PRODUCT REVIEWS Flexing new muscles
CAD-CAM / MES / ERP and sheet metal digital transformation pioneer , Lantek , has unveiled new features and improvements in the latest version of its software , Lantek Global Release 2021 ( 35th Anniversary Version ). It delivers multiple updates to Lantek Expert , Flex3d , MES and Integra and Analytics .
“ New features in the import of CAD models into Lantek Expert allow Drag and Drop and the detection of duplicate parts , making the import of part data much simpler and quicker . Now , with the Assembly to Nesting importer , it can unfold all the sheet metal parts in the model , taking account of the bending tool to be used , to arrive at an accurate 2D shape ready for nesting and cutting ,” it explained .
“ New capabilities for managing Draft Parts make it possible to flag up parts which need further design approval before manufacture . Our new Clean Cut technology can be applied to those contours where no lead-ins or microjoints should be placed , avoiding potential imperfections in the final cut . A new Expand Nest option makes it easy for the programmer to make use of unused space on the sheet by uniformly increasing the space between parts ,” it added .
The new Spiral Cutting function for hole cutting destroys the material within the hole so that it falls into the machine bed . This prevents potential collisions and avoids the need for manual removal of the scrap material . It also gives a smoother and faster cut with no sharp corners and involves fewer cut start cycles . Other improvements include better lead in / out positions ; automatic remnant dimensioning ; new micro-joint treatments ; skeleton destruction options ; import window customisation and improvements in cost calculations – 25 in all .
Lantek Flex3D software , for tube processing , also has new features . The new Toolpath Smart Designer handles the importation and machining of any shape of profile , even irregular ones , making it ready for cutting any complex tube format . This capability can also be used also for existing regular profiles , giving more flexibility to the user for efficient part cutting .
“ Our Steelwork parts design module has been completely redesigned to create a common and seamless user interface experience for all the machine technologies , along with a new 64-bit architecture , which has resulted in a reduction in programming time of
106 | sheetmetalplus . com | ISMR October 2021 around 15 %. The automatic nesting engine has been improved , boosting material savings up to 5 % and time savings of 28 %, along with other manual capabilities for precise adjustments , different options for remnants evacuation , splitting of parts to reduce remnants generation and beam loading angle selection ,” said Lantek .
Managing the workshop and accurately keeping track of resource loading , orders , delivery dates , quality and stock levels ( while maintaining traceability and the flexibility to react to changing circumstances ) are some of the capabilities of Lantek MES and Lantek Integra . Supporting this improved flexibility is better real-time integration with the machine control using Lantek WOS Opentalk . This gives more power and reliability , automatically reporting the job that is actually running on the machine .
“ Workload Monitoring improvements help in scheduling and load monitoring , enabling accurate delivery times to be predicted for quotations and sale orders while considering the current workload , estimated running times and pre-defined buffer and lag times for each operation ,” added Lantek .
Better integration of Lantek MES and Lantek Integra with Lantek Flex3D allows more options for the import of 3D CAD data ( STEP , IGES , SAT ). These changes further improve the ability of the system to create quotations .
Global Release 2021 also sees the launch of the first SaaS ( Software as a Service ) application in Lantek Analytics . This business Intelligence application collects relevant data every day and can be accessed ‘ on any device from any location at any time ’, making it possible to see what is happening in the factory with more than 70 KPIs and 10 filters . As part of the development , Lantek Analytics includes eight new additional KPIs , the dark mode , an improvement in dashboard and filter management and Self-Service features . n
. lantek . com
MARCH 2021
GLOBAL COMMERCIAL MANAGER : Bobby Bagha
DESIGN : Wroxy Meredith
International Sheet Metal Review is published 10 times per year by IN2 Publishing Ltd , on behalf of Mack-Brooks Exhibitions Ltd . © Mack-Brooks Exhibitions Limited .
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ISMR would like to thank Street Crane Co Ltd for the cover image .