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Lantek at BIEMH 2012

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JUNE 2012

LNKeditorial

After the close of the 27th BIEMH, Lantek, world leader in the development and marketing of CAD/CAM/MES/ERP software solutions for the metal industry, takes stock of its participation in the fair, considered one of the leading events in the in-dustrial sector on a domestic and international scale.

This fair, with a total of 1,171 exhibiting com-panies from 25 countries and more than 34,000 attendees, was the perfect framework for the main manufacturers, importers, distributors and purchasers of machine-tools, developers of solutions and accessories for the different ma-chines and industries, and other cutting-edge technology companies, to take the opportunity to present their innovations, to take the pulse of the sector and exchange points of view, all the while creating synergies and detecting new busi-ness opportunities.

Innovation was the motto selected by the organi-sation for BIEMH 2012, and Lantek, faithful to its commitment to the field, did not disappoint the attendees, who were able to find out first-

hand about the technological developments made by the company, especially related to the metallic structure construction sector, a mar-ket for which Lantek Steelworks exhibited.

Moreover, as the BIEMH organisers indicated, some of the sectors that created higher levels of interest among the professional visitors were “forming machines and production system au-tomation”, for which Lantek also has solutions.

Thus, during the fair Lantek exhibited the pro-gress incorporated in its other product families and with which it responds to the market de-mand and is adapting to technological trends, among which there is the fibre laser cutting machines with “add-ons” (machines with ex-panded functions that incorporate for example drilling, threading, milling, etc.)

“At Lantek we are satisfied with the result of the fair in general terms, despite the initial expectations being somewhat more ambi-tious –and realistic at all times-” commented

Lantek, satisfied with its participation

in BIEMH 2012

Francisco Pérez, Commercial Director of Lantek in Spain and Portugal.

“Our solutions have created expectation and have generated interest among par-ticipants, above all those from the domes-tic market. Nevertheless, it is true that the current difficult economic situation and the uncertainty in some markets can be seen in the results, although not in the profile of the visitors, who were highly qualified”.

During BIEHM 2012, Lantek points out that it handled a significant number of proposals for collaboration with other manu-facturers regarding innovation, in addition to having the possibility of consolidating distri-bution alliances and agreements, which inpercentage terms made up 26% of the opportunities identified.

Agreements for product updating and expan-sion, with 24%, followed by innovation in the area of management (17%), training offers (11%), and punching (9%) are the fields in which Lantek’s offer generated the most in-terest among attendees.

Similarly, during the six days of the fair, Lantek was also able to strengthen and consolidate relationships with our partners that were pre-sent at the fair, such as Tecoi, Mahenor and Muntal, among others.

Lantek, satisfied with its participation

in BIEMH 2012

LNKsolutionsLNKsolutions

Lantek improves competitiveness in the industry with their new CAD/CAM/MES/ERP versions

Lantek continues to incorporate innovations into their range of integral solutions, to which they have given greater added value and better com-petitive advantages:

Lantek Expert: the most advanced CAD/CAM 2D software:Productivity: it incorporates a machining brow-ser that optimises the option selection for each tool. Similarly, it has an algorithm for the auto-matic machining of multiple parts, offering 3D simulation of the steel plate punching and provi-des improvements in the nesting programming for several machines at the same time.

Automation: helps the programmer when ca-rrying out “prenesting” processes or kit-based nesting, and in the maximum calculation time. It is also able to define and save a variety of linked actions and execute them with a single click.Parameterisation: increase in the collective pro-ductivity and quality assurance with the impro-vement in the management of parametric parts and the automatic treatment of customised lead-ins.Incorporation of “Milling” functions for combi-ned cutting machines and a new optimisation technology for cutting holes that improves flexi-bility and productivity.

Lantek Integra: ERP software that com-pletely and comprehensively covers all the company’s current and future management needs, for parts subcontractors and companies that develop their own products or structural projects:Optimisation for all browsers on the market; improvements in speed; new graphics controls and resources for presenting information. Higher capacity of integration via web services thanks to the power provided by the API “Avan-tiaServices”.Improved export to files in different formats and options for connecting via mobile devices.

Lantek Flex3d: this family of CAD/CAM software solutions for the design and folding of steel plate parts in 3 dimensions and cutting pi-pes and profiles is notable for being highly adap-table and able to work with other CAD solutions, and other machines, with all types of technology to create parts in 3D with maximum quality.

