A detailing package is more than a set of PDFs. When the job is modeled in Tekla Structures, the same model that produces the drawings can export the files your machines, your office and your erector use. Because they come from one model, they stay in step with the drawings.
Here is what to ask for, and what each file does.
CNC files (DSTV/NC1)
One file per part for beam lines, saws, drill lines and coping machines: profile, length, holes, copes and marking. Ask for them named by part mark and revision, and run a few through your machines before production starts. Settings such as hole types and scribing differ between machines, so they are best agreed on the first job.
DXF for plates
Plate profiles with holes for plasma, oxy-fuel or laser tables. Your nesting software takes them from there. Agree whether you want one file per plate or grouped by thickness and grade.
KISS files
KISS (Keep It Simple Steel) is a widely used text format for the bill of material. It brings the parts list into estimating, production and inventory software such as Tekla PowerFab, so nobody re-types a material list.
Reports
- An advance bill of material for mill orders, before the drawings are finished.
- Cut lists and assembly lists for the shop.
- Bolt lists by erection sequence for the field.
IFC model
An open 3D model for the general contractor and other trades. It is used for coordination and clash detection in tools such as Navisworks or Solibri, and it shows the steel exactly as detailed, connections included.
A shared model
With Trimble Connect, you and your erector can review the model while it is being built: check connections before drawings are issued, plan picks and sequences, and see what has been released.
Anchor rod layout
Besides the anchor rod plan, the rod coordinates can be exported for the surveyor who sets them, which removes one more chance of a typing error.
One rule for all of it
Agree file naming and revision rules on day one. A revision 1 NC file mixed into a revision 0 batch is the kind of mistake that costs a day in the shop. Every file should carry the same revision as the drawing it belongs to.