SHEET HAPPENS II: It is important to know how to draw in Lantek software?

It is possible that you have been limited when importing parts in DXF from third parties for some time and you may wonder if your drawing capabilities are up to scratch. Then, the dreaded “impostor syndrome” sets in and your confidence falls apart! We have all been there and even the most experienced professionals have had doubts about whether their level of drawing capabilities are enough to solve any problem thrown at them.
Therefore, in the following paragraphs, I will describe to you the importance of the Lantek drawing module, I will help you explore the geometric drawing options in part creation, and I will help you analyze the tools and resources available to improve your drawing ability and create part drawings without any limit. At the end of the article, I think you will be able to draw your own conclusions.

What is the Lantek drawing module?

You already know that Lantek is a software for the creation of CNC programs for the manufacture of parts with punching and laser cutting machines but, it is also a complete CAD system, capable of creating any type of part drawing.
It is clear that to program a CNC to cut parts, you first have to have the part geometry created in the database. These pieces can be drawn with any CAD software and can be exported in different formats (DXF, DWG, etc...) ready for later import into Lantek in a simple way... in theory.
And I say, "in theory", because, in reality in a DXF from a third party, which can be from your own designers or from an external customer’s designers, anything can arrive: loose lines, cut contours, auxiliary lines, folding lines, etc, etc... Therefore, when something like this arrives, you will have to clean up the part to make it useable, or even delete and redraw complete parts. For this, Lantek’s drawing module will be your best ally.
Of course, you can also draw a piece from scratch. In fact, for some components, I prefer to draw them directly, without having to import anything from third parties. In this case, the operations and tools in the Lantek drawing module are very similar to those of the most well-known CAD systems.
In the drawing module, within the start menu, you have everything you need to be able to draw any type of part, with the sections for "draw", "modify", "transform", etc. It is important to familiarize yourself with all these tools as soon as possible, so that you can learn enough flexibility, enabling you to address the geometric design, modification or repair of any part that you need to manufacture.
It should be noted that, among the main features of Lantek, is the the option to verify the part. This is very useful when you import a design from a third party, and you find that you cannot correctly program the machining. You may be getting an error, or it may be machining badly. In these cases, most of the time, the problem is in the design geometry, and passing it through the parts verifier will get you out of a lot of trouble, because it will quickly show you where the fault is.

Why is it important to know how to draw?

When I talk about knowing how to draw, I’m not thinking of someone who comes from Fine Arts and who is a born artist. I am thinking of someone with technical training, who has studied drawing in any technical degree or in a higher professional training module in a technical subject.
Technical drawing is more than a skill, it is the fundamental skill you will need to create parts productively and efficiently. In addition, your knowledge when drawing will allow you to experiment with different geometric solutions for the same piece, which can help you improve the quality and functionality of your pieces.
You will be able to contribute much more value within your company with these skills:

• Visualize different options and ideas before sending them to the machine.
• Correct errors that have been overlooked by the product department.
• Improve the design to take better advantage of the available tools.

However, not all Lantek users are drawing experts, and this can be an obstacle to creating parts with the desired precision and quality. If that is your case, and you think that a bisector is an exotic bird, you should explore the various resources available designed to get you up to speed, even for those without previous experience.

How can you improve your understanding of technical drawing?

Continuous training in your own company.

Talk to human resources at your company and raise your concern about improving your training in technical drawing. It is more than likely that they will look for a solution and even value your initiative in maintaining continuous improvement.

Online courses.

There are a wide range of online courses available, even free, that can help you improve in this field. This is handy if you prefer to develop your skills in your own time. There are specialized courses in 2D technical drawing designed to suit different levels of experience and ability.

Specialized books.

There are a large number of books specialized in technical drawing, which is always good to have on hand, even as reference material. These books include step-by-step tutorials with examples, and techniques to improve your productivity.

Practice and perseverance.

Practice and perseverance are key to improving your ability to create part drawings in Lantek. Technical drawing requires dedication to improve. When a complex piece falls into your hands, try to learn about it.

For example, if you have to distribute some punching of a square over the length of a piece, instead of dividing the length by the holes and getting a figure with six decimal places, try doing it with geometry, with auxiliary lines and intersections. The result will be more perfect and you will gain in productivity.

That’s all.
I hope that the article has helped you to analyze if your level of drawing is sufficient and to discover if you need tools or resources to improve.

Thank you and see you in the next article.