CNC / DSTV File Services

What's Included

NC and DSTV File Types We Produce

DSTV (Deutschen Stahlbau-Verbandes) is the standard NC format for structural steel. It's an open format supported by virtually every steel fabrication machine on the market — Ficep, Peddinghaus, Voortman, Kaltenbach, Ocean, and others. We export DSTV files from Tekla Structures for every structural steel member in the project — beams, columns, braces, plates, and more.

NC1 files are the specific flavour of DSTV used for beam-type members. Every hole group, bolt circle, coped end, weld prep bevel, and scribing mark is encoded in the NC1 file for each member. Your beam drill line reads this file and drills every hole at the correct location without manual setup.

Plate-cutting DXF files are produced for flat plate work — base plates, gusset plates, end plates, and custom profile cuts. These are used by plasma cutting tables and water jet machines to cut plates to exact shape.

KISS files and other machine-specific formats are also something we handle on request. Different shops use different machine vendors and sometimes different format flavours. We adapt the output to what your specific machines require.

Say someone on your fabrication team needs to check a specific part number or verify a dimension in the NC file — we provide clear file naming that ties every NC file back to the piece mark and drawing number, so traceability is never a problem.

How NC Files Are Generated from Our Tekla Models

Every NC file we produce starts with a properly-built Tekla Structures model. The accuracy of the NC output is only as good as the model it comes from. We build models with precision — correct member orientations, accurate connection geometry, proper reference points for each member — precisely because the NC output depends on it.

Before exporting NC files, we run a model check. We verify that all connections are modeled correctly, that no members have incorrect reference points or axes, and that the model matches the approved shop drawings. Mismatches between drawings and NC files are a serious problem — a machine will drill where the file tells it to, not where the drawing says.

NC files are exported member by member, named clearly with piece mark and section size, and packaged for delivery. We also provide a summary file listing every piece mark, section, length, and NC file name for easy inventory management by your programming team.

For shops that use a fabrication management system — Tekla PowerFab, FabSuite, SDS2, ProSteel — we can provide the model or data in a format compatible with your system. Integration between detailing and production management software reduces double-handling significantly.

Quality and Verification

NC file errors are expensive. A misdrilled hole means a rejected member, rework time, and potentially a delayed shipment to site. We take NC file quality seriously.

Our checking process for NC files includes a review of NC files against the approved shop drawings for selected members, a verification pass on hole patterns for standard connection types, and a check that plate sizes in DXF files match the approved drawings.

We also welcome clients who want to run verification checks at their end before production. We can provide check plots — drawings generated directly from the NC files rather than the model — that allow your team to verify that the machine will produce what the drawing shows.

CNC / DSTV FAQ

Our Delivery Process

More Services

Why Choose ASD?

Standards We Follow

Get a Free Quote

Share your project drawings and we'll have a detailed quote ready within 24 hours.