Weapons cabinets are also known as gun safes, and are used all over the world for the protection and storage of firearms and ammunition. While the two terms weapons cabinet (Waffenschrank) and gun safe are often used interchangeably, there is a slightly different meaning to each of these terms. While ‘gun safe’ is often used to describe a purely practical storage solution, a ‘weapons cabinet’ can be more decorative in nature as well as having a practical concern. Due to their very nature, weapons cabinets have to be strong and durable products, with a design and manufacturing cycle that needs to be carefully executed and thouroghly tested.
Weapons cabinets, like many physical products that are manufactured in the 21st century, are initially designed inside a computer aided design (CAD) virtual environment. CAD software is ideal for the design and prototyping of a weapons cabinet, and is the most inexpensive and efficient way to test out new designs prior to the expensive process of manufacture. There are a number of CAD software titles on the market, from small, free applications to large and expensive professional titles. Detailed 3D design is necessary for any company involved in the design and production of weapons cabinet products, as it is in the design of a prefabricated garage or a toaster oven.
Computer aided design is one part of the entire cycle of digital design and development, which is known as digital product development (DPD). DPD is just one activity within any product lifecycle management (PLM) process, which has a number of individual stages including computer aided engineering (CAE), computer aided manufacturing (CAM), and revision control. The design of weapons cabinets and other related products often goes through each of these stages in the design and testing of individual product requirements and controls.
A weapons cabinet needs to be very carefully designed and manufactured, in order to meet the safety guidelines and requirements of the country of sale. The potential risks involved with an unsafe product like this are huge, so many world governments have set up restrictions and testing controls regarding this type of equipment. With so many gun safes and weapons cabinets including additional features like water protection, fire protection, and digital locking mechanisms, the initial design and prototyping phase is critical. Weapons cabinets have an extensive design and development life cycle, of which CAD and physical prototyping and testing play an important role.