto the wall of a main tube, at right or oblique angles. The cylindrical branch generates a complex curved intersection line. VentMaster Pro processes rectangular branches on ventilation ducts, calculating the blank of the connecting part.

Section obtained by the oblique cut of a cylinder. In manufacturing, an ellipse appears when a tube is cut with an angle other than 90°. ElipsMaster Pro calculates the geometric parameters of this ellipse (major axis, minor axis, perimeter) and generates the corresponding cutting template.

Assembly of a cylindrical tube emerging perpendicularly or at an angle onto a flat surface (plate, flat bottom). The intersection line is a circle if the tube is perpendicular, or an ellipse if it is inclined. TubeSurface Pro calculates the cutting templates for these two configurations.

Flat representation of a metal surface before forming. The blank allows the sheet to be cut to the right shape so that, once bent, rolled or stamped, it takes exactly the desired geometry. Calculating a precise blank avoids material waste and machining rework.

Full-scale flat template describing the exact contour to be cut in the sheet. The cutting template is derived from the geometric blank; it can be printed, drawn with chalk or transmitted directly to a laser or plasma cutting machine (SVG or DXF format).

Operation of transferring dimensions and shapes onto the sheet or profile before cutting. Layout can be manual (scribe, compass, protractor) or numerical (CNC program, vector file). Tools for Steel automates the prior calculation for all common geometries.

Meeting line between two geometric surfaces (cylinder on cylinder, cylinder on cone, cylinder on plane). This intersection curve is the basic input to calculate the blank of the connecting part. Its shape depends on the diameters, the connection angle and the geometries involved.

Bevel made on the edge of a part to prepare a weld. The bevel angle (generally 30° to 45°) determines the shape of the welded joint and influences the weld penetration. In piping, the bevel is standardised according to wall thicknesses and welding processes used.

Determination of the area of a metal part, useful for estimating the quantity of material required, the weight of the part or the area to be painted or galvanised. For complex parts (hoppers, cones, branches), the surface calculation uses geometric integrals that Tools for Steel solves automatically.

Vector file format based on XML, used to describe 2D drawings. SVG is lossless regardless of zoom, making it the ideal format for cutting templates. Tools for Steel exports templates in SVG for direct use on laser or plasma cutting machines, or for 1:1 scale printing.

Tool for positioning and holding parts during the welding operation. The jig ensures the geometric repeatability of a series of parts. In sheet metal work, a jig can be a simple shape cut from cardboard or a rigid metal structure for large-series parts.

Real-time three-dimensional visualisation of a metal part, allowing rotation, zooming and inspection of the geometry before manufacturing. Tools for Steel integrates a 3D engine (Three.js) in each tool to offer immediate previewing of the calculated part, reducing the risk of design errors.

Approach combining computer calculation tools and CNC machines to automate the layout, cutting and forming steps. Digital sheet metal work reduces preparation times, improves precision and facilitates the manufacture of complex parts in small or large series.

High-precision thermal cutting processes controlled by computer. Laser cutting is suited to thin and medium sheets (up to ~20 mm) with tenth-of-a-millimetre precision. Plasma cutting is suitable for heavy thicknesses. Both processes read directly the SVG or DXF files produced by Tools for Steel.