Lantek Link – January 2015

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4th Industrial Revolution Latest News, Product Innovations, Fairs and much more

JANUARY 2015

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index

LANTEK LINK is a Magazine of LANTEK SHEET METAL SOLUTIONS

COVER Photo: Arc “Gateway”

03

EDITORIAL

06

SOLUTIONS

10

TECHNOLOGIES

12

NEWS

14

SERVICES

Talkin’ Bout a Revolution

04

MAIN TOPIC

08

INTERVIEWS

11

INNOVATION

13

CASE STUDIES

15

EXHIBITIONS

4th Industrial Revolution

St. Louis, Missouri (USA)

LANTEK MARKETING TEAM Jesús Martínez Marketing Director

Beatriz Prado Production, Publishing, Design

Patricia Ruiz de Sabando Communications and Public Relations

SUBSCRIPTIONS Marketing

Excellence in Shop Floor Control

Profile Cutting in Tube Machinery

Joseba Pagaldai Commercial Director

Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS)

marketing@lanteksms.com

At Fabtech 2014 Lantek shows the way for integrated sheet metal manufacturing

Lantek Services Lantek Hint: Lantek Manager

Lantek, agility and transparency in sheet metal at Oxymax

Machines- LVD Strippit-PX Fairs

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editorial

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Talkin’ Bout a Revolution

ew concepts lead to the next industrial revolution: Industry 4.0, Advanced Manufacturing, Smart Factory, Digital Factory, Industrial Internet, and many other initiatives. Intelligent machines, advanced analytics, and people at work converge to create a new way of facing industrial manufacturing.

All of them claim to be the future of the industry, pointing out the integration between machines, data, and process automation.

Some of the disciplines that these concepts are promoting will be available only for some powerful companies: big data, extended reality, etc.

Lantek Factory is a democratic proposal for the sheet metal, tubes, and structural steel industry: operational excellence and factory digitalization for everyone, adjusted to their needs and to their purchasing capacity.

For many, this is seen as a revolution. For Lantek, this is business as usual. The object of our mission: to develop and to provide to our customers the software solutions that improve their productivity and efficiency. Now, we have come to the point where machines can think for themselves and ask for the programming they need. Products talk to machines that will produce them. Lantek includes all this in their software product as a natural evolution. We have been doing this for 29 years with all the previous disruptive innovations and technological enhancements. Thinking Solutions for Thinking Metal in a Lantek Factory.

They are talking about a revolution. Lantek is ready for it.

JesĂşs MartĂ­nez

4th Industrial Revolution Recently, there has been a lot of talk about the so-called “4th Industrial Revolution”.

Such a compelling term really deserves an article in which we can discuss our views on the subject.

Industrial Revolutions The original Industrial Revolution, which took place between 1760 and 1820, involved significant cultural and social changes in addition to those changes that affected the way in which goods were produced and services were provided. Steam machines and mechanical production appeared for the first time.

The 2nd Industrial Revolution is considered to have started around 1870, with the incorporation of mass production processes, the division of labor into trades, and the use of electricity.

The 3rd Industrial Revolution, which started around 1970, was based on the introduction of microelectronics and information systems that resulted in an increased automation in production. It is the information

revolution, which takes us up to the present day.

We are now on the threshold of the 4th Industrial Revolution, in the middle of the different trends that are trying to define it through the specific elements that will be a part of it.

The 4th Industrial Revolution Still waiting to become reality, it seems clear that the 4th Industrial Revolution is based on two key needs: •

The ability to mass customize and localize products at a global level so that customers receive what they want and how they want it

•

The ability for accountable and sustainable production

The elements that will contribute to this change are:

existing products.

•

Internet of Things: cyber-physical systems able to connect intelligently through a network

The Lantek Approach

•

New additive manufacturing systems

•

Mass treatment, processing and storage of data on any server (Big Data, Cloud Computing)

Various Approaches Starting from a similar concept, there are already various approaches that go from Industry 4.0 to Advanced Manufacturing, passing through variations that each large corporation has tried to define.

Industry 4.0, which is a European concept lead by the German Government, focuses on an intelligent factory where all of its processes are connected and interact through intelligent machines and specialized operators that are able to manage and make the right decisions based on information that is correctly treated and presented.

Advanced Manufacturing, which is a US Government initiative aimed at holding onto the global leadership of its industry, consists of a set of disciplines based on the use of information, automation, software, data capture through sensors and communications networks, as well as the lastest generation materials and nanotechnology.

It involves new methods for manufacturing new or

Lantek conceives this new industrial paradigm within its Lantek Factory concept.

