link
Cloud Solutions
Latest News, Product Innovations, Fairs and much more
OCTOBER 2018
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index
LANTEK LINK is the magazine of Lantek Sheet Metal Solutions
COVER Anonymous
LANTEK MARKETING TEAM Diana Sánchez Patricia Ruiz de Sabando Enrique Paramá Editors Juan José Colás Head of Global Sales & Marketing
03
EDITORIAL
04
MAIN TOPIC
06
SOLUTIONS
08
INTERVIEWS
10
TECHNOLOGIES
11
INNOVATION
12
NEWS
PARTNERS
Joint development of a solution for the identification of parts
13
Bosch Rexroth integrates Lantek Expert Inside into their MTX CNC System
14
SERVICES
15
FACTS
Cloud Solutions in industrial plants
Adaptable requirements management
The Cloud: advantages of use in the industrial world
Alberto López de Biñaspre, Lantek’s Managing Director
SUBSCRIPTIONS Marketing Department marketing@lanteksms.com
Lantek WEM: the new way of managing production in the workshop
Lantek Services Lantek Hint: Lantek Analytics
Sherlock, the safe path to the cloud
Fairs
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editorial
I
Cloud Solutions in industrial plants
n today’s world, one of the few sectors which cloud computing has not penetrated on a large scale is in industrial plants. Many companies are still wary of a remote platform which operates from outside their facilities, despite its undeniable success in other economic sectors and the tremendous advantages it offers. Of course, the Digital Transformation of industrial companies is changing this dynamic, because data capture devices and software tools are becoming more interconnected. The need for computers to relate and obtain valuable information that facilitates decision making is increasing every day, and access to this information is no longer reduced to a personal computer in an office, but to multiple devices. In this context, companies are turning to cloud computing because of all the advantages it offers: an immediate increase in computing capacity, no hardware or software obsolescence, no need for investment in fixed assets, no costs of excess capacity, no need to increase the number of specialized technicians, and the peace of mind offered by advances in security and multi-location which ensure that corporate data is more secure than on a company’s own servers, among other benefits. All these points are essential competitive advantages in a hypercompetitive world. Therefore, the most important cloud platforms (Azure by Microsoft, AWS by Amazon and Cloud Platform by Google) are growing exponentially and many industrial companies are going to take this step in the coming years. Digital competitiveness will be the fundamental factor in the survival of many companies. In this issue we will talk about cloud security, services and applications. Welcome to the new reality.
Juan José Colás Head of Global Sales & Marketing
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main topic
Carlos GarcĂa R&D Director
The Cloud: advantages of use in the industrial world While the terms cloud and cloud computing are more widely understood, especially by our company IT teams, the advantages offered by this model are not so well-known. There is also a sense of wariness when entering this world. The fear of a security breach that might affect the corporate data stored in it and availability and continuity of service are the main obstacles. The cloud offers many advantages and appropriately resolves the main obstacles and fears that its use once entailed. Committing to a cloud solution reduces service implementation times and costs, ensuring a low total cost of ownership (TCO). The investment required to implement a cloud service is usually low. The service can be ready in a matter of minutes. There are usually periods of use in free trial mode with no obligation to continue the service. Likewise, the service can also be cancelled quickly and simply. It can be ordered and cancelled with a few clicks. Acquiring and updating hardware (servers, firewalls, etc.) is not necessary, and therefore resources do not need to be dedicated to maintaining and configuring them. The cloud service provider is the one responsible for these tasks, allowing us to focus our resources on implementing the company’s strategy. With a traditional solution, where prior consulting and acquiring and maintaining hardware are often required, time and costs skyrocket. Clear differences can also be noted when comparing the pricing of the two models. While user/month,
user/year, and per-use billing plans are common on the cloud, the user license model is standard for traditional solutions. Maintenance fees are common with traditional solutions, while the cloud is updated transparently and free of charge. Security: challenge successfully completed Security is also a very important aspect to be considered. Nowadays, cloud services offer high security levels as they are crucial for service users. Cloud services allow for continuous and transparent updates of protocol and protection layers used by the platform that supports the service. There are often SLAs (Service Level Agreement) with excellent conditions available for the cloud. We commonly find SLAs with terms of availability close to 100%. Flexibility is another characteristic to be considered. The cloud offers a great deal of flexibility when adding or cancelling new modules/ services with module-level pricing policies. This is undoubtedly a plus when considering which solution is best. Cloud solutions also allow data to be accessed at any time from an internet connected device. Cloud services are normally hosted by cloud platform providers that offer physical redundancy, allowing for recovery in the event of natural disaster or power outage, so that the service is available even in extremely adverse conditions. Cloud services also entail uniqueness in data storage. This ensures there is a single copy of
The cloud already offers very high levels of security. Cloud services allow for continuous and transparent updates of the protocols and protection layers used by the platform that supports the service the data, preventing users from accessing different and potentially obsolete versions of the information thereby making data loss prevention easier. Finally, for those of us committed to sustainability and the environment, cloud solutions offer a smaller carbon footprint than traditional solutions. Microsoft, Amazon, Google, IBM, Oracle, Alibaba and other leading providers of cloud platforms are investing astronomical amounts of money, to the tune of billions of dollars, allowing cloud service providers to offer solutions with a great deal of added value at a lower price. Furthermore, leading consulting firms estimate that ICT investment in cloud services will be around four billion dollars in 2018. In industrial environments where production is critical, cloud services should be supplemented by solutions that ensure the continuity of critical services under any circumstance. Consequently, developing hybrid architectures that meet these needs is imperative.
