Yorkshire Laser combines today's CAD technology with experienced skilled engineers to deliver the designs you need.
We believe that the key to any successful end product is to perfect the initial design process. At the heart of Yorkshire Laser’s computer aided manufacturing capability lies a suite of high-tech, revolutionary computer aided design (CAD) options.
We continually invest in the most up-to-date design software, as well as our experienced team of engineers to specialise in every area of the sheet metal fabrication process.
The ability to work with CAD is a valuable skill not only for engineers but also for designers, planners and architects. It allows ideas to move quickly from concept to manufacture, reducing delays and improving outcomes across the board.
Instead of relying on manual drawings, CAD allows for the creation of high-fidelity, modifiable models that can be adjusted in real time, helping turn concepts into reality faster and more efficiently.
Combined, our professional and enthusiastic team of CAD engineers have decades of experience in CAD/CAM design development.
As most started their careers working on the shop floor, they have an in-depth knowledge of the best techniques and processes required to manufacture your products in the most efficient way possible.
Thanks to the CAD tools and CAM technology we use, we’re ideally placed to deliver the designs you need, expertly, time after time.
Our experience and expertise in utilising 3D CAD software when creating sheet metal assemblies and fabrications enable us to actively design cost out of your components, maximising the capabilities and many features of our sheet metal processing equipment, which in turn leads to cheaper part prices and faster throughput in manufacturing processes. Our advanced use of CAD enables designers to optimise every element of the project, from early concepts through to the finished product. With this approach, we help businesses improve design efficiency, streamline their design workflow and explore new manufacturing methods that can significantly reduce production time and cost. We understand that design needs vary depending on the product, which is why our engineers adapt each project to deliver the most efficient workflow possible, reducing costs without compromising quality.
Our CAD and CAM software takes the models created in the design process and converts them straight into sheet metal parts. The unrivalled accuracy of our top-of-the-range equipment ensures that what we have drawn is exactly what you, the customer, will get, again and again with exceptional part repeatability. Our experience in creating jigs and fixtures with the software at our disposal means that this level of accuracy can follow the parts from the CNC machining equipment into the sheet metal fabrication and assembly areas.
With CAD, the design and fabrication processes become more efficient as the computer system software enables quick modifications and rapid prototyping, allowing for swift iterations and adaptations. Yorkshire Laser, we use CAD to eliminate time-consuming and repetitive tasks that would otherwise slow down the design stage. By automating key processes within our CAD systems, we can offer more innovative solutions to complex design problems. This approach not only speeds up delivery but allows for the re-use of successful designs created in previous projects. This helps reduce waste, shorten lead times and cut development costs for our customers.
Our suite of 3D CAD software allows us to design and detail the components exactly as you, the customer, requires them. Full drawings are provided for sign-off prior to production to ensure that you know exactly what you are getting before a single piece of material is processed. This ensures a smooth transition from design to production, and exceptional product quality.
Computer-based software for sheet metal manufacturing can be broken up into two camps – CAD and CAM. The first acronym stands for Computer Aided Design, whilst the second is short for Computer Aided Manufacture. But what does each one mean? Let’s take a look.
CAD refers to the method of using CAD software and CAD tools to create highly detailed, virtual CAD models of your proposed products and real world objects.
This CAD output will include details such as dimensions, materials, fasteners, revision levels, design data, and anything else of relevance in terms of the item’s manufacture. Files are typically supplied as CAD files for review, sign-off and downstream manufacturing.
Rather than manual drafting, a CAD system gives designers and engineers a clear, editable source of truth. It supports the creation of the necessary digital files and documentation, helping users keep track of changes and maintain design integrity as ideas become finished product designs.
CAD plays a crucial role across the entire modern manufacturing industry, from product design and civil engineering to architecture, and from architects and interior designers through to teams working across various industries.
At Yorkshire Laser, our CAD solutions support not only sheet metal fabrication but also the wider design process of product designers, industrial designers, urban planners, and exterior designers. Our engineers bring shop-floor knowledge to engineering projects, so design concepts translate into manufacturable parts.
By using software on a modern computer system, we help turn hand-drawn designs into detailed CAD drawings, technical drawings, and computer-aided design models that reflect the original design intent. This aided design approach makes it easier to explore design options and create precise designs across various components before we move on to real-world products, reducing costs.
Our systems support the creation of electronic files that allow for easy collaboration, version control and consistent documentation throughout the project lifecycle. That means an efficient workflow for designers, engineers and stakeholders, including those working with electronic systems that require traceable revision history.
CAM software takes the 3D model of the final product and turns that model into a physical object - a sheet metal part, first by unfolding the components and then creating a flat blank, which can then have the technology applied so the part can be processed through the CNC equipment, often using laser cutters. This is where computer-aided manufacturing and computer-aided engineering meet, with seamless integration between CAD and CAM to reduce handovers and errors.
We utilise a comprehensive suite of Amada CAM software that controls your part from start to finish. This ensures that there is only ever one version of your part regardless of which computer-controlled machinery it’s processed on, which not only saves time, but also greatly reduces errors and allows for a high degree of precision, accuracy and repeatability in the design workflow.
We use SOLIDWORKS as our CAD program of choice. This is universally recognised as the industry standard manufacturing design software.
The benefits of using SOLIDWORKS computer software are many and varied, but a few of the key highlights include:
Most CAD software supports modelling and drawings. SOLIDWORKS also offers tools such as dynamic analysis and interference checking to help protect design integrity before manufacture.
We embrace cloud-based CAD software to offer our clients the flexibility and responsiveness they need. By storing computer-aided design models in the cloud, we allow design teams and stakeholders to access and review files from any location, reducing delays and enabling faster decision-making and design efficiency. This also supports shared documentation and easier collaboration alongside other software used across the CAD industry.
Thanks to our high-performance CAD and CAM systems, we can quickly create designs, refine them, and test them virtually, often removing the need for multiple physical prototypes. This approach ensures that the real-world products we produce are right first time and built with exceptional accuracy.
Our tools also allow us to generate clear, concise technical drawings and produce technical documentation that supports smooth handovers to production, quality assurance and delivery.
The evolving CAD industry and our commitment to innovation
The CAD industry continues to evolve through the application of digital technology and electronic systems. At Yorkshire Laser, we stay at the forefront of these developments by regularly updating our other software and investing in new capabilities.
Most CAD software used today enables powerful visualisation and assembly design, but we go further by integrating these tools with our computer-aided manufacturing systems. This tight integration supports consistency, accuracy and a higher standard of output every time.
