“In the current connected world, there is little doubt that data is the raw material which enables progress in manufacturing development, adding value and providing a competitive advantage in the market,” says Asier Ortiz, technical director of Lantek. “With this in mind, a major part of Lantek’s R&D effort has been aimed at how to obtain quality data from different vectors, thus allowing the integral control and management of any cutting machine and process. This enables us to provide global visibility, raise production levels and increase agility, while reducing complexity.”
Focusing on its aim to help manufacturers by applying the latest technological advances, and give machines greater connectivity and automation, Lantek Global Release 2019 provides users with a number of improvements.
For instance, continual collaboration with its clients has resulted in over 40 general improvements within Lantek Expert CADCAM 2D sheet-metal cutting software. These additions include technology for managing the destruction of holes, skeletons and remnants, to assist the operator in the evacuation of finished parts. Automated processes have also been introduced to simplify workflow. By automating tasks, routine processes are concatenated and nesting groupings can be improved according to customer needs.
To resolve part identification and traceability requirements, Lantek has increased the possibilities within its parts databases, so that components can be marked with QR codes automatically and semi-automatically, in addition to marking metal sheets and remnants. This innovation makes it possible to encapsulate the information associated with the part.
Lantek has also optimised data collection and control capabilities, increasing its cutting machine database, which at present includes over 1,200 models from practically every manufacturer on the market.
For improved integration and management of 3D models for the cutting and bending process, the 2019 version has been enhanced with the integration of the main CAD systems. This important development increases the possibilities for working with programs and files incorporating all of the main 3D graphic formats that are currently on the market. The system can now also manage different bending parameters for each operation, such as bend length, bend angle, bend radius, K-factor, special bends, rotation or tool change. Furthermore, the 2019 release is able to generate STL files that allow 3D part viewing, DXF files which can generate CNC code, and LSTC files with all the bending information.
Lantek’s 2019 software incorporates newly developed machine models, and includes the latest methodologies for tube laser cutting. Optimised cutting depends on the mechanical capacity of the machine and, for the operator, simplification of cutting management, management of remnants and evacuation of the part.
Adequate production management and planning is one of the keys to achieving success in manufacturing processes in the factories of the future. Lantek MES introduces a total of 19 significant features, with the objective of finding new ways to optimise production.
Users will now be able to see production planning fully and in real time – in different views, sequences or Gantt charts – thanks to the Lantek MES Monitoring module. Additionally, there is a series of general efficiency improvements, namely nesting with sheet-metal selection, entire production traceability, data collection and improvement of data quality in more ranges of machines, reports and filters.
“Our only aim with this repertoire of improvements is to give Lantek solutions new power to help production managers,” says Ortiz. “With the data tracking and analysis that we can carry out, we are ready to bring intelligent manufacturing closer to a sector that needs to move towards Industry 4.0. To make this a reality, we have transformed our clients’ needs into powerful manufacturing and management tools.”
