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“When customers call our Austrian office after ordering from Germany, some are confused at first,” says Managing Director Christian Hemetsberger. “But once they see everything is on time and well organized, the system speaks for itself.”
That system is the result of a decade-long collaboration between EST and Lantek. Founded as Inox Austria, EST’s leadership made a clear decision early on: the business would be digital from day one – no spreadsheets, no paperwork.
Built for Efficiency. Scaled for Growth.
Co-founder Rene Gruber brought experience with Lantek from his training years and partnered closely with Christoph Lenhard, who leads Lantek’s German office. Together, they customized a complete solution using Lantek Expert, Lantek Workshop, and Lantek Integra – integrating CAD/CAM automation for cutting machines and modules for production control, quoting, inventory, and invoicing.
As EST expanded through acquisitions in Germany, the software infrastructure grew with it. New sites were initially connected via interfaces, each with separate servers and databases. Today, all locations operate on a unified Lantek platform made up of 110 integrated modules.
“Our entire operation – from quotes to delivery – runs on this system,” says Hemetsberger. “Lantek scales without slowing down, and we can adjust it as our needs change.”
One Central System. Real-Time Access.
At the core is a central server that acts as the digital brain of the business. All offices in Germany, Austria, and France connect to it via a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) developed by Gruber. Every piece of data is entered once and is instantly available across the organization.
The benefit? Simplified training, fewer errors, and faster quoting – even when every order is unique. “About 99% of what we produce is one-off parts,” Hemetsberger explains. “We rarely repeat a job. Having real-time access to inventory and production data makes quoting fast, accurate, and realistic.”
Once approved, quotes are converted into jobs. The system groups parts by material type and thickness to optimize nesting and minimize waste. Whether it’s a part for an offshore oil platform or a stainless steel flange for a local customer, everything is handled through the same workflow.
Cutting Machines, Smart Routing
EST runs 10 machines from five manufacturers, covering laser, plasma, and waterjet technologies. Lantek’s system selects the right machine based on the deadline, material, and availability, and generates the appropriate CNC program. Whether the job runs on a waterjet or a plasma cutter, it’s fully automated and centrally managed.
The Hattingen warehouse holds over 6,000 metal sheets in 20 materials ranging from 1 to 150 mm in thickness – all tracked through Lantek.
A Long-Term Collaboration
Although Rene Gruber left EST in 2018 to found Salz IT, he remains deeply involved. His company became Lantek’s premium partner in Austria in 2019, and his VDI solution is now available to other Lantek clients.
“Rene knows our system and our day-to-day operations. That’s rare,” says Christoph Lenhard. Hemetsberger agrees: “He speaks our language, and he knows what works in a real shop environment.”