StrucSoft Solutions launches graphical application software

MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA — StrucSoft Solutions has launched its Component Management Software (CMS v5.0), a 2D/3D graphical application for creating, viewing, editing and managing DSTV-CNC files commonly used by structural steel fabrication machines.

CMS automatically cleans up DSTV file inconsistencies, helping fabricators and steel detailing firms reduce labor costs, increase throughput, and meet compressed project schedules, the company said, adding that CMS is available as a standalone or plug-in for Autodesk Inventor, Solidworks, and MBS.

DSTV is a widely-used public Numerical Control (NC) file format specifically for communicating design information with CNC machines used for structural steel component fabrication, including beam lines, drill lines, coping machines, single lines, plate-cutting tables, and plasma machines.

Although DSTV is a well established format, there are variations in DSTV interpretations, the company said. Steel detailing software programs all produce slightly different variations of the DSTV NC file, and CNC machine vendors also have different interpretations of how the DSTV file should be written and organized. Therefore, either the fabricator or steel detailing firm must spend time cleaning up the DSTV files so that the CNC machines can read them properly.

CMS is a graphical application that makes it easy to immediately spot and fix DSTV file inconsistencies. For shops using 3D modeling programs that do not create DSTV files, such as Autodesk Inventor, Solidworks, and MBS, CMS will generate accurate DSTV files directly from these programs. CMS can also be used as a standalone tool, allowing users to define the steel part directly in CMS and produce the required DSTV file, as well as a DXF drawing file, which the detailer can then dimension and print.

“CMS fills the missing link between steel detailing and fabrication,” commented Spencer Murray, vice president of operations for StrucSoft Solutions. “For large shops, it can save considerable time and labor by eliminating file inconsistencies. For smaller shops, the recent introduction of inexpensive CNC equipment, combined with the ability to create DSTV files with CMS, affords them an opportunity to compete for jobs without a huge investment.”

For more information about StrucSoft Solutions, please visit www.strucsoftsolutions.com.