Above: Integra is designed to help fabricators with the quoting aspect of their business and dovetails nicely with Lantek’s MES software
August, 2025- When a customer invests $1 million in a piece of equipment, they want to make the right software decision to optimize this equipment to the best of its capabilities,” states Jason Degraeve, regional sales manager for software provider Lantek Systems. Degraeve steers metal fabricators to a suite of Lantek software solutions: MES and Integra. When working in tandem, these two suites deliver a full range of software from manufacturing execution systems (MES) to quoting and ERP (Integra).
“There is a lot of uncertainty in today’s business environment,” notes Anupam Chakraborty, Lantek’s commercial director, referring to a dynamic tide of tariffs on foreign goods, including metals. He says fabricators are looking for tools to help them plan their business, despite these changes. “Customers want to be able to better forecast purchases with suppliers, streamline production planning and more accurately quote new projects,” adds Edward Manderson, Lantek regional sales manager.
The software suites also help fabricators navigate the tight labor market. “With Integra, customers can eliminate spreadsheets and tribal knowledge from the quoting process. A new employee can prepare a project quote and track its status by using a single database,” says Degraeve.
WHEN TOO MUCH IS NOT ENOUGH
In the past several years, a myriad of soft ware tools has been introduced to the manufacturing market. “Having too many tools, each focused on just one aspect of manufacturing, can be a bad thing,” advises Chakraborty, referring to nesting, ERP and inventory management software, to list a few. Lantek software minimizes double entry of information, streamlines communications and enhances data analytics through two products: MES and Integra.
Founded in 1986, Lantek has grown into a global software company providing CAD/CAM/MES/ERP software. These products are designed specifically for sheet metal fabrication. “We understand the ins and outs of our customers’ businesses,” asserts Manderson. For example, a generic MES suite may not integrate with nesting functions, while software designed with the end user in mind can offer more efficiencies with less customizing required.
“Lantek also works with many machine builders and distributors, offering readymade solutions that make it easier for end users to adopt and use effectively,” Degraeve adds. The Lantek software is suitable for sheet fabrication, as well as for customers working in metal plate, tubes and beams. The MES so ware can also manage both 2D and 3D manufacturing assemblies
Lantek’s MES Manager directs the execution of all manufacturing processes on the shop fl oor— from launching work orders to fi nishing the product.
MES
Lantek’s MES Manager gives users a complete software solution that directs the execution of all manufacturing processes on the shop floor, from launching work orders to finishing the product. MES Manager integrates with Lantek’s 2D and 3D CAD/CAM solutions. With MES Manager a user can check, in real time, the status of any fabrication project. The status of the project whether in stand-by, nesting, processing or finishing this conveyed through easy-to-read graphics.
MES Manager also helps leadership monitor work volume so that shop floor resources, like equipment and employees, can be optimized. “MES Manager can provide daily reports, giving leadership an overview of operations at one time even for multiple locations. This insight allows leadership to pivot quickly, if needed, to get parts out on time,” says Degraeve. He also notes that users can drill down to see the exact status of a project; for example, not just that it’s at the laser cutter, but what portion of the job has been cut.
For complex jobs, the user can import the full assembly CAD and let the software take over. MES will break down the assembly into the various subassemblies and structural components for the project. “The software will determine whether That routing or tube routing, for example, is required. Everything is mapped out in the software,” explains Chakraborty.
Lantek software is ideal for sheet, metal plate, tube and beam fabrication customers.
INTEGRA
While the MES suite addresses the manufacturing side of a business, Integra assists in managing the quoting aspect. Lantek’s Integra suite was built to dovetail with its MES software for seamless transfer from a job that is out for bid to a live project.
When an estimate is prepared using iQuoting (part of the Integra suite), there is no need to reenter any of the project information once the customer issues a purchase order. All the user needs to do is click the button that converts the quote to an order, and the data (3D drawings, subassembly details, nesting plans, etc.) automatically transfers into the MES software.
iQuoting is cloud-based, so the software connects directly to purchasing and inventory information. The software will send an alert if a material order needs to be placed for a special grade or unique dimension. “After the project is released to production—now it’s in MES—the user gets an overall view. They can see where loads will be on specific dates to anticipate if there will be high demand for a laser or bending machine,” notes Chakraborty. With this knowledge, plant management can visualize load balancing, giving them time to dispatch adjustments if needed.
CLOSE TO THE CUSTOMER
A hallmark of Lantek is a philosophy of being close to customers. In 1998, the company commenced operations in the U.S., subsequently opening an office outside Cincinnati. The goal was to be in proximity to—and better serve—North American customers. Both Manderson and Degraeve are on the road at least one week each month, visiting with customers. “There is a lot of value in meeting face-to-face that makes people feel comfortable. We also see broad regional differences in our customer base when we have boots on the ground,” reports Manderson, who is based in Houston.
“Seeing the shop floor and the flow of their workspace adds tremendous value as well,” says Degraeve, who sees a lot of combo machines when visiting customers in the Northeast. “We also have local technical support to help our customers.”
Insights into regional differences with customers also inform Lantek’s product design. “Being close to the customer helps us get early feedback from the users, which helps us deliver a better user experience,” reports Chakraborty, who accompanies his sales team on the occasional customer visit, during which he underscores the value of the full bounty that Lantek software suites offer. “Sheet metal fabrication is a highly complicated process—one we know well. There are better tools, like MES and Integra, to help users streamline the process and become more profitable,” says Chakraborty.
Lantek Systems Inc., 877/805-1028, http://www.lantek.com/
