Lantek’s MES software is said to optimise areas including CAD/CAM, CRM, sales (and quotations), machine productivity and KPI analysis to improve profitability and efficiency.
Provider of software systems and solutions of sheet metal, tubes and structural steel, Lantek, says fibre-laser and tube-cutting lasers deliver major improvements in productivity and technical capability. The company’s MES software is said to optimise areas including CAD/CAM, CRM, sales (and quotations), machine productivity and KPI analysis to improve profitability and efficiency, applying historic and real-time data. Lantek offers specialist solutions and three examples are explained below.
The first is for a client who processes over 100,000 tonnes of sheets and plates annually, using a range of different laser cutting machines. The software solution from Lantek sorts the sheets/parts according to their thickness and material type.
Approximately 35 jobs can take place simultaneously with 100 different parts in each job – all handled by the software, nesting parts and generating the CNC program automatically, which has enabled the company to increase turnover by 13 % annually using the same resources.
A second case involved automating quotations, which enabled the company to produce about 800 quotes every month directly from DXF files, drawings and sketches. The system, being acquainted with cut lengths, offers different options for cutting methods and nesting, while continually updating material prices. The ability to accurately calculate prices and deliveries enabled the company to become more efficient, averaging four days from order to delivery while making more parts, thereby increasing profits by over 10 %.
The third is a manufacturer, which has three plants in the UK. Understanding the importance of digitalisation, it plans for exponential growth. The company owns a variety of machinery and generates 3,000 quotations each month.
Thus, the importance of monitoring and controlling the flow of parts through the workshop is evident — the company makes decisions based on its data. It sees the benefits of cloud computing, which simplifies its IT structure to allow for remote working, while anticipating to integrate work with suppliers, customers as well as delivery service providers. The flexibility provided by Lantek enables the company to select the correct machinery and also integrate other software with the ultimate goal of digitalisation.
