DXF

Where it comes up

• Sheet metal fabricationLaser-cut, punched, bent, and welded sheet metal enclosures, brackets, and chassis with no hard tooling.
• Metal stampingShort- to medium-run stampings: brackets, clips, shields, and plates cut and formed from sheet or coil in a press.

Related terms

2D drawing

A 2D drawing is a dimensioned engineering drawing, usually a PDF, that defines a part's tolerances, datums, material, finish, and inspection requirements. The 3D model shows shape; the drawing controls what gets measured and accepted. Most quality agreements make the drawing the governing document when the two disagree.

STEP

STEP is a neutral 3D CAD file format defined by ISO 10303, saved as .step or .stp. It carries exact solid geometry that any CAD, CAM, or quoting system can read, which makes it the preferred file for RFQs, tooling design, and machining.

IGES

IGES is the Initial Graphics Exchange Specification, an older neutral CAD file format for exchanging 3D surfaces and curves between systems. It still opens in almost every CAD package, but it often loses solid-body data, so STEP is the better choice for quoting and tooling.