Lantek is decidedly committed to the cloud and is aware of the criticality that industrial processes have in our sector. The new cloud services offered by Lantek incorporate all of the experience we’ve gained over many years in the sector, while offering all the advantages afforded to us by this new world.
In industrial environments where production is critical, hybrid architectures are required to ensure the continuity of critical services under any circumstance
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solutions
Jesús Martínez Director of Global Project Office
Adaptable requirements management Defining the scope of digital transformation as a critical success factor. The digital transformation process brings with it a lot of uncertainty. How do I know what tasks and changes I need to carry out in my organization to transform it? It’s impossible to know beforehand. How do I know where I will end up in my transformation process once it is finished? It’s impossible to have a clear idea at the beginning. I know where I’m coming from, what my problems are, and I believe that this transformation, which is a disruptive process, will help me discover a new way to succeed in my business. Lantek faces these situations on a daily basis. Managers are eager to improve, but with an incomplete and sometimes blurred map of their business. Users and area managers who have detected lots of flaws, but without the 360º view that allows them to fit these into that map.
our disposal. Most importantly, we must manage their progress during the transformation.
Controlling the scope of the digital transformation project is a crucial exercise for achieving the set objectives and for satisfying the expectations of all the actors involved in the process The necessary steps towards transformation
Moreover, during the course of the transformation project, a lot of new discoveries are made as a result of the possibilities offered by the new systems and processes of our changing company. Sometimes, in the last phases of the process, key elements come to light that were not clearly defined at the beginning since they were seen as unfeasible and which, in the light of new capabilities, become elements that can take the transformation to an even higher level.
Below are some of the elements that we must define beforehand and that we will adapt on the go as we discover the effects of the transformation on our business:
On the other side, something which often occurs during these processes is that the person in charge of deciding and supervising the acquisition of the solution required to undertake the transformation wants to have a clear scenario, with very defined milestones that are clearly linked to any outlays, which can sometimes be significant, that these processes entail.
• It is essential as a first approach to determine the expectations we have regarding the future scenario. Without knowing if they will ultimately be achievable or if they are even reasonable, we must define them with the highest possible level of detail. During the transformation project, we will compare the objectives we see as achievable with these expectations and we will have to adapt them little by little to ensure they are as realistic as possible.
It is essential that we accurately define both the requirements and their degree of uncertainty at each moment of the transformation project. We must also define our expectations of the future and their realistic alignment with the resources at
• To begin, we will take a decision on the approach to transformation, whether it be iterative or incremental, depending on the dependency detected among the different areas of the company and the degree of uncertainty about the final destination of the transformation.
• Once the scope of the transformation is outlined, we will describe the current situation, with all the elements involved and their effect
on our operations, both positive and negative. On this foundation, we will begin to build the transformation. We will define the minimum requirements of the end goal, making any assumptions that may be necessary as a result of unknown factors in order to make progress with the definition. We must also select the procedures that we will use to verify and validate that the desired transformation has come to fruition. • Having defined the requirements, we must decide if changes will be allowed during the execution of the transformation project or if they should be postponed for subsequent iterations or increments. Reducing the uncertainty as the project progresses is vital for its success and adding new requirements, especially towards the end of the project, can significantly prolong and delay the verification, validation and start-up phases. If changes are to be permitted during the project, its essential that they be properly managed.