Lantek understands that both the computer systems that support production processes (Thinking Solutions) as well as the products that are produced on sheet metal, tubes, or metal profiles (Thinking Metal) must be intelligent and adapt to the environment and needs of companies.

Lantek Factory responds to the needs for the 4th Industrial Revolution, but adapts in dimension and abilities to the metal transformation industry. This will involve significant new developments in embedded software, manufacturing management systems, and the supply chain.

Not only the most advanced systems available will be required. The companies behind these systems will also need to have the capacity for innovation and development, with commercial and technical teams close to customers so as to be able to respond in an efficient manner to the evolution and news that all of these current trends are going to bring in the future.

Lantek meets these requirements and is on the starting blocks ready to face all the challenges that the 4th Industrial Revolution will bring.

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solutions Excellence in Shop Floor Control Good practices in shop floor control ensure an increase in productivity

Shop floor control is a key component that substantially affects the decision-making process of any company. In this article, we will analyze the scope of efficient resource management and its related activities to help companies successfully transition from planning to reality.

Shop floor control includes the systems used to assess and prioritize all those pieces of information relating to resources and production procedures, related costs, labor, use of materials and equipment, and other factors that help achieve the highest possible production level for the activities planned. The purpose of an efficient shop floor control is monitoring all activity in the workshop in real time and in an integrated manner. It’s

about knowing what is happening on the production floor at every moment in order to optimize the decisionmaking process.

Our starting point is based on correctly planning all activities and materials within the company, including employees, materials, equipment and production time.

To achieve this, the various sequential steps of shop floor control, from order creation to order dispatch or sale, must be taken into account.

Thus, once orders are planned, they are turned into manufacturing orders and programmed accordingly.

After this, capacity needs are specified, material availability is assessed, production orders are enabled,

and workload is analyzed, all of this taking into account execution times and estimated delivery dates. Next, materials for dispatch are noted, the order is confirmed, merchandise entry is validated, and the order is fulfilled.

Shop floor control can also include other activities that will affect the decisions made. In this sense, it is key that we identify and assess any risk factors, such as real work capacity at the shop and technologies used, to minimize possible vulnerabilities associated with the specific work methods used by each company.

With the theoretical bases for a correct shop floor control already defined, what are the best practices for the integral and agile management of the manufacturing processes? Lantek has spent years implementing technology solutions in different markets with differing needs. This experience is key to identify any scenario presented by the companies, and is the foundation upon which Lantek has built its own integral management system that gathers and synchronizes all strategic information. The end result?

It allows for agile decision-making and helps plan resources, increases the performance of the human team, and maximizes cost savings.

The best practices for shop floor control include the efficient management of work orders so that assignments can be modified with flexibility and resources can be appropriately employed. Lantek Manager, one of Lantek’s star systems, is designed to achieve this goal. From the office desktop the material requirements for specific orders can be adapted, priorities can be defined and the manufacturing process can be monitored in real time.

The delivery of accurate and updated information on materials’ consumption and availability is another good practice that defines shop floor control and is linked to change management, equipment control, and the correct identification of possible human errors to ensure an increase in productivity in every sense. Along this line, the Lantek Wos solution helps provide the right manufacturing and design procedures to operators while offering two-way communications to ensure the correct management of incidents and changes.

These good practices, among others, help achieve an efficient shop floor control which, within a manufacturing execution system (MES), can improve the productivity of any business. Its strength: timely, cross-process data management, with the security of having all decisions under control.

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interviews

Joseba Pagaldai Commercial Director

“2015 arrives with excellent prospects for Lantek”

At this point, at the beginning of fiscal year 2015, we are chatting with Joseba Pagaldai, Business Director of Lantek, to ask for his insights on the future of the company for this coming year.

We are almost at the end of 2014. How is Lantek doing now?

Considering the market, what are Lantek’s prospects for 2015? What trends will this year see?

2014 has been a positive year, with 13% growth. It has been the best year in the history of Lantek.

2015 arrives with excellent prospects for Lantek. We expect to keep growing – we have already set a goal of 14% growth. Continued growth is not easy to achieve in mature markets, but considering the orders that have already been placed and the forecasts for the various markets, we believe that this goal is very achievable.

We have grown in all the important markets. We did particularly well in Europe, where we strengthened our leadership with growth in excess of 20% in some countries, such as Poland, Italy, and the United Kingdom, and above 10% in almost all remaining European countries. We did very well in the Middle East too, with growth in excess of 30%.

