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● Case study / Sheet metal

Folding tool trolley. Flat-packed.

from CAD to the workshop floor.

A workshop trolley designed to ship flat and bolt together on site. Every part is laser cut and bent from sheet, with mounting holes that line up first time and a manual anyone can follow.

Tools
SolidWorks / AutoCAD
Process
CNC laser cutting / bending
Delivered
3D model, DXF, manual
Ships as
Flat-pack kit
Folding tool trolley render: red side frames, three black trays, handle and casters

It opens exploded, the way it ships. Press Assemble to put it together, drag to rotate.

● How it was built

Six steps, one trolley

The same route we take for any sheet metal product: design it flat-packable, prove the fit in CAD, then hand the shop files it can cut straight from.

  1. 01

    The Brief

    A sturdy trolley for tools and parts that costs little to ship. The answer was a modular kit: side frames, trays, casters and a handle made separately and bolted together where it is used.

    Exploded flat-pack kit: two red side frames, three black trays, four casters and a handle
  2. 02

    3D Model and Fit

    Each part modelled in SolidWorks as its own sheet metal body, with bend reliefs, mounting holes and assembly clearances. The full assembly proves every fastening point lines up before any metal is cut, and renders show the colour options for the range.

    Tool trolley render in blue with stainless trays
    Tool trolley render in graphite with stainless trays
  3. 03

    Flat Patterns for the Laser

    Flat patterns exported to AutoCAD and dimensioned for CNC laser cutting, nested to save material. Perforations, tabs and slots are cut in the same pass, so bending is the only step left.

    AutoCAD laser cutting drawing with dimensioned flat patterns
  4. 04

    Fabrication

    Cut, bent and trial-assembled in galvanised steel. After the first build we tested a second handle design, then moved to the powder-coated production version.

    Laser-cut galvanised parts on the workshop bench
    Galvanised trolley frame trial-assembled in the workshop
  5. 05

    Assembly Manual

    A 14-step illustrated manual goes in the box, drawn from the same CAD: parts list, exploded views and detail callouts for every joint, so the customer assembles it with a spanner and a screwdriver.

    Pages of the illustrated assembly manual, steps 1 to 13
  6. 06

    On the Workshop Floor

    The finished trolley in red and black powder coat, ready for tools and parts.

    The fabricated trolley after powder coating
    The trolley in use in a workshop

● Result

What the design delivers

Designed for the shop that cuts it, the courier that ships it and the person who builds it.

  1. 01

    Ships Flat

    Separate panels pack into a compact box, cutting freight volume and cost.

  2. 02

    Cut Straight from File

    Every part laser cut and bent from DXF, with no welding needed at the destination.

  3. 03

    Standard Fasteners

    Assembles with standard bolts and nuts, following the illustrated manual.

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