The point of strength of AMV STEELWORKS lies in its potential in terms of improved and increased productivity thanks to the possibility to leverage multidisciplinary design on the SolidWorks platform.
The modeling process becomes significantly shorter as each member of a team can work on the same model simultaneously, understanding fully how everything fits together. AMV STEELWORKS also enables an effective production of related documents such as drawings.

The downstream process can manage multidiscipline sets of drawings and quickly make and fully coordinate design changes.
Companies can take better decisions at an earlier stage of the design process thus achieving a better business performance.

Training times are competitive when compared to other CAD solutions, especially for SolidWorks users who are already familiar with the interface. Beginners are driven to right decision by the system, while experts can fully express their SolidWorks modelling skills.

The first stage of the process is the 3D modelling of the geometric layout which the designer can define in various ways without exiting the SolidWorks environment. The user can choose whether to work on a parametric wireframe on which the desidered elements will be created, such as profiles, joints, welds, etc., freely draw 2D or 3D SolidWorks sketches or use a library of associative, parametric and smart components.
This allows the designer to rapidly model an entire structural subsystem and adapt it to the context in which it will have to be used. For example, a truss, a staircase or a brace can be designed once and then re-used with different parameters.

There is no limit to the customisation and re-use of the components designed and managed inside the 3D environment. This allows to avoid complex wizards or insertion dialog boxes, generally employed by competitors for the modelling of structural subsystems. The designer is therefore not affected by software limitations and can in fact model any tipe of structure, associate to it any parametric and associative behaviour useful for its reuse and add it to the library, thus making it available for other jobs and users.


Since AMV STEELWORKS is totally integrated in SolidWorks, it is always possible to employ all SolidWorks tools. There is maximum flexibility in the use of all components. Starting from standard profiles, customised sections can be created even when not commonly present on the market. From here profiles can be coupled or rearranged in different layouts.

The joint management benefits from the same flexibility. The standard libraries offer over 200 types and 150.000 sizes of joints, already matching specific profiles. As joints are difficult components to be restrained within pre-defined configurations, the solution also offers the possibility to create custom joints. Any type of joint freely defined by the user is added to the model through a single interface. AMV STEELWORKS suggests compatible joints on the basis of the profiles selected and their alignment.


Joints can be displayed in detail or in a more essential, lighter way, allowing the easier management of the model as a whole. Furthermore, a smart, associative behaviour can be attached to the joints so that they automatically resize when profiles converging to the node are edited. 

The libraries of both standard and custom components, such as profiles, joints, bolts, ribs, plates and others, are a vauable aid for the modelling process.

Any change carried out on the model originates the automatic adjustment of all components involved, as a result of the associative and parametric character of the structure inside AMV STEELWORKS. All necessary geometric checks can be performed to guarantee that the creation and the assembly of the structure are performed effectively.

AMV STEELWORKS includes a SQL database allowing multi-user work which also permits the sharing and management of outsourcing through a check-in/check-out system of jobs or part of them. To this aim, the client version can be connected to the server to work on specific shared jobs.

Moreover, administration tools allows the user to arrange and classify the library components and the drawings according to a custom logic (ie. calculation code, customer, or place) and attached acess rights to each user. Drawings and 2D fabrication details are produced and automatically attached to the model, so that the user can obtain views, plans, sections, general arrangement drawings, fabrication drawings for single elements and parts and detailed components. Drawings are automatically updated each time a change is performed on the model, thus significantly reducing the risk of errors.

Layout-based Management and Modelling

The layout modeller creates a bidimensional or tridimensional parametric wireframe. Like all other AMV STEELWORKS tools, the layout creation is totally integrated in the SolidWorks environment.
The user just needs to specify the length and the number of spans in each direction. The parametric behaviour of the grid allows to change the span dimension whenever necessary as such dimensions may vary in the development of a project.
Thanks to the associative behaviour of the model, any part of a structure associated to a layout can be reconfigured by simply modifying geometric parameters such as the interfloor.

Each detail: profile length, joint, rib, etc. automatically adapts to the model, thus reducing ECO (Engineering Change Order) times.

AMV STEELWORKS 2010

Server&SubTasking Manager

Server Manager
Allows the connection of single seats in client-server mode.
Allows simultaneous access to software projects and libraries for multiple users. Allows the sharing of necessary data and fabricator libraries.
Allows job check out and check in from the server to the workstation and/or laptop.

Sub-Tasking Manager
The sub-tasking functionality allows to split a job into subsystems belonging, for example, to different fields of application or different users and access them directly from a local network as if they were self-standing jobs.

Through the server key it is possible to allocate to each user/client the relevant access rights to the data shared through the server.

Detailing Pack (available June 2010)

The management of marks and drawings is performed on the basis of the requirements of the steel industry. It will therefore be possibile to obtain drawings for simple and composite marks and workshop sketches which can also be out of scale.

Interoperability Pack (available September 2010)

The interoperability pack, will allow a smooth interaction between AMV STEELWORKS and any FEA solution. Processing the structural model becomes very easy thanks to the possibility to export data in .sdnf (Steel Detailing Neutral File) and CIS/2 (CIMsteel integration Standards) Format.
Moreover, AMV STEELWORKS will perfectly integrate with Bentley STAAD Pro.

About Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp.

Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp., a Dassault Systèmes S.A. company, develops and markets software for design, analysis, and product data management. It is the leading supplier of 3D CAD technology, giving teams intuitive, high-performing software that helps them design better products. For the latest news, information, or an online demonstration, visit the company’s Web site (www.solidworks.com) or call 1-800-693-9000 (outside of North America, call +1-978-371-5000).