By Halcyon Machinery · Internal technical editorial review · Published and reviewed
Versão em português: ficheiros NC1, furos e marcas
Direct buyer answer
A successfully exported NC1 file is not proof that a proposed steel cutting machine will reproduce every hole, cut or mark. Compare the approved drawing, export log, actual file and machine preview before cutting. Identify which stage first loses or changes the feature, then confirm the correction on a measured trial part. Ask the supplier to demonstrate your file on the exact proposed software and machine configuration.
Separate the export from the machine interpretation
Tekla Structures exports NC data using the DSTV format. Its documentation describes a neutral geometry interface that a machine-specific post-processor translates into machine instructions. The file extension and an import-success message therefore answer different questions from whether the intended production features are understood. A preview that opens without an error can still require a feature-by-feature review.
For a purchasing demonstration, freeze the member drawing revision, model revision, export settings and file name. Record the detailing-software version and the proposed machine software or post-processor version. Keep the supplied file unchanged alongside any corrected export. This makes it possible to distinguish an export omission from an interpretation, orientation or process-scope difference without blaming the wrong stage.
First check whether the required part was exported
Compare the intended part list with the export log. Tekla's documentation explains that profile, size and hole limits can exclude parts from NC output. Check the actual export selections and settings rather than assuming that every member in the model became a usable production file. A missing member is a different problem from a member whose holes are missing in the receiving preview.
If an expected part is absent, have the detailing team review the model and the documented export limits. Do not change a setting simply to force a file through without confirming the receiving machine's supported member and feature scope. A permissive export limit is not evidence that the machine can clamp or process that member.
Compare holes and marks at the same datums
Prepare a small feature schedule from the approved drawing: part identifier, feature type, member face, datum, position, size and acceptance requirement. Keep holes, contours, bevels, pop-marks and contour marks distinguishable. Ask the software provider to identify the corresponding data in the exported file and the machine supplier to show how it is interpreted in the preview. Buyers do not need to guess an unsupported mapping from a screenshot.
For a missing mark, first confirm whether that mark was intended in the export and whether the export settings included it. Tekla documents separate pop-mark and contour-mark controls and notes that these affect the drawing and numbering workflow. Then verify the receiving software's support and the physical marking operation included in the offer. Do not treat one marking method as an interchangeable substitute for another without approval.
For a feature on the wrong face or end, show the member orientation and the drawing datums to both parties. Compare the file interpretation, the preview and the planned material setup using the same reference. A visually plausible mirrored part can still be wrong for the connection. Resolve the discrepancy before a production batch is authorized.
Use a reconciliation record, not a generic compatibility promise
| Checkpoint | Evidence to compare | What it does not prove |
|---|---|---|
| Drawing to export | Revision, selected member list, export settings and log | Receiving software support |
| File to preview | Feature schedule and supplier explanation of interpretation | Finished-part accuracy |
| Preview to trial | Identified setup, actual material and measured sample | All untested file variants |
Download the blank NC1 feature reconciliation record. It contains no sample pass result. Assign each unresolved feature an owner and a repeat-test requirement. Retain the original and revised files, preview captures and measured samples together; do not overwrite the failed case and lose the explanation.
Keep the proposed machine scope specific
HLC-750 reference describes Tekla NC1 input and marking-related operations. This supports asking for a relevant demonstration; it does not establish universal compatibility with every file, software release, profile or requested feature. Our HLC-750 beam laser cutting machine page sets out the broader member, handling and sample-trial questions. This guide concentrates on locating file-to-preview discrepancies.
Request the software versions, any required conversion or post-processing step, supported feature list, license scope, update responsibilities and retained file workflow in the proposal. Where an operation is not supported, ask whether an approved separate process is required and how it changes the cost and inspection plan. This article reports no completed customer import test or guaranteed machine tolerance.
Buyer questions
Does NC1 support mean every hole and mark will work?
No. Check the export settings, receiving interpretation and actual processing scope, then verify required features on a trial part.
Can a preview replace a cutting trial?
No. The preview helps review interpretation; the physical trial checks the agreed features and measurements on the actual material.
Should I change the drawing to suit a missing feature?
Do not change approved connection geometry without the responsible designer's approval. First identify the export, interpretation or machine-scope discrepancy.
Send one representative file for a proposal review
Halcyon Machinery provides cold-formed steel roll forming equipment configured to customer drawings and production requirements, alongside the structural-steel equipment described on our product pages. For an NC1 cutting proposal, send the controlled member drawing, original file, material specification, required holes and marks, and any discrepancy already observed. Include the target accepted output and destination utilities. Request a file and configuration review.
Sources and limits: Tekla Structures 2026 NC files documentation; HLC-750 reference. Reviewed 5 October 2026. This is a buyer verification method, not a software certification or a completed machine acceptance record.