# GoSmarter vs Lantek, Sigmanest, and Bystronic for Cutting Planning

> GoSmarter vs Lantek, Sigmanest, and Bystronic for cutting planning in metals: who should use which tool and why they serve different jobs.

**URL:** https://www.gosmarter.ai/blog/gosmarter-vs-lantek-sigmanest-cutting-planning/

**Date:** 2026-05-05
**Author:** Steph Locke

**Categories:** blog, learning

**Tags:** manufacturing, digital-transformation, metals


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GoSmarter handles long product cutting optimisation for rebar, sections, and tubes. Lantek, Sigmanest, and Bystronic handle 2D plate and sheet nesting. They are not competing for the same job.

**GoSmarter and Lantek/Sigmanest/Bystronic are not doing the same job.**

If you are searching for "cutting optimisation software" and these names are all coming up together, that makes sense. They all optimise cutting in a metals context. But the type of cutting they handle is fundamentally different. Buying the wrong one based on a feature comparison table would be a waste of time and money.

This post explains exactly what each tool does, where the overlap is thin, where GoSmarter wins, and where the nesting tools win. By the end, you will know which one you need and, in some cases, why the answer is both.

## What Type of Cutting Does GoSmarter Handle? {#gosmarter-scope}

GoSmarter Cutting Optimiser is built exclusively for **long product cutting**: rebar, structural sections (I-beams, channels, angles), tubes, hollow sections, and similar linear stock.

The problem GoSmarter solves is this: you have lengths of steel coming in from a mill or stockholder (typically 6m, 9m, 12m, or as-rolled). You have a set of cut orders: pieces needed for a project, a fabrication job, or a customer order. GoSmarter calculates the optimal way to cut your available stock to fulfil those orders with the least possible trim waste, fewest bar changes, and the lowest overall material cost.

It does this in seconds, stores the cut plan against the order, and, critically, links that cut plan to the mill certificates for the material being cut. So when an inspector asks which heat of steel went into which structural member, you have the answer immediately.

GoSmarter does **not** do 2D plate nesting. It does not optimise cutting on sheet, plate, or flat material. If you cut flat plate, you need a different tool.

## What Lantek, Sigmanest, and Bystronic Do {#nesting-tools}

Lantek, Sigmanest, and Bystronic's software products are primarily **2D nesting and sheet/plate cutting optimisation** systems. They are built to maximise material utilisation when cutting shapes from flat sheet: whether by laser, plasma, waterjet, or guillotine.

Sigmanest is the long-standing specialist nesting software, used by sheet metal fabricators and structural steel plate processors alike. Lantek is similar in scope, strong on CNC machine integration and multi-site manufacturing environments. Bystronic is both a machine manufacturer and a software provider; its nesting tools are tightly integrated with its own cutting machines.

Most of these platforms also have some long product or bar cutting capability: it is not zero. Lantek, for instance, has bar cutting nesting modules. But the long product cutting in these platforms is typically an add-on to a 2D nesting system, not the primary purpose. The configuration, pricing, and training are all geared toward the plate/sheet customer.

For a metals stockholder or structural fabricator whose primary job is cutting rebar, sections, or tube to length: **these platforms are built around a different workflow**.

## Where GoSmarter Wins {#gosmarter-wins}

See [GoSmarter Cutting Optimiser](/docs/optimised-production-plans/) in action:

{{< supademo src="https://guides.gosmarter.ai/embed/cmkodrccg009szg0im9ax65sb?embed_v=2&utm_source=embed" title="Get draft production plans" >}}

**Deployment speed.** GoSmarter is live in days, not months. There is no IT project. You do not need a dedicated server, a specialist Value Added Reseller (VAR), or a three-week implementation engagement. You create an account, upload your stock, and start generating cut plans. For an SME with two or three people managing the yard, that matters enormously.

**Pricing.** Lantek, Sigmanest, and Bystronic are enterprise software. Their pricing reflects that: seat licences, annual maintenance agreements, and professional services add up quickly. GoSmarter starts at £400/month with no implementation fees and no long-term lock-in. For a business doing £2–5m turnover in steel, the economics are completely different. Enterprise nesting platforms typically run £10,000–£50,000+ per year once implementation and maintenance are included.

**Vendor trust and data security.** GoSmarter is EU-hosted and GDPR compliant. Your data is exportable as CSV at any time. No exit fees. If you cancel, you have 30 days to export your data. For an SME that cannot afford vendor lock-in, that matters.

**No IT dependency.** GoSmarter is browser-based SaaS. Nothing to install, nothing to maintain. Your team uses it on whatever devices they already have. The nesting platforms typically require Windows workstations, local installation, and someone who knows how to set them up.

