Design & Drafting for Fabrication in Ontario

Design drafting for fabrication at WeFab in Leamington, Ontario, turns concepts, drawing sets, and engineer-of-record designs into shop drawings, BOMs, and 3D models the shop can build from.

From concept development to fabrication-ready drawings, our design and drafting team creates detailed documentation that supports efficient manufacturing, assembly, and installation. By collaborating closely with engineering and production, we help improve coordination, reduce revisions, and ensure every project is ready for fabrication.

What We Accept as Input

WeFab accepts project information in whatever form it exists: a sketch, a concept, a 2D drawing set, or a full 3D model. The design team reads DWG and DXF files plus neutral 3D formats such as STEP, IGES, and IFC, and builds the fabrication package from there.

Concepts and early scopes: developed into a buildable design with the client
2D drawing sets: DWG and DXF from architects, engineers, or general contractors
3D models: STEP, IGES, and IFC
Engineer-of-record structural drawings: detailed into shop drawings

Projects that need engineering as well as drafting can be delivered design-build or delegated-design, with sealed drawings provided through WeFab’s retained licensed structural engineer. See Structural Engineering.

What We Deliver

WeFab delivers complete fabrication drawing packages (general arrangement drawings, advance bills of materials, single-part sheets, and erection drawings) in DWG, DXF, STEP, IGES, or IFC, with every revision controlled in SolidWorks PDM.

Deliverable	Detail
Design and drafting team	4 designers/drafters, 30+ combined years
Drawing package contents	GA drawings, advance BOMs, single-part sheets, erection drawings (as the project requires)
Formats accepted	DWG, DXF, STEP, IGES, IFC
Formats delivered	DWG, DXF, STEP, IGES, IFC
Revision control	SolidWorks PDM
Clash checking	SolidWorks interference detection and clearance verification
Model handover	Autodesk Construction Cloud or Forma Build
Sealed drawings	Through retained licensed structural engineer, typically 2 weeks

Shop drawings: Fabrication drawings that translate a design into the exact parts, dimensions, holes, welds, and materials the shop builds from. They are the document fabricators work to, so errors caught here never become rework on the floor or in the field.

DFM (design for manufacturing): Shaping a design so it can be cut, formed, and welded efficiently on the equipment that will actually build it. DFM reduces revisions, fit-up problems, and cost before a part is made.

Our Design-for-Fabrication Process

WeFab drafts with production in the room. Each package moves from intake through modelling, clash checking, internal review with the shop, and controlled release, so drawings reach the floor with fewer revisions and questions already answered.

Step 1: Intake and scope review

The design team reviews the incoming files and confirms what the client needs: concept development, shop drawings, or both.

Step 2: 3D modelling and detailing

Members and assemblies are modelled in the package that fits the job (SolidWorks, Tekla, Revit, AutoCAD, SketchUp, or MBS), with connections, plates, and part breakdowns detailed for fabrication.

Step 3: Clash and clearance checks

SolidWorks interference detection and clearance verification check the model for parts that collide or leave no room for welding and bolting.

Step 4: Design-for-fabrication review with production

Design, engineering, and production review the package together before release, so fabrication questions are resolved on paper and revisions are reduced.

Step 5: Controlled release and handover

Drawings are checked into SolidWorks PDM so the shop builds to the current revision. Models and drawings are handed to the general contractor or erector through Autodesk Construction Cloud or Forma Build, and fabrication proceeds through Structural Fabrication.

Software We Work In

WeFab’s design team works in SolidWorks, AutoCAD, Revit, SketchUp, Tekla, and MBS. The team always uses the most stable version of the software, which avoids glitches, bugs, or delays in design.

SolidWorks also carries the team’s interference detection and PDM revision control.

Coordinated models also support optional HoloLens 2 checks on the shop floor, used on demand to compare a fabricated piece against its model.

Why Project Teams Choose WeFab for Design and Drafting

WeFab keeps drafting, engineering coordination, and fabrication under one roof in a 208,000 sq ft Leamington facility, backed by South Essex Fabricating’s fabrication history since 1994 and CWB W47.1 Division 2 welding in the shop that builds from the drawings.

Four in-house designers/drafters with 30+ combined years of experience
Drafting beside production: the people who build the piece review the drawing
Sealed drawings provided through WeFab’s retained licensed structural engineer
SolidWorks PDM revision control so the shop works to the current revision
CWB W47.1 Division 2 welding (Company Code DENDE1, held by parent company SEF)
$10M general liability and $30M bonding capacity, sized for industrial and data centre work

Service Area: Ontario First, US Projects by Arrangement

WeFab provides design drafting for fabrication across Ontario. Our core service area is Windsor-Essex, London, Kitchener-Waterloo, Hamilton, and the Greater Toronto Area, direct from our Leamington shop. Models are handed over through Autodesk Construction Cloud or Forma Build, and US projects are taken on by arrangement.

Drafting can be paired with fabrication in the Leamington shop and delivery on WeFab’s owned trucking fleet.

Frequently Asked Questions

What file formats can WeFab work with?

WeFab accepts and delivers DWG and DXF files plus neutral 3D formats including STEP, IGES, and IFC. The same formats are available for delivery, so finished drawings and models go back to architects, engineers, and general contractors in a format their teams already use.

Can WeFab produce shop drawings from an engineer’s design?

Yes. WeFab’s drafting team details engineer-of-record structural drawings into shop drawings, single-part sheets, and erection drawings. If the project also needs engineering, sealed drawings are provided through WeFab’s retained licensed structural engineer, typically within two weeks.

How long does a fabrication drawing package take?

Turnaround depends on design complexity, so WeFab confirms a drafting schedule once it has reviewed the project files. When a project needs engineering, sealed drawings through WeFab’s retained licensed structural engineer typically take two weeks.

How does WeFab check drawings for clashes?

WeFab uses SolidWorks interference detection and clearance verification to find parts that collide or block weld and bolt access. Packages are then reviewed with production before release, and SolidWorks PDM keeps the shop working to the current revision.

Request a Design and Drafting Quote

Send a concept, drawing set, or 3D model to the WeFab team for a design drafting for fabrication quote in Ontario, reviewed by the people who will build it.

Call 548-919-0125 or email sales@wefab.ca to start a project.