Cutting/punching CAM has better nesting

Version 27 of Lantek Expert CAD/CAM/ERP software for cutting and punching sheet metal machine tools has greatly improved nesting methods and higher processing speed.

Lantek has introduced version 27 of Lantek Expert CAD/CAM/ERP software package for cutting and punching sheet metal machine tools Lantek Expert II v27 has a new architecture, which uses advanced design and programming technologies

The company told manufacturingtalk that it has dedicated significant economic, technical and human resources to its development.

In Lantek Expert II v27 the nesting methods have been greatly improved, with considerable increases in material utilisation, and very significant improvements in 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, said Lantek.

There is 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.

* Nesting capabilities – the nesting capabilities use colour coding to ease 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 the following.

* Manual multi torch nesting.

* Handling of the Xp axis on Trumpf machines.

* Algorithms for remnant destruction on punching machines.

Lantek has introduced a 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.

Managing director of Lantek Sheet Metal Solutions, Alberto Martinez, said: "Our commitment to innovation has made us a pioneering force in the implementation of new development methodologies and technologies.

At Lantek we dedicate a significant amount of our resources and time to program re-engineering, not just to improve functionality but also to achieve a more user-friendly appearance and make our programs easier to use".

Other innovations in version 27 include an improvement in dealing with bevels and new specific treatments for multitorch, as well as wheel tools.

There is also a wide range of new functions that allows Lantek Expert II maintain its position at the forefront of the cutting and punching program market.

* Improvements in production processes – Version 27 of Lantek Expert III, which provides integrated management of the whole production process in sheet metal work environments, offers some significant improvements.

Aimed at companies in the sheet metal processing sector, Lantek Expert III comprises a set of functional modules (Products, Purchasing, Quotes, Manufacturing, Sales, Warehousing), which cover in a full and integrated way a company’s current and future 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.

* About Lantek – Lantek is a global multinational leader in the development and marketing of integral solutions in CAD/CAM and ERP for the machine tool sector.

Its scope for innovation and its firm commitment to internationalisation have meant that Lantek, founded in 1986 in the Basque Country, has become a global benchmark with its Lantek Expert solutions for sheet metal cutting and punching.

Today, the company has over 8,000 customers throughout the world, with its own offices in Spain (Vitoria-Gasteiz), the United States, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, China, South Korea, France, Japan, India, Poland, Mexico, Turkey and the Czech Republic.

Lantek also has a network of distributors that extends its presence to 90 countries worldwide.

Its international business in 2007 accounted for 80% of its turnover.