• Finally, once the planned activities are concluded, we will verify that the results obtained are those that were specified and that the transformation objectives are in line with the scenario that we initially decided upon. This will be the starting point for a new iteration or increment that takes us a little further in our digital transformation. Controlling the scope of the digital transformation project is a crucial exercise for achieving both success in terms of meeting the set objectives and satisfying the expectations of all the actors involved in the process. All the parties involved need to understand the importance of this aspect and understand that this kind of adaptability is necessary, even though it may seem very demanding, as the only way to achieve the desired digital transformation of our sheet metal cutting industry.
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interviews
Alberto López de Biñaspre CEO of Lantek
“We will only make progress together” Alberto López de Biñaspre has been Lantek’s new Managing Director since mid-August. Born in Bilbao, over the last 16 years he has led working teams all over the world. He now wants to apply this experience to Lantek’s continued development. Whoever reads his CV has the feeling he’s at home all over the world. This is something I find easy to understand. An inner urge, also referred to as “wanderlust” in the English-speaking world, has led to me discovering 43 countries thanks to travelling and my professional activity. I speak four languages: German, English, French and Spanish. This provides me with quick access to countries and their people. You come from General Electric. What excites you about Lantek and sheet metal processing? For me there are two decisive factors. On the one hand, Lantek is an excellently positioned company, active on a global platform. On the other, the company has dedicated itself to the digitization of firms in sheet metal processing. Not least from my time at General Electric I bring diverse experience for both; to create and lead international teams and to develop industrial companies from being a product provider to a provider of solutions. That is quite independent from the sector for which we at Lantek do indeed have our experts. Where should Lantek’s journey head? First of all, we should be grateful for the last 30 years, during which Lantek has established itself in the sector as an expert for advanced production solutions - far beyond the traditional CAD/CAM functions. Much more than this, we offer sheet metal processing a variety of applications and analytical tools within an individually adaptable framework. The sector must now confront the challenges and opportunities of the fourth industrial revolution. We refer to it quite clearly as a revolution. For example: companies are required to do much more than adopt minor changes. They must make fundamental changes as well. The reward includes
improved understanding of the customer, in turn reaching greater competitiveness and an increase in profitability and productivity, which reduces costs whilst increasing growth and profit. To this end, each company must find the path bestsuited to them. Along this path, a strong partner is required with an open, cutting-edge technical platform which enables cooperation and a joint vision. We want to be this strong partner. Not just by offering the company our advanced software and extensive services, but also by developing solutions for their specific challenges side-by-side with them.
Anyone who joins the path to digital transformation and initiates the required, fundamental changes in the company to do so, will quickly reap the rewards Which prerequisites must be met? In any case, we must continue along our own path to digitization and, to do so, obtain, support and retain the best possible talent in a wide variety of disciplines and skills. At the same time, we must also continue to stay very close to the sector. We must monitor its development and provide the company with the exact resources they require for their own path to digital transformation. The objective is to ensure that they can prepare and understand the extensive production and
customer data, which exist anyway, to the extent that a real added value results: processes in harmony with each other in management and production for increased efficiency, excellent service and, ultimately, satisfied customers. Which guiding principles will be at the heart of your work? One of my favorite quotes from PayPal CEO Dan Schulman is, “The biggest impediment to a company’s future success is its past success.” We cannot, and should not, have the satisfaction of merely accepting what we have achieved up to now, even if it amounts to a lot. The key to success resides in good employee development, taking care of the corporate culture and supporting a highperforming team. After all, we will only make progress together. Personally speaking, I continue to train and develop myself constantly. This is something I encourage my teams to do and I also expect it from them. Please finish the following statements: Lantek is... best placed to continue acting as a strong partner company worldwide and to accompany all key players through the digital transformation. Digitization can... horizontally and vertically link machines, systems, processes and data management in the business for a more efficient, advanced production and coordinated processes which turn plants into Smart Factories. Sheet metal processing... currently finds itself at a crossroads. Anyone who refuses to join the fourth industrial revolution will hardly survive. Anyone who believes that digitization is only a trend and doesn’t quickly make a move, will react too late. However, anyone who joins the path to digital transformation and initiates the required, fundamental changes in the company to do so, will quickly reap the rewards. Such companies will be able to analyze and understand their data more easily through the digital linking of processes and therefore make better decisions on competitiveness and growth.
