In Thailand, Lantek is making the manufacture of steel structures considerably easier for Ajikawa & SCI Metal Tech. Based in Bangkok, the company manufactures masts and towers for power transmission lines up to around 500kV and for telecoms applications up to around 120m tall. In addition, Ajikawa & SCI also produce general structures for solar power farms, bridges and wind turbines.
Originally, the company purchased Lantek software several years ago to program its PROArc plasma cutting machine, but it did not realise how versatile the software was until Lantek’s local agent KSB3 Machine demonstrated the latest Lantek Expert Cut software and the Lantek Flex3d Steelwork software. Sanpetch Tiyaekapun, Section Manager at Ajikawa & SCI, says, “Our old software was DOS based and was slow and difficult to use. We are impressed by how fast and simple to operate the new system is. Furthermore, we can use it to program our other machines too.”
Currently the company has marking punching and shearing lines, marking drilling and shearing lines, and plate drilling machines, which can all be programmed with Lantek Flex3d Steelwork. In addition, it has plasma cutters, oxy gas cutters, one plate punching machine and punching and marking machines, which are all programmed with Lantek Expert.
With both Lantek systems, parts can be nested to deliver maximum material utilization. Lantek Flex3d Steelwork can then program drilling, tapping, sawing, marking and plasma cutting operations including 5 and 6-axis bevel cutting operations. Simulation avoids the possibility of a collision and tool path modification commands give absolute control for an optimised CNC program.
With Lantek Expert, designs can be imported from CAD, nested and then cut or punched, generating a program that is tailored to the capabilities of each machine tool. Sanpetch Tiyaekapun says, “After completing the installation and training we were immediately using the new software and, within three months, everything we programmed was 100% Lantek. We have been able to reduce the programming effort from four people down to two for each technology and the processing time is greatly reduced.”
He continues, “As well as easier and faster programming, workload allocation to each machine is now more efficient as this can now be done in the office rather than on the shop floor. In addition, we can produce a productivity report. Our aim is to extend this capability to enable us to further monitor our workflow.”
Currently, Ajikawa & SCI is developing its programming and productivity monitoring capabilities and it anticipates that this will deliver worthwhile savings. Already it can see that the Lantek software will enable it to minimize scrap rates. However, an immediate benefit is Lantek’s ability to work with numerous different CAD files. Sanpetch Tiyaekapun says, “We use many different design systems including IUE, BOCAD and TEKLA. We can select whichever one we want to use and exchange files with Lantek without a problem. With Lantek we can control design, engineering and production at the same time and can select other systems in the future, knowing that they will all integrate. Would I recommend Lantek? Absolutely, yes.”
