Pairing software with high-quality laser technology creates new opportunities for job shops
Above: Han’s Laser’s tube laser can process channel steel, H shape-tubes, bar section and other special shaped tubes.
Pairing software with high-quality laser technology creates new opportunities for job shops.
September 2022- One of Deloitt e’s top five manufacturing industry trends to watch is acceleration in digital technology adoption. “Manufacturers that are looking to capture growth and protect long-term profitability should embrace digital capabilities from corporate functions to the factory floor,” write analysts at the consultancy. “Smart factories, including greenfield and brownfield investments for many manufacturers, are viewed as one of the keys to driving competitiveness. More organizations are making progress and seeing results from more connected, reliable, efficient and predictive processes at the plant. Emerging and evolving use cases can continue to scale up from isolated inhouse technology projects to full production lines or factories.”
High precision, high rotation, high torque and large inertia ensure speed and acceleration.
Once reserved for OEM operations with low mix and high volume (LMHV), investment in laser cutting equipment, including specialized lasers for tubular products, has now trickled down to high mix, low volume at the contract manufacturer and service center level, says Anupam Chakraborty, commercial director for Lantek Systems Inc., Mason, Ohio. “OEMs with LMHV runs tend to program the machine once and run it many times, so software doesn’t play as critical of a role. Contract manufacturers have a different mix of parts every day, making programming a very important component both at the machine level and integrating MES systems on top of it to provide visibility on and off the shop floor.”
Lantek’s Flex3d Tubes allows 3D design to be simple and intuitive, providing a true vision of the resulting design profile.
PARTNERSHIP
Lantek called upon its experience creating programming systems for sheet metal cutting, punching and bending to develop a product specifically aimed at laser tube cutting. The result, Flex3d Tubes, is a CAD/ CAM software system for designing, nesting and cutting tubes and pipes that integrates with various tubular geometry importers, such as SAT and IGES. It allows the user to view the design profile and make changes from previous operations and then simulate tube nesting and the cutting head’s path.
One of Lantek’s OEM partners, Han’s Laser Technology Group Co. Ltd., founded in Shenzhen, China, in 1996, has discovered that pairing its machines with Lantek’s soft ware is helping customers achieve loft y productivity goals. Han’s Laser produces more than 200 machine models, including laser marking, laser welding, laser cutting and sub-surface engraving equipment.
“Our goal is to make stable, high-performance machines and to provide great service,” says Meng Shixuan, who leads Han’s laser sheet metal cutting division in North America. Our equipment is fast, accurate and we have one of the highest returns on investment in the market.”
Tube laser users have been able to eliminate a lot of extra processes, such as manually punching or sawing, once implementing Flex3d Tubes, says Shixuan. In addition, he notes, they “have much better accuracy. We have some customers that are using Lantek products with fl at-sheet lasers, but it really stands out on the tube laser. We have some customers with no experience cutting tube who pick it up within a day and are programming parts.”
“You don’t need a lot of manpower to program and produce the parts,” notes Chakraborty, with Shixuan adding that “customers can produce more jobs in less time with fewer operators.”
“The latest upgrade for Flex3d provides the option to create your own cross-sectional profile, and it also supports complex geometries, considering the curvature and the angle,” such as for a bevel. “These capabilities enhance the laser machines’ fast and accurate cutting,” says Chakraborty.
Tab and Slot LLC, Isanti, Minnesota, makes weld tables and fixtures and also does contract manufacturing. The company recently invested in Han’s tube cutting laser machine along with Lantek’s Flex3D tube software. “The tube laser has given us the capability to take on overflow jobs from a major specialty steel service center in the Midwest,” says Dale Pahan, general manager at Tab and Slot, “and the software has given us the ability to handle high-mix, low-volume jobs” very efficiently.
Customers have noted that Lantek’s software “really stands out” on the tube laser, says Meng Shixuan, Han’s Laser.
CONNECTED SHOP
While Flex3d Tubes works to optimize the machine itself, adding a MES system can provide a complete picture of the shop floor, delivering real-time status of parts processing, customer orders, material location and delivery dates.
“Lantek Manager not only imports data from the ERP but also tracks and controls the entire flow, providing visibility and making companies more efficient and competitive,” Chakraborty says.
Lantek’s continued collaboration with OEMs helps spread the word and educate customers on the available options, ensuring the machine they purchase runs at the top of its capabilities. “We try to get involved in the sales and support process to show the customers what they can expect from the soft ware and then train them on it during the implementation.
“Lantek has traditionally grown through partnerships,” continues Chakraborty. “We have more than 100 OEM agreements, supporting companies around the world. We have the capability to create a synergy with the machine manufacturer, and laser is one of our key markets." FFJ