In Asia, we have increased sales by more than 15%, and we are very well positioned in countries such as Korea, China and Taiwan. Our business volume continues to grow in Southeastern Asian countries. Our presence on the ground, allowing us to offer a local service, is key in these countries.

In America, this has been a consolidation year for us.

We are leaders in South America, with Brazil as the launching point. We are perceiving a growing interest for our software in the US, which makes us believe that we have a bright future ahead. We have also had a phenomenal year in Canada, almost doubling our revenues from the previous year. Our Solutions Business Unit has been integral to this growth. Canada joins Spain, Germany and the US as one of the markets where Solutions is a significant part of our business.

One of the key factors for these good results is a direct consequence of increased sales through the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) channel. The creation of a specific unit to meet manufacturer needs, together with Lantek’s global presence, has resulted in a growing number of manufacturers trusting in us to increase the performance of the machines they produce and confirming that Lantek is their ideal partner anywhere in the world.

What will be the key aspects in a global post-crisis scenario for Lantek?

Lantek emerged from the crisis stronger than ever. Market diversification has been key to minimizing our challenges.

Obviously, we have been forced to suspend some investments in some countries; but our commitment to innovation remains firm. We have continued investing to have a great quality product. This is another key element for Lantek. None of our competitors invests as much as Lantek does in R&D; and, this shows in the acceptance of our products in the market.

During the crisis, mobility significantly increased for both people and companies. Many companies were forced to take their production to Asia. We have seen how large corporations with headquarters in Europe or North America have moved their production to these countries; and, they have asked us to help them with our products, supported by our local services.

Those who have chosen to keep their production base in Europe, have asked for our help to improve their processes in order to reduce costs and thus be able to compete with emerging countries.

In both cases, Lantek has been an essential collaborator.

In the case of outsourcers, for example, we helped them quickly and reliably adjust their prices and costs with our quoting tools. This is essential in times like these,

when there is small wiggle room for prices and margins must be carefully set so as to sustain the business.

Where is Lantek going to focus its efforts?

Where will we see Lantek expand? Which markets and why?

We are already in the most important markets and now we have to consolidate our leadership.

There are countries that still have a large growth margin for us, countries that are strongly joining our operations, such as: Poland, Turkey, Mexico, and China. The OEM channel is of the utmost importance in all of these countries.

In those markets, where we already have a very large customer base, our customers demand the optimization of their resources and processes. For them, Lantek Factory is the concept that encompasses suitable solutions for improving all manufacturing processes.

As regards partners and manufacturers, what do you think the trends will be?

Fiber laser machines are becoming increasingly popular. In many cases, they are already replacing CO2 laser machines and punching machines. Conscious of this, Lantek has already been working for some time to evolve and add new functionalities that exploit fiber laser machines as much as possible.

Chinese manufacturers are not exporting a lot of these machines yet, as they need them for domestic consumption; but they are gradually gaining traction. In the high-end sector, European and Japanese machines are still dominant; but, the battle for the middle-level market is ongoing, and the Chinese are increasingly stronger at this level, since they can manufacture fiber laser machines that are sufficiently good at a relatively low cost.

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technologies

Víctor Miguelez Software Engineer

Profile Cutting in Tube Machinery

Tube machine manufacturers are increasingly interested in adding profile-cutting features to their machinery.

Unlike profile-cutting machines, where the cutting head moves around the beam, tube machines have an axis that rotates the beam while the cutting head remains on the upper part. This rotating axis makes it easy to reach any cutting plane, but rotating very large beams can be very expensive. This is why beams are cut in sizes similar to those of the tubes.

Since only small profiles are cut, an appropriately sized and shaped cutting head must be used. The “ideal” head would be as elongated and narrow as possible, since that shape would allow it to more easily get near both the core and the edges of the piece being cut.

Designing and mounting this type of cutting head can be difficult due to its complexity; therefore, specific, shape-based cutting strategies are chosen so as not to be so dependent on the shape of the head.

For instance, in the case of L and U shapes, cutting can be performed from outside the shape. And thereby, any piece can be cut without risk of collision with the beam

walls, regardless of the shape of the cutting head.

However, in the case of H and T shapes, the only way to cut the web is by getting close to the edges. So, for that reason, the shape of the head is important as, there would, for example, be a risk of the other head elements colliding with the edges if the nozzle were not long enough.

Unlike tubes, many profile cutting outlines are open, starting from the edge of the beam, and there may be leading edges in places where there is no material.

Therefore, when the “height control” feature is used the operator must make sure that it is not enabled when there is no material present to prevent collisions.

