V45 advances integrated sheet metal production software

V45 is the latest generation of sheet metal manufacturing software from Lantek, introducing AI-supported assistance, deeper system integration, and expanded production planning capabilities for digitally connected workshops.

AI-supported assistance across workflows
A central technical addition in V45 is KAI, a transversal digital assistant embedded across multiple Lantek applications. Rather than operating as a standalone tool, KAI is integrated into daily production workflows, where it supports task execution, decision consistency, and process standardisation. By operating across design, programming, and production stages, the assistant contributes to reduced operator variability and improved repeatability in digitally managed sheet metal environments.

End-to-end data continuity from design to production
V45 extends interoperability across cutting, bending, MES, and ERP environments by enabling Lantek Bend to exchange data directly with upstream and downstream systems. This continuous data flow reduces manual handovers between departments and improves traceability from CAD design through final part production. For manufacturers operating a digital supply chain, this integration addresses common sources of production delay such as version conflicts, incomplete routing data, and disconnected planning systems.

Programming efficiency and machine compatibility
Updates to Lantek Expert and Stackmaster expand compatibility with additional lift devices and strengthen interoperability with external systems. These changes reduce programming overhead and improve alignment between offline programming and shop floor execution. By shortening programming cycles and supporting a wider range of handling equipment, V45 supports more predictable production scheduling and cost control.

Manufacturing execution and shop floor visibility
The latest iteration of Lantek’s MES introduces a web-based interface designed to improve visibility into delivery commitments, resource allocation, and shop floor constraints. Enhanced intermediate warehouse management functions and expanded machine connectivity allow integration of heterogeneous equipment fleets. This approach enables real-time monitoring of bottlenecks and supports faster response to changing production conditions within an automotive data ecosystem or similarly complex manufacturing environments.

Assembly-driven nesting and structural workflows
V45 builds on earlier Assembly to Nesting (A2N) functionality with improved usability and higher unfolding accuracy derived from bending tool data. This enables a more direct transition from 3D assemblies to cutting operations, reducing geometric errors and rework. In parallel, Flex3D now connects natively to StruMIS and integrates with TELKA, supporting structural fabrication workflows that require coordination between sheet metal and steel construction processes.

Material utilisation and cost estimation
An updated nesting engine within V45 improves material utilisation through tighter optimisation algorithms, contributing to measurable reductions in scrap. In parallel, enhancements to iQuoting link quotation processes with CAD/CAM, MES, and ERP data sources. This allows cost estimates to be generated using current production parameters and capacity data, improving margin predictability and cross-departmental alignment without manual recalculation.

Technical positioning
V45 consolidates AI-supported assistance, integrated planning, and production transparency into a single software generation. Rather than introducing isolated functions, the release focuses on connecting design, programming, execution, and costing through shared data models and system interoperability, addressing persistent coordination challenges in modern sheet metal manufacturing operations.

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