Configuration: it incorporates multiple user aids when predefining states, defining cus-tomised references, accessing the custo-mer and order data, etc. to facilitate the commissioning and the operation of the tool.Operation: specific screens for the organi-sation and optimisation of cutting depen-ding on different criteria. Integration: it has a smarter XML import/export mechanism that can be configured to show the results much more visually and that better suits the interconnection with production and business management sys-tems.Lantek Wos: this software incorpora-tes all the machines within the company’s management tools:Usability: incorporation of messages aimed at the operator that are viewed directly on the main display and warning systems in the event of emergencies, changes in prio-rity, etc.Layout: evolution of the installation and commissioning processes, with the “Profile Changer” function and with the shared ma-nagement of pending tasks. Increased effi-ciency executing various systems on one single PC.Operation: incorporation of pauses for di-fferent reasons within the task record. It has significant improvements to the “Validation Assistant” function to increase the capaci-ty for modifying the work vouchers (used, times, dates)Integration: it allows improved integration with machines from different manufactu-rers, which permits a higher capacity for control and automation of the production lines.

Task management: speeds up processes for tasks with many parts; allows advanced 2D/3D display for parts and nesting, thus making simultaneous display possible. It also has advanced filters for the selection of parts and bars, grouping by format, ma-terial, etc.Productivity: interface improved with the incorporation of a “ribbon” and customi-sed menus. Provides significant advances for importing STEP, IGE, SDAT, CAM, XML, sets of pipes, all known 5x formats, bevel technology and tools, among other things.Machining: offers configuration of pipe supports: retractable or mobile. In addition, it provides tolerance when assigning tools and differentiating between standard and active turrets for profiles. It incorporates au-tomatic collision avoidance and the possibi-lity of machining edges for 5x.Nesting: facilitates smart positioning of au-tomatic marking for profiles; introduces mul-tiple nesting in single-unit bars for pipes and profiles; and offers a notable improvement in the graphic representation of the nesting in the reports, among other characteristics.

Within the scope of MES systems, Lantek has Lantek Manager.This is a solution of particular interest for companies that need a complete and competitive tool for managing their ma-nufacturing processes, with real-time control of the whole production plant: Usability: new ways of viewing data, more filtering possibilities and better selection capabilities for an unprecedented user ex-perience. It also has programmable control functions and “poka-yoke” to avoid errors when entering data.

LNKinterviews Zuriñe Saenz

Lantek Account Manager

“ERP solutions help companies advance in times of crisis”

The current economic situation forces companies to take measures to maintain their competitiveness. How does this affect their capacity for innovation?

In adverse economic situations all companies in all sectors are forced to take measures in order to be profitable, more competitive and, in most cases, to weather the storm and survive. Of course, there are always exceptions and there are always enterprising companies that use the crisis as a springboard to reinvent themselves or to detect new busi-ness opportunities in previously unexplored areas.

Which companies are the most affected?

Regardless of the situation and the business of each company, in general, the ones that do not have a defined business practice and which do not have tools that provi-de them with information to make fast and accurate deci-sions. These are the ones that end up being overwhelmed by a lack of control over their business processes. This becomes more acute if we focus on the market of small and medium-sized companies, which are the ones that are suffering the most, despite being those that generate the highest number of jobs.

Why invest in technological solutions now?

At this point no one doubts that companies are mostly aware of the importance of investing in technological solu-tions that allow them to substantially improve their situation.

It is now more than ever when we must invest in tech-nology and innovation, because what usually happens is that the solution to adverse situations involves impro-ving efficiency and productivity, rationalising processes and accessing information in real time, encouraging the participation of all the parties involved in a process and turning the data into knowledge.

Are ERP solutions an example of this?

Of course. ERP solutions have become a strategic inves-tment for any organisation because, as their name su-ggests, they contribute to the management and planning of business resources.

What are their advantages and disadvantages?

Without a doubt they help companies advance in times of crisis, improving operational efficiency, increasing the performance of the human team and optimising customer service, in addition to stimulating cost reductions. The disadvantage is found in the investment that has to be made against a backdrop of constant cuts.

The situation is serious, true, but the short-term vision of the measures taken will not necessarily be a guaran-tee of an improvement for the business. In addition to this handicap there is the reluctance or poor habit of ma-king investments in IT that small and medium companies have in our country and a culture of innovation that is relatively scarce or which is not currently a priority for many companies. Here is where ERP becomes essen-tial, because managing a business proactively during a period of economic recession is a huge challenge for many companies.

Is such significant economic outlay necessary?