For leading edges, the tracer must approach the material in a safe zone, i.e., an area where there is material present, to prevent collisions. Upon contact, the height must be blocked, the leading edge leaves the piece and then starts the operation. Then, when it is back in the safe zone, the “height control” feature is enabled once again. In the case of trailing edges, the “height control” feature must be disabled at a safe distance from the edge to prevent the cutting head from falling.

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innovation

David Escudero Software Engineer

Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) Cyber Physical Systems (CPS) represents the integration between the computing world and the physical elements that surround us. The addition of tiny Wi-Fi devices, or sensors, such as GPS, gyroscopes or accelerometers, to these physical elements makes it possible to connect them to networks that monitor, track, and feed them with precise information in real time. This in turn causes a response that can modify other processes or physical elements connected to the same network, or even allow the physical elements to make their own, smart decisions. Growing automation of the car, aerospace, and medical industries increasingly requires the use of this technology and this is even true for our everyday lives.

Some of these sensors are found in objects as common as our Smartphones. Thanks to the number of sensors they contain, they can monitor our daily activities and detect the pressure we apply to the screen or the speed at which we shake the terminal.

One highly popular application based on this technology is Apple’s HealthKit app, that can keep track of the number of steps we take when walking or indicate total distance traveled just by having our iPhones in our pockets.

This technology is present in companies such as “MyMuesli”, which is a producer of cereal bars with various ingredients. Through their website, users can choose the ingredients, as well as their proportions, to create their own cereals from a total of 80 options.

Eighty ingredients results in infinite customization possibilities, which increases the range of customers served and, in turn, profitability. How does it work?

The process for obtaining the customized cereal does not involve “telling” each of the 80 existing dispensing machines (one per ingredient) how much product they should release; but rather, the product being put together “passes by” each machine, as if it were traveling in a taxi, asking for the required amount of the product. It is the product that communicates with the machine. This automated production methodology makes an easy task out of adding new ingredients.

Now, let’s transfer this new technology to our factories... Why should we tell the machine what to do? Maybe we could wait for the machine to talk to us, communicate with us, and tell us that it is free; let it manage its work queue by itself or calculate the date on which production will finish. It could tell the maintenance company that there is a failure or that one of the components is worn out and needs replacement. One machine could communicate with the next machine in line and so on. Going

one step further, one of the parts could contain the information needed for the operation required (cutting, folding and painting), and the machine would be able to communicate with that part and understand that information and would then be able to communicate with all other machines involved in the manufacturing process.

All of this is just the beginning of the 4th industrial revolution. It is time to let our imaginations soar!

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news At Fabtech 2014 Lantek shows the way for integrated sheet metal manufacturing

Fabtech is North America’s largest metal forming, fabricating, welding, and finishing event making it the ideal venue for Lantek to exhibit its full range of software for the industry.

Lantek solutions enable companies to manage all of their sheet metal manufacturing operational requirements.

These include: the creation of quotations, customer relationship management, CNC programming of laser, plasma, waterjet and punching machines, production control with live reporting, as well as quality and traceability management, stock control, purchasing, and invoicing.

Integration of the modules and the ability to link them to the customer’s existing software makes it possible for companies to make the most of their existing systems while getting the benefits of Lantek’s software. Lantek software has been designed for sheet metal manufacture and draws on many years of experience within the industry, where the company has more than 15,000 customers.

The Lantek Expert CAD/CAM and Lantek Manager software imports designs directly from leading CAD systems. It then integrates production requirements, sorting out material types and thicknesses, into its automatic nesting packages. This enables users to work dynamically as customer requirements change while, at the same time, optimizing material utilization.

The automatically generated CNC programs for cutting machines include advanced features, such as common

line cutting, to save machine travel and material, automatic handling mechanisms, sheet turning and form tools. This enables companies to speed up manufacture and reduce costs.

Information about costs and manufacturing times are accessed from within the system making it possible to generate accurate, competitive quotations extremely quickly. Customer relationship management keeps track of customer records and sales performance. During production, Lantek Wos and Lantek Workshop Capture provide live feedback of what is happening in the shop.

The available data tracks all types of operations including: laser cutting, forming, welding, painting, and assembly, ensuring shortages are replaced, discrepancies in manufacturing times reported and parts are delivered on time. The information available to managers enables them to ensure customer satisfaction, keep track of costs, and maintain quality levels.

