LNX Solutions - Laser, Waterjet, Oxy Fuel and Plasma Cutting Machines

The FastCAM® System has been designed to draw, nest and cut metal as simply and efficiently as possible. Ease of use is as important as the high levels of materials utilization and optimization the software provides. Draw, Nest and cut from the one system. Or use with your existing design system for independent post processing and nesting. Easy Editing & Verification of geometry combined with one step nesting makes the system instantly productive.

FastCAM's long experience in heavy plate fabrication makes the system ideal for even the largest construction jobs. The FastCAM® System is used successfully in Service Centers, Shipbuilding, Mining, Steel Fabrication, Metal Fabrication & Sign Cutting.

FastCAM was first introduced as a simple Drawing Editor in 1976. Today FastCAM® is most commonly sold as part of a 'bundled system' with the trademarked products FastPLOT and FastNEST, offering a complete low-cost solution for Drawing, Nesting and Cutting steel plate.

Users can simply and quickly prepare quotations for profiled and long products for all brands of burning machines, Oxy-fuel, plasma, laser or Water-jets. The software contains a comprehensive library of common parts and sections that can be selected; basic dimensions are entered with material type, thickness and quantities. Alternatively, customer supplied DXF files can be selected from the same menu. The laborious job of creating and costing a Bill of Materials is also automated. No more re-keying, just import and quote!

Parts are nested onto available stock including remnant stock, providing a detailed quotation. Optimization for us is getting the greatest possible yield from material by trying millions of computer generated layouts. It is also about correctly identifying what is remnant which can be resold and what is scrap which is waste and must be charged to the job. Sometimes it is about working out what stock to order in the first place or what length is optimum from a coil.

Customers can be faxed or emailed directly from the desktop and the integrated SQL database tracks all quotations and output can be used directly in CAM systems for processing. Quotations can be marked as won, lost or pending. The powerful reporting features are extremely useful for sales managers, production planners and estimators.

Open standards design allows for the FastCAM QE system to be integrated into upstream ERP systems and downstream to production. A solution to grow with you while providing the crucial sales, costing and profit data you need right now.

FastSHAPES® is the generic name for a complete suite of Plate development programs specifically designed for thick plate development where the main jointing technology is welding. The system covers common, complex and heavy construction shapes. There are cones, lobsterbacks, transitions, pipe branches, conical branches, power transmission components and sprockets etc. Shapes can be completed in a fraction of the time manually lofted patterns would allow and importantly, they are fabricated "right first time". This computer based system can handle thousands more computations which is reflected in the capacity and accuracy of the output. Particularly when compared to hand lofted pattern developments. With shapes covering most thick development needs, FastSHAPES® offers dramatic benefits to any heavy fabrication related business.

Simply choose your 'shape', input your dimensions and create an instant 'fabrication ready' pattern with 3D view. The software produces clean and precise geometry that you can export as a DXF (CAD) file or into your CAM system for editing and/or nesting if desired. FastSHAPES® will also produce both a plotted pattern output for optical tracing machines and a printed coordinate listing in X,Y, for manual lofting of the patterns in the workshop or on site. Highly accurate components offer a marked improvement in weld quality and consistency resulting in better fitup.

FastSHAPES® is extremely easy to use however it does presume a working knowledge of fabrication techniques and basic development skills (typically a tradesman or semi-skilled tradesman in a plate fabrication shop). The software is used extensively in estimating as it can rapidly produce the total material usage for a particular development.
FastSHAPES® can be used in conjunction with the FastCAM® System however FastSHAPES® is compatible with other CAM & CAD systems. Many design draftsmen and engineers use the software to prototype designs knowing that they can be easily fabricated from plate. 2D and 3D DXF CAD outputs are also very useful to bring the designs and patterns back into CAD systems for documentation and verification.

FastSHAPES® 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 obtain Nesting efficiency simply import the DXF file into FastCAM® or your CAM system.

FastSHAPES® is for HEAVY or thick plate development NOT just simple sheetmetal patterns.
Incorporates up to 20 separate programs from simple Cones to complete Hydro-Electric Pen Stock type development.
FastSHAPES® Has full manufacturing details for all shape development ie. bend lines, bend angle, longitudinal seam offsets, plus 'green' allowance for forming.
Caters for optimized seam locations.
Can write DXF & IGES for connection to CAD systems.
Full 3D viewing of developed shapes.
DXF output 3D & 2D of shape and flat pattern.
Allows for manual lofting of developments.
Full printouts for manual markout.
Can be used with FastCAM or other CAD/CAM systems but not a requirement.