Latest Lantek update claims significant advances in meeting the requirements of customers for managing and optimising sheet metal manufacturing and work processes.

Version 27 of Lantek Expert, the CAD/CAM/ERP software package for cutting and punching sheet metal machine tools incorporates new architecture which uses advanced design and programming technologies. The company has dedicated significant economic, technical and human resources to its development, with a team of 75 engineers which has taken into account the demands and needs of both the market and users.

In the new version of Lantek Expert II nesting methods have been greatly improved, with increases in material utilisation and processing speed. For calculating the times and costs of producing parts, sheet metal and products, the new options enable users to have greater control over production and easily predict the manufacturing costs and times in their factory. Important changes include a new interface which simplifies manipulation and viewing of nests through the nesting explorer menu, as well as providing floating, dockable panels which give information and control over the nesting process. 
 
The nesting capabilities have also been upgraded. Colour coding eases part identification, and can be limited to zones on the sheet. Improvements to the dragging of nested parts provide collision avoidance against neighbouring components, ensuring that the resulting nest is valid. To provide extra flexibility, Expert II can now generate CNC code for several different machines simultaneously from one nest. This new capability will allow companies to maximise machine utilisation through last minute changes to the production cycle. Other improvements include manual multi torch nesting, handling of the Xp axis on Trumpf machines and new algorithms for remnant destruction on punching machines.
 
Lantek has introduced a completely new module for manufacturing mosaic patterns. The software will segregate material into different types, so that these can be nested together. It then provides an overall plan for the mosaic for identifying the final position of each part. Lantek Expert II V27 also provides new functionality for lead-ins, loops for profiling operations, and has speeded up and improved the cutting of parts with a large number of holes. Other innovations include an improvement in dealing with bevels and new specific treatments for multitorch, as well as wheel tools.

Lantek Expert III comprises a set of functional modules (Products, Purchasing, Quotes, Manufacturing, Sales, Warehousing) which cover management requirements. This version is particularly significant for the new functions incorporated in the Quotation and Manufacturing modules. The Quotation module is fully integrated with CAD/CAM in terms of both managing quotes and improving the traceability of costs and margins. In addition, automatic integration provides end users with a bi-directional functionality between the Excel spreadsheet used for their quotes and Lantek’s ERP system. New reports have also been included which enable the information in the quotes to be analysed, taking a number of variables into account such as quotation by employee, by area, and reasons for losing or winning business. The Manufacturing module incorporates new features for optimising the grouping of manufacturing operations and their integration with CAD/CAM. It also includes new reports to manage the difference between estimated costs and actual costs by part or job.
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