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technologies
José Antonio Lorenzo Software Development Engineer
Lantek WEM: the new way of managing production in the workshop
A typical sheet metal workshop can process dozens of orders daily, which translates into hundreds of operations on different machines and work centers. Managing such a large production volume is not a trivial matter. The production flow is usually interrupted due to problems such as unscheduled machine shutdowns, incidents related to internal logistics, conflicts in planning, and so on. One of the main tasks of the workshop manager is to ensure the necessary conditions to achieve maximum efficiency. For this, they need to have a tool that allows them to manage production and its problems as a whole, in the simplest and fastest way possible. Lantek WEM is the tool designed to fulfill this need. Workshop Execution Manager (WEM) is a new application that allows real-time visualization of production status and the handling of any problems that may arise, all in a visual, extremely easy and agile way. WEM achieves its objective by offering different views for monitoring production and the resources associated with it: • The resources view shows production associated with each machine in a Gantt chart displaying basic information on each task to be executed. You can check its status, degree of progress, whether it is delayed with respect to what was planned, and other information of interest in an interactive graph. • The orders view offers similar features to the resources view but focuses on production orders.
Searching for an order and checking its status, viewing its production route and even making changes to its planning are just some examples of the features it offers. • The work centers view allows you to check the real-time status of each machine, what order it is executing, its recent production history, causes of stoppages, OEE and even the machine’s schedule, allowing you to configure exceptions. In addition, WEM is integrated with other Lantek products, such as Workshop Radar and inventory solutions, which allows you to see whether the material needed for the order is available and its location. WEM can be used on a desktop computer, though it is designed for use on a tablet and even on a mobile device. This allows the workshop manager to monitor the status of production and receive notifications about machine alarms, conflicts and production problems at any time and in any place. In short, Lantek WEM is the complete, easy and intuitive tool for the management and monitoring of workshop production. The greater awareness of the production status that it provides, together with real-time information, enables the workshop manager to anticipate possible problems and delays in production and to take the necessary corrective actions. Moreover, being able to see the production in an interactive Gantt chart and balancing the workload between similar machines with a simple drag and drop ensures a better use of resources.
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innovation
Iñigo Hernáez BI and Cloud Solutions Development Engineer
Sherlock, the safe path to the cloud From the plant to the cloud One of the biggest advantages of using cloud-based IT systems is that it allows access to company data from anywhere, at any time and using any device. Until recently this was not possible, since the information was generated, stored and consumed in the work centers. Lantek’s new value proposition is based on cloud solutions and aims to solve this problem. In this new paradigm, information is still mostly generated in the work environments, but now, the storage and consumption of this information is done in the cloud. This synergy between environments is known as a hybrid cloud which requires the local infrastructure and cloud infrastructure to be connected, creating a secure communication channel. Connecting both worlds Sherlock is the solution offered by Lantek for secure data transfer from industrial plants to the cloud. This tool serves as a gateway between local information systems, both those of Lantek and other suppliers, and Lantek applications in the cloud. Sherlock has been developed with the following objectives in mind: • Guarantee the integrity and security of the transported data. • Allow data transfer both in real time and in batches.
• Ensure data retention in the event of communication errors. • Offer flexibility when adding new information sources or destinations. Architecture and operation Sherlock consists of two main tools, Sherlock Secure Connect, which is installed in each of the plants, and Sherlock Cloud, the central node of the cloud. Communication channels are established between the two components for the transfer of data in real time and for periodic batch transfers. Users must install a Sherlock Secure Connect for each plant from which they want to send information, register it in Sherlock Cloud and configure the different data sources. Sherlock can be connected to an ERP/MES like Lantek Integra/ Manager and to different types of machines, sensors, etc. Once configured, the system will take care of all the tasks autonomously. Security, the key to success Doubts and concerns about data security often arise during the digital transformation process, especially when we talk about the cloud. Like the rest of Lantek’s products, Sherlock’s main objective is to secure data on its journey from the plant to the cloud. For this purpose, data encryption techniques, communication isolation, password and user authentication encryption are implemented to guarantee the security and integrity of the information.
