FABRICAM Sheet Metal Fabrication Software

Source: https://achievement.co.za/fabricam-sheet-metal-fabrication-software

published: 2024-08-23 10:38:33
modified: 2024-08-23 12:13:41
excerpt: https://fabricam.co.za/ FABRICAM™ offers advanced sheet metal fabrication CAM software with features like nesting, costing, and HVAC modules. This software is designed to streamline your fabrication process, making it easier to plan, execute, and manage sheet metal projects with precision and efficiency.

What this page is

This is the "FABRICAM Sheet Metal Fabrication Software" post on achievement.co.za, one of AM.CO.ZA's company sites. It points to fabricam.co.za, the home of AM.CO.ZA's FabriCAM software.

Original text (as published): "FABRICAM™ offers advanced sheet metal fabrication CAM software with features like nesting, costing, and HVAC modules. This software is designed to streamline your fabrication process, making it easier to plan, execute, and manage sheet metal projects with precision and efficiency."

This Knowledge Base version expands that into a plain guide to FabriCAM. Every point below comes from FabriCAM, Buythis and AM.CO.ZA pages already in this KB, which are linked so you can read the full wording. For every package, add-on and current price, start with the FabriCAM brand page.

What FabriCAM is

FabriCAM is AM.CO.ZA's own 2D CAD/CAM software for CNC sheet metal cutting. AM.CO.ZA first released it in 2016 as its first CNC software and has kept updating it since. It takes a drawing (DXF or DWG), cleans it up, nests the parts on the sheet to save material, works out lead-ins, lead-outs and the cutting order, and writes the NC code (the G-code instructions) that the cutting machine runs.

In short, it sits between the design and the machine, and its job is to use less steel, cut faster and avoid mistakes before the torch or laser starts.

Which machines it drives

FabriCAM is made for CNC cutting machines that take NC code from a CAM program: plasma, oxy-fuel, fibre laser and water jet. AM.CO.ZA pairs it with its MetalWise CNC plasma tables (including the MetalWise Lite) and RayCut fibre laser cutters (see FabriCAM software for MetalWise CNC). Hypertherm Powermax plasma settings such as pierce delay have been built in since version 1.0.1.3.

A 2026 build (1.0.8.1) can split an NC file by line count, which helps controllers that only accept shorter files, such as the RayCut-Lite fibre laser (FabriCAM 1.0.8.1 split NC).

Main features

Drawing import and clean-up. Import DXF and DWG files, reduce and smooth entities, close open profiles, and set quantity, material and thickness. The tool path and cut direction are generated on import.
Built-in CAD. Draw and edit parts with lines, arcs, text, copy and paste, so small jobs need no separate drawing program.
Nesting. Manual and automatic nesting to fit as many parts as possible on a sheet, plus nesting on remnants (leftover steel pieces), grouped parts and multi-torch machines (see FabriCAM nesting now available).
Faster, cleaner cutting. Common line cutting, bridge and multi-bridge cutting for fewer pierces, micro-joints to hold parts in the sheet, and lead-in and lead-out set by plate thickness.
Collision avoidance. Entries and exits are recalculated so the torch avoids cut parts that may have tipped up.
Sequence and marking. Manual hole and pierce order, centre punch marks for drill start holes and letter marking for sorting parts after cutting.
Metal art. Detailed vector art parts can be imported and cut.
Reports. Print and export job reports for the workshop and for quoting.

Packages and modules

FabriCAM is sold as packages built on one licence:

Essential (CAD/CAM core) for one-off parts and simple jobs nested by hand.
Professional (PRO) adds automatic nesting, part sorting and sequencing for production work. Essential users can move up later with the PRO upgrade.
Cost module estimates cutting cost from material, cutting time, labour and overheads, for quick and consistent quotes.
HVAC module builds ducting shapes such as round ducts, elbows and flanged sections from flat sheet.
Ultimate combines PRO nesting with the Cost and HVAC modules.
TUBE module is a separate add-on for round tube and pipe cutting on a plasma cutter fitted with a rotary.

Since release 1.0.6.8 the nesting tool is visible in the basic package, so anyone can try it; saving a nested result needs the nesting licence.

Shop the range on Buythis: X-FABRICAM/LITE, X-FABRICAM/PRO, X-FABRICAM/ULTIMATE, X-FABRICAM/P (PRO upgrade), X-FABRICAM/COST, X-FABRICAM/HVAC and X-FABRICAM/TUBE. Current prices are on each Buythis product page and in the FabriCAM brand page tables.

Licensing with the USB dongle

FabriCAM runs with a blue USB activation dongle, the foundation core licence (X-FABRICAM), and every package includes one. The licence is registered to one user. If a dongle is physically damaged, X-FABRICAM/EXCHANGE swaps it for a new one, and the damaged dongle must be returned. See buying a USB dongle with serial number and starting the program with a USB dongle.

Download, install and upgrade

Download from fabricam.co.za/download, which links to the latest release on CNCU.co.za (see Download FabriCAM and download from CNCU).
Install on a Windows PC (FabriCAM PC install).
Major upgrades (for example 1.0.8.x to 1.0.9.x): uninstall the old FabriCAM first, then delete any files left in C:\Program Files (x86)\FabricCAM\, because old default database values can cause problems (updating to the latest version).
Install or "reconfig" errors: Windows Defender or other antivirus can flag or block FabriCAM. Add the FabriCAM install and config folders as an antivirus exclusion, then install or run it again (antivirus blocking FabriCAM).
Manual: the FabriCAM Manual Guide (PDF) and the FabriCAM manuals folder.

Who it suits

Sheet metal fabricators, engineering and steel workshops, HVAC and ducting makers, metal art and signage makers, and anyone running a CNC plasma, laser, oxy-fuel or water jet cutter who wants to save material, cut faster and quote more accurately.

Training

Free FabriCAM mini-courses and step-by-step video tutorials are on SoftwareTraining.co.za. Good starting points in this KB:

Videos

FabriCAM design, nesting and tool path generation (2017-08-13)
Automatic nesting and machine CAM code generation (2017-07-05)
Cutting on a steel remnant piece (2020-02-08)
Multi-bridge function for faster cutting (2019-05-09)
HVAC module demo (2017-07-05)
Exclude the FabriCAM folder from Windows Defender (2025-11-04)
Split NC file by line numbers for RayCut-Lite (2026-04-29)

Where to go next

FabriCAM brand page for every package, module and current price.
FABRICAM on fabricam.co.za for the brand site article.
FabriCAM on Buythis and Profile Cutting Software on Buythis to browse and order.
fabricam.co.za for the brand site.