Product category:
CAM and software for sheetmetal, punching, profiling, EDM, etc
News Release from: Lantek Sheet Metal Solutions | Subject: Lantek Expert
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 25 October 2004
Nesting tracking system installed in CNC
Latest version of Lantek Expert allows the the nesting tracking system to be installed inside the CNC control that drives the cutting/ profiling machine.
Lantek has just released the latest version of Lantek Expert During this quarter the new version 24 will be presented worldwide
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 11 Mar 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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In CAD/CAM modules specially designed to automate the programming of sheet metal cutting machines, as the mouse is dragged to define a window, the nesting is generated instantly and automatically.
Software allows real time progress chasing
A system that provides integrated management of the whole production process in sheet metal manufacturing environments passes on information generated to manufacturing.
As a preview of this presentation, these are some of the most significant new features that this new version 24 will include: * Possibility to install the nesting tracking system (Lantek Wos) inside the CNC control that drives the machine.
This program does not replace the existing software in the control, but helps the operator process the different jobs to be done.
Lantek Wos allows to view all the necessary information about the programs sent to the machine, select the programs that are going to be run and start their execution.
Further reading
Cut and punch CAD/CAM has management functions
In a desire to offer latest-generation solutions for the sheet metal-working world, a fully modernised star system for cut and punch CAD/CAM includes management.
Where, when and how? - all done in real time
Software system informs the user in real time, about the status of any part or group of parts: pending, nested or finished, showing all the jobs and parts in the database.
Latest CAD/CAM used in canal barge building
Components for UK canal barges - or 'narrow boats' - are designed and then nested using the latest CAD/CAM, which is directly linked to Trumpf and Whitney punch/plasma combination machines.
Lantek Wos interacts with the machine processing each nesting in a sequence, updating the status of each job, Beijing the CNC line that is being executed at each moment and automatically saving in the Lantek general database the machining time and any incidence occurred during the machining process.
It also tells the operator the different errors that may happen during the machining process.
All this significantly helps to achieve a better integration between the CAD/CAM system and the workshop management since it makes it very easy to capture the real data on the shopfloor.
* Possibility to work with some or all the machine configuration files that are shared throughout the network.
With this new option each operator will be able to decide whether to work with the local machine configuration files or to work with the general machine configuration files located in the server.
This option makes it very easy for the user to keep and control different machine configurations for the same machine.
* Possibility to highlight nested parts and/or machined parts and/or tools used during the machining process by means of using different colours.
This allows the user to easily view the parts that have already been nested or machined and the tools that have been used in the machining process.
* New algorithm to avoid too much heating on the sheet.
By means of an innovative algorithm, the system allows the user to define a safety zone around the part that is being cut.
The system will not be able to perform any cutting operation in this safety zone during a certain period of time in order to allow that zone in the sheet to cool off.
* Intelligent management of multitorch by verifying and controlling at any moment that the defined distance between torches are not only correct but optimized.
Lantek Expert also allows to cut a part with two torches at the same time, both torches starting to cut from the same lead-in.
* Management and full control of remnants.
Lantek Expert now allows to block one or several remnant sheets.
The system allows the user to nest parts into a remnant and to prepare the corresponding CNC program, but thanks to this remnant blocking option, the system will never send this CNC program to the machine until the CNC program corresponding to the original sheet, out of which the remnant was generated, is processed.
* Work Center and Employee Productivity reports.
Either from the Employees Module or from the Work Centres module, the user will be able to generate reports that provide valuable information in order for the Production Manager to have a complete and reliable view of the completed jobs, fabricated products, preparation times, machining times, machine stops and incidences of each work center and of each operator in the shopfloor.
* Possibility to save by part when importing CAD files.
From this new version on, all Lantek importers (DXF, DWG, IGES, ME10, - ) can generate and save as many independent parts as different geometries exist in the imported CAD file.
This process can be completed in automatic mode without any user intervention.
* Possibility to perform partial cutting lines between parts in order to generate remnant lines.
The system will calculate (in automatic or manual mode) the values of the external contours of the nested parts and will generate partial cutting lines between these, so that a complete remnant line is generated with evident time and consumable savings.
* Possibility to define customized comments and their format in the CNC code.
The user will be able to include additional information in the CNC code that the system outputs.
The user will be able to define which data to include as well as the format in which it should be presented.
* And many more features and options that will significantly increase programming and machining efficiency, allowing our customers to save time and money.
Our customers have all this available by just getting in touch with any of our offices.
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