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news Joint development of a solution for the identification of parts
“Picking” represents nearly 60 percent of toll manufacturers’ working time. “For employees this means a lot of searching and running around,” according to Christoph Lenhard, Lantek Sales Director for Germany. As such, in cooperation with the company Reichwald + Co. from Siegen, Germany, Lantek is developing a solution to track and identify parts in multi-stage sheet metal processing. Lantek has, for some time, accompanied Reichwald in the digitization process. Moreover, the sheet metal processer is one of two German Beta testers of Lantek Analytics, which will be introduced at EuroBLECH 2018. “Reichwald changed a while ago from orderbased production to a clearly more efficient, partsbased production,” states Lenhard regarding the collaboration. With the help of Lantek’s software, parts of the same quality and/or thickness are combined and nested in such a way that the cutting machines use each piece of sheet metal as efficient as possible and produce as little waste as possible. For sandblasting, the parts are placed in cage pallets and arranged together again to fill
the boxes as efficiently as possible. In shipment, all parts of the order must be reassembled which poses a challenge for picking. “If employees are lucky, a colleague will have applied labels to the parts after sandblasting. Otherwise, with the help of the order, they must find the right parts by using the illustrations, dimensions and weight information,” Lenhard explains. Reichwald wanted the parts to reach the right pallets more quickly with the help of digital support. Questions arising from this request: Have all the parts for an order been manufactured? Where are they? Does a new pallet have to be used for shipment or is there one already? As an answer, Lantek has developed a concept proposal. The options available include offering radio sensors for signal transmission, such as identification via light, augmented reality or geolocation in the plant. “The resources are now available in our Development Department for the project,” says Christoph Lenhard. “It is then adjusted and implemented to the customer’s advantage in close collaboration with Reichwald.”
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partners Bosch Rexroth integrates Lantek Expert Inside into their MTX CNC System A new partnership makes cutting machines even more efficient: Bosch Rexroth, one of the world’s leading providers of drive and control technology, integrates Lantek Expert Inside into their MTX CNC System. The result is presented by Bosch Rexroth at EuroBLECH: a perfect solution for the economic deployment of the most varied contour cutting machines. The MTX by Bosch Rexroth is a powerful CNC system for the control of machine tools based on the most diverse machine concepts. Its advantages include high processing power, the ability to adapt to customer requirements, openness, and extensive communication options. Apart from a powerful CNC control, it is important for machine operators to know how new machine programs can be created efficiently and reliably. For the efficient deployment of contour cutting machines, in particular in CNC programming compatible with workshops, Bosch Rexroth has now entered into a partnership with Lantek; one of the world’s leading providers of machine-dependent CAD/CAM solutions for contour cutting. Lantek Expert Inside nesting software can be seamlessly integrated into the MTX system and build an efficient and reliable bridge to the path ranging from construction data to CNC programming. The software is easy to use via the MTX screen and provides a wide range of functions in the workshop. Operators can import or create cutting contours, manually or automatically nest parts on the sheet metal, define cut strategies, and automatically generate and simulate the CNC programs during machining. Special functions provide information on the machine status, make operation easier and enable the immediate return to the MTX operating
screen at any time. All modules are designed for touchscreen operation. It is possible to use an identical programming environment with a virtual MTX on an office PC. Instead of doing so on the real machine during machining, the processes can be clearly analysed with the help of a 3D simulation. As one of the world’s leading providers of drive and control technology, Bosch Rexroth ensures efficient, powerful and safe movements in machines and systems of any size. The company combines global application experience with market segments for mobile applications, factory automation, and machine and system engineering. Intelligent components, tailor-made system solutions and services create the prerequisites for fully networked applications. More than 30,500 employees in over 80 countries generated a turnover of 5.5 billion euros in 2017.
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services
If you are interested in any of these services, send us your contact info to sales@lanteksms.com and one of our sales representatives will be pleased to give you all the information you need.
Lantek Hint Did you know that...? With Lantek Analytics you can see the OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) indicator at any time, something that is vital in a metal transformation company. It is the main metric that allows you to understand productivity in the manufacturing process by gathering the availability of the work centers, their performance and the quality of the products obtained. With this data, it is then possible to optimize manufacturing processes.
Our tool also allows you to filter this data in a graph based on the time period, the work centers and their technology.
If you would like to find out more tips, send us an email at: marketing@lanteksms.com
Lantek Analytics
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facts Lantek at the latest trade shows
Biehm 2018 (Spain)
Biehm 2018 (Spain)
Biehm 2018 (Spain)
Machtool 2018 (Poland)
Machtool 2018 (Poland)
Next Trade Shows
METALMADRID 2018
EUROBLECH 2018
FABTECH 2018
SEPTEMBER 26-27
OCTOBER 23-26
NOVEMBER 6-8
Madrid SPAIN
Hannover GERMANY
Atlanta EEUU
Metal Digital Transformation?
Metal Digital Transformation is the Lantek’s concept for digitizing and improving all manufacturing and management processes in companies that process sheets, tubes and profiles. Because Lantek’s solutions are modular, companies are able to integrate and optimize each process, monitor in real time everything that happens in their factory, make effective decisions and use the software’s agile tools to execute them. Industry 4.0 is not just a concept - it is a new manufacturing ecosystem where those that best adapt to the disruptive technology changes you will survive and prosper. Will you be one of them?
www.LantekSMS.com | info@lanteksms.com