No, as the market offers a variety of standard solutions, highly modular and with a great capacity for paramete-risation, which are available under a licence or in the cloud, and where the quality-price and functionality-ROI binomials offer a high level of satisfaction.

LNKinnovation Raúl Alvarado

Software Development Engineer

Although they can be operated with the keyboard and mouse, using your fingers on a touch screen reveals its true potential. The adjective Metro comes from a wave of design that has already been applied in products such as Windows Phone and Xbox 360. Metro, inspired by the Swiss Style (design style developed during the 1950s), gives preference to contents over the container: the text over and above superfluous frills. This ensures a clean user interface, reduced to what is essential with an easily readable font.

The big colourful tiles are a hallmark of the style, as are the big icons, in monochrome and easy to recognise. The latter are based on the evidence gathered from the posters in the subway station near Microsoft’s headquar-ters in Redmond (Washington).

Just one step from the start screen, Windows Store pro-vides access to the official Windows shop, where you will discover free and paid applications classified according to different criteria: downloads, user ratings, price. When you acquire an application, the system will download and install it automatically. From the R+D perspective of Lantek, Windows 8 provides interesting possibilities... and poses new challenges. All our solutions work in the same way in Windows 8 as in the previous versions.

We are sure that a traditional application like Lantek Ex-pert provides maximum reliability, for example, for desig-ning a steel plate part from the office. But let’s consider another situation, a different place in a different time. How about getting the production analysis, the con-sumption of materials or the current costs from where you are right now, on a Microsoft Surface tablet? That is another story that we will hopefully tell here very soon.

“Windows 8 represents a crucial step in the convergence between mobile and computer systems”

All indications are that the new version of Windows, the most-used operating system in the world, will reach the market this October. For those who know an earlier ver-sion and intend to keep using it as they have done up to now, Windows 8 will not be a great revolution. Yes, there are changes, but they are superficial, like those you can see in Windows explorer and the task manager. Never-theless, if you need Windows in less usual situations, the-re are very significant innovations, including the devices, applications and Windows Store.

Windows 8 represents a crucial step in the convergence between mobile and computer systems. It functions identically on different devices: desktop computers; all-in-one devices (that include the processor, memory and hard discs in a touch screen); laptops of all sizes and tablets. Its efficiency has also been improved, especially aimed at reducing battery consumption in less powerful devices. The start-up is quicker, which will be where we notice this improvement.

Windows 8 offers two types of applications that are di-fferentiated by their objectives and how we interact with them. Thanks to previous versions (software compati-ble with Windows 7 is also compatible with Windows 8), the desktop applications are familiar to us. They are conceived to solve all problems, small to complex, and are used with a keyboard and mouse. However, the Metro applications, the main focus of Windows 8, are ground-breaking.

LNKnews

Lantek, in collaboration with Vicomtech, are finalists in the 3D simulation awards

The 3D virtual simulator, SIMCUT, an innovative joint project between Lantek and Vicomtech, was nominated for the 3D simulation awards. Participants: Álvaro Ruíz de Infante and Natxo Canto.

The companies Lantek and Vicomtech have been nominated in the 3D Simulation awards at the 10th Annual Industrial Simulation Conference, ISC 2012, for their SIMCUT project within the mo-dality “Engin_01, 3D Simulation Tools in Real Time for NC Metal Cutting and Punching Processes”.

This project, an initiative which forms part of the ex-tensive innovation strategy at Lantek, has required the collaboration of both companies in the creation of the design and development of a 3D cutting simulator in real time for machine-tools which is able to adapt to the requirements of any company in the metal sector.

The nomination in the 3D Simulation awards is an acknowledgement of the excellent work that these companies have achieved as part of the joint innovation project, as well as of the important pro-gress that this 3D cutting simulator has meant for the market. Indeed, SIMCUT provides companies who use any type of cutting machine in their activity with a virtual environment which simulates what will happen in the machine before performing the final work.

In this way, the user can have an overview of the final result and is given the capacity to foresee events and to react to possible minor problems or changes, in addition to being able to organise and optimise the material with the subsequent savings which this implies.

SIMCUT is a project which is considered as being an absolute innovation since there is currently no similar solution available on the market. SIMCUT is the result of 2 years of collaboration between Lantek and Vicomtech, and the response to the continuous demand by companies in the metallur-gical industry for a solution which enables reducing costs and which, at the same time, adds value to processes by offering a real overview before per-forming the work.