By controlling every aspect of manufacture, the Lantek solution minimizes administration and links the operation of the business into one entity improving the efficiency of all resources. The result is an agile and responsive manufacturing organization able to meet its customers’ needs effectively and profitably.

case studies Lantek, agility and transparency in sheet metal at Oxymax Oxymax, part of the Prevision group, has been manufacturing products for the agricultural, power generation, automotive and construction industries since 2001 from its base in Sizun in Brittany, north west France. The company has 11 CNC machines including laser, waterjet, oxy-fuel and punching, enabling it to process high volumes, around 25 tonnes per day, of material such as stainless steel, aluminium and steel up to 200mm thick. Its equipment and skills allow it to deliver complex completed assemblies of components such as shipping containers and excavator buckets.

To achieve control and traceability for its dynamic production environment, Oxymax relies heavily on Lantek software with Lantek Expert, Lantek Manager, Lantek Wos, Lantek Workshop Capture, Lantek Integra and the customised ERP integration with Oxymax’s Sage ERP software. Working on a three shift system and generating around 100 quotations and processing 50 orders every day, the task of ensuring parts are delivered on time, to the right quality and at the planned cost is complex, so the software, supplied by Lantek, which keep track of events as they happen and offers transparency and traceability for managers is an essential part of the business.

M. Gueguen, Production Manager of Oxymax: “We work in three shifts; make about 100 quotations and process 50 orders a day. To guarantee that parts are delivered on time, with good quality and for the agreed price is a rather complicated task. The software provided by Lantek monitors the sequence of events and affords certain transparency and traceability to directors, which is a key element of our business.”

Starting with customer relationship management, new enquiries are examined to see if they are repeat orders or new products. Historical costing information, bought in item costs and material costs are held within the Lantek software. For new parts CAD and CAM come together to import designs, check for special requirements and calculate cutting times, making it quick and easy to arrive at a competitive quotation.

rolling, welding and painting ensuring that the complete manufacturing cycle is traced from start to end. Finally, finished products are grouped together for delivery with the necessary delivery notes, invoices and quality approvals, sharing this information with the company’s Sage system to close the management and accounting loop.

Once the quotation has been accepted, using Lantek Manager and Lantek Expert, Oxymax’s engineers can check the workload and nest parts according to material type, thickness, and delivery priority. As production starts, Lantek Workshop Capture traces parts as they progress around the factory in real time, while, with Lantek Wos, components can be expedited and shortages remade as necessary, fitting them into the existing production schedule. This technology covers both the cutting operations and all the subsequent tasks such as bending,

The continuous feedback of information and changes enables the company to operate in a highly dynamic and agile way. Transparency and traceability are key requirements as is the ability to track customer relationships and profitability for each job. With the information gathered

by Lantek, managers can monitor the efficiency of each process enabling it to make facts based decisions, thereby making the most of its machinery and human resources, minimising material wastage and ensuring on-time delivery and customer satisfaction.

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services

Lantek Hint

- Lantek Manager

Did you know that… from Lantek Manager you can access quotation items so that the parts added to a quote can be reviewed by the technical office without the need to open that quote in Lantek Integra? There’s more.. the Drawing module enables the drawing of various parts at the same time and changing their status to “Verified” to keep track of the parts that have already been reviewed. This new link can be found on the left menu of the Lantek Manager home page.

If you would like to find out more tips, send us an email at: marketing@lanteksms.com

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facts Machines

LVD Strippit-PX

More than just a punch press. Punch, form, tap and bend, all on one machine.

• High hit rates of up to 505 HPM at 25 mm pitch • Advanced forming capabilities, bend flanges up to 75 mm high • 20 tool stations accepting tools up to 90 mm in diameter, up to 200 tools with use of indexable Multi-Tools • Single punch head design for increased flexibility • 200 kN configuration • ERS – Energy Reduction System reduces energy consumption by up to 15% • Finished part accuracy of +/- 0,1 mm with repeatability of +/- 0,05 mm over the entire table • Programmable and relocatable work clamps • Programmable parts chute • Smart Stroke automatically optimizes the ram stroke • Smart Clamp adjusts the no-punch zone in relation to the tool size to ensure the smallest possible no-punch zone • PC-based Fanuc CNC control • Parts chute • Modular automation options

Fairs

BLECHEXPO 2015 NOVEMBER 03-06 STUTTGART - GERMANY

Stand Out from the Crowd!

info@lanteksms.com

Lantek unifies its comprehensive solutions for the metal industry under the distinctive Lantek Factory label, allowing companies to stand out amongst the competition and optimize their costs while increasing profitability. This concept helps interconnect all departments within the company for effective cooperation in decision-making.

It is a complete software solution for each area of the business that demonstrates the key factors for success.

www.lanteksms.com