Lantek (ww.lantek.com) — the multi-national pioneer in the digital transformation of the sheet metal and fabrication sector — has announced a collaboration agreement with the Italian company Euromac, which is a world-wide supplier of machines for working with sheet metal (these include CNC punches, benders and automated systems).

Following this agreement, control of the “sorting cell” and programming of a Kuka KR 10 robot is undertaken by two Lantek solutions: Lantek Expert Punch-Plus; and Lantek Stackmaster, which automates the unloading of parts and their subsequent palletisation and storage.

The Lantek solutions start with programming the CNC punch. During the punching process, the machine ejects/unloads the parts through a hatch onto a conveyer belt, then to an AI vision table where a camera detects the orientation of the part.

The Lantek software uses this information about the shape and orientation of the part to control the positioning of the robot’s suction cups and activate them to pick up the part. The robot finishes by rotating the part and placing it in the correct location on the storage pallet.

Francisco Pérez, director of the ‘OEMs channel’ at Lantek, said: “The close collaboration between Euromac and Lantek is a significant step towards the full process automation of punching lines and the subsequent palletisation of the parts, using ‘state of the art’ technology such as artificial vision systems and robots.

“This technology maximises production speed and flexibility and improves workers’ conditions and safety.”