As such, this initiative is clear evidence of the com-mitment of these companies to innovation and the development of effective solutions that provide high added value and which guarantee correct decision-making in production processes.

LNKcase studies

Ros Casares finds its manufacturing solution at Lantek

The company has managed to convert an environ-ment of complex programming processes into a simple routine, in addition to saving time and signi-ficantly improving profitability

Corporación Ros Casares, a Spanish multinational with its head office in the Community of Valencia and comprising several companies that operate in different sectors such as steel production and transformation, construction and engineering, inte-gral logistics services and industrial supplies, have placed their trust in the solution Lantek Expert to optimise their cutting and punching machines, and the production, at their steelworks in Avilés. Foun-ded in Asturias in 2008, Ros Casares steelworks in Avilés is one of the Ros Casares Group’s 50 sites throughout Spain and the rest of Europe. Focusing on the transformation and distribution of iron and steel products, the Avilés steel plant currently has a staff of 30, of the 550 employees that make up the Group, and has a portfolio of clients covering more than 400 companies and organisations dedicated to various activities and sectors such as offshore, onshore, capital equipment, naval or steel welding and industry in general, and has a turnover of 50 million euros per year of which 40% comes from the international market.

Since its creation, the Avilés steelworks has been evolving continuously, but what has not changed is its commitment to business and quality and its dedication to finding the optimum balance between experience and the latest technology, uniting these aspects with innovation and competitiveness.

“We needed to equip our machinery with an ad-vanced and powerful software infrastructure, that would guarantee maximum yield from the machines and would be capable of improving all the oxygen-flame and plasma cutting pro-cesses” noted Jesús José Fernández, General Manager the Ros Casares steelworks in Avilés. “The solutions from Lantek have enabled us to convert a complex environment of processes into a simple routine, thanks to their ease-of-use and their adaptability to our business. In addition, we have seen reductions in the cycle times and optimisation in stock use. We are very satisfied with the result”.

Greater profitability and savings

The deployment of the Lantek Expert solutions has helped the Asturian company benefit from the pos-sibility of improving its daily operations, affecting the strategic aspects for the business of transfor-ming heavy steel plates. Another of the advantages of this project is related to the significant savings in time and costs arising from setting up quicker, more flexible practices, as Lantek Expert Cut allows in-tegration of each and every activity in one single program from which Ros Casares Avilés steelworks can design a part, import it, do the nesting, gene-rate the cutting and the CNC, consult and manage the warehouse of steel plates, calculate times, con-sult orders and carry out any management process. All of this result in a better service for the client.

Moreover, the client has experienced a significant increase in productivity levels, as they now have the capacity to cut more parts per unit of time, and has seen a reduction in the percentage of scrap from 15% to 11%. All of this results in a significant improvement in the business’ profitability.

The positive experience and good results obtained in all areas of this project has made Ros Casares Avilés steelworks value the possibility of underta-king new initiatives with Lantek.

LNKservices

Press the Ctr button and position a part in the nesting module to see how it rotates with different key combinations.

Trick of the month - Lantek Expert

• CUTTING 19-20 July 2012 - Miñano (Álava) 18-19 October 2012 - Miñano (Álava)

• PUNCHING 27-28 September 2012 - Miñano (Alava) 29-30 November 2012 - Miñano (Alava)

Training Courses

• Discounts in training.• Preferential telephone (Hot-line) • Annual software update.• Direct updating of the Service Packs, throughout the year.• Discounts in the event that any of our technicians has to travel to the customer’s company.• Private access to the Customer Portal where you can learn about:

• Knowledge Base: An extensive database that includes answers to the most frequent questions asked by our users.

• The latest updates.• Access to the technical documentation of the software.• Access to consultations and incidences.

Maintenance Contracts

- Lantek Flex3d

LNKexhibitions

- Lantek Expert

Si desea solicitar más informaciónsobre formación escriba a:

marketing@lanteksms.comBIEMH 2012 BILBAO28 MAY - 02 JUNE

CIMES 2012 CHINA12-16 JUNE

• Every year, Lantek is committed to being present at the sector’s most important fairs, both at a national and international level.

Next Tradeshows

EXPOMAC 2012

26 - 29 SEPTEMBER

PINHAIS - CURITIBA

BRAZIL

TATEF 2012

02 - 07 OCTOBER

ISTANBUL

TURKEY

- Lantek Flex3d

EUROBLECH 2012

23 - 27 OCTOBER

HANNOVER - GERMANY

HALL 12, STAND H18