**Mill certificate integration.** This is where GoSmarter is genuinely unique in the long products space. Every cut plan is linked to the source material's mill certificate. When you process an [EN 10204 (the European standard for mill test certificates for metallic materials)](/hubs/metals-manufacturing-glossary/#en-10204) 3.1 cert through GoSmarter, the traceability chain is maintained automatically, from the incoming coil or bar through to the finished cut piece. Lantek and Sigmanest are not designed to handle this. It is not their problem to solve.

**SME fit.** GoSmarter was built for metals small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The interface, the onboarding, the support model. Everything is designed for a team of one to ten people running a steel yard or fabrication shop, not for a 500-seat enterprise with a dedicated IT department.

## Where Lantek, Sigmanest, and Bystronic Win {#competitors-win}

**Plate and sheet nesting.** If you cut flat material: steel plate, aluminium sheet, stainless, anything that starts as a flat shape and gets cut into 2D profiles: GoSmarter cannot help you. Full stop. This is not a feature gap that GoSmarter plans to close. It is a deliberate scope choice. Lantek, Sigmanest, and Bystronic are the right tools for 2D cutting optimisation.

**Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine integration.** The nesting platforms have deep integrations with laser cutters, plasma tables, waterjets, and guillotines. They produce machine programs (DXF, DNC files, G-code) directly from the nesting output. GoSmarter produces cut lists and bar charts that operators use to set up manual cutting; it does not connect to a CNC controller.

**Complex multi-material, multi-machine environments.** Large fabricators running plate processing, section cutting, and tube processing simultaneously, across multiple machines and sites, are better served by the enterprise nesting platforms. The workflow management and scheduling complexity in those environments is exactly what Lantek and Bystronic are built for.

**Structural detailing integration.** For structural steel fabricators using Tekla Structures, Advance Steel, or SDS/2, Lantek and Sigmanest have integrations that pull BOMs directly from the detailing model. GoSmarter does not currently integrate with structural detailing software.

## Side-by-Side Comparison {#comparison-table}

| Feature | GoSmarter | Lantek / Sigmanest / Bystronic |
|---|---|---|
| Long product (rebar, sections, tube) cutting | ✅ | ⚠️ (add-on module in most cases) |
| 2D plate / sheet nesting | ❌ | ✅ |
| Mill certificate traceability | ✅ | ❌ |
| EN 10204 compliance support | ✅ | ❌ |
| Browser-based / no install | ✅ | ❌ (mostly Windows desktop apps) |
| SME pricing (from £400/month) | ✅ | ❌ (enterprise pricing) |
| Days to deploy | ✅ | ❌ (weeks to months) |
| CNC machine integration | ❌ | ✅ |
| Structural detailing (Tekla, Advance Steel) integration | ❌ | ✅ |
| Multi-site / multi-machine scheduling | ❌ | ✅ |

## Can You Use Both? {#using-both}

Yes, and for some businesses this is exactly the right answer.

A structural steel fabricator might use Lantek or Sigmanest for plate processing (cutting plates to profiles for columns, base plates, connection details) and GoSmarter for bar and section cutting. These are genuinely different operations in the same yard, handled by different people, using different machines.

In that scenario, GoSmarter handles the long product side: bar cutting to length, remnant tracking, mill certificate management. Lantek or Sigmanest handles the plate side. There is no overlap, no duplication. They do different jobs.

The GoSmarter team has spoken to businesses running exactly this combination. The integration is not automated; both systems run independently. But that is fine, because the workflows are separate anyway.

## Decision Framework: Which Tool Do You Need? {#decision}

**Choose GoSmarter Cutting Optimiser if:**
- Your primary cutting operation is long products (rebar, sections, tubes, hollow sections)
- You need mill certificate traceability alongside cutting plans
- You are an SME and enterprise pricing is out of reach
- You need to be operational within days, not months
- You do not have in-house IT to manage software installations

**Choose Lantek, Sigmanest, or Bystronic if:**
- You cut flat sheet, plate, or profiled 2D shapes
- You need CNC machine program output (laser, plasma, waterjet, guillotine)
- You integrate with Tekla Structures or other structural detailing software
- You run a multi-machine or multi-site production environment
- You have the IT resource and budget for an enterprise platform

**Consider both if:**
- You cut both long products and flat plate/sheet in the same operation
- Your plate processing and section/bar cutting are genuinely separate workflows

## Frequently Asked Questions {#faqs}

{{< faq question="Does GoSmarter do any plate nesting at all?" >}}
No. GoSmarter Cutting Optimiser is built for long products: bar, section, tube, and hollow section cutting to length. It does not optimise 2D cutting from flat sheet or plate. If you need plate nesting, Sigmanest, Lantek, or Bystronic are the right tools.
{{< /faq >}}

{{< faq question="Can Lantek or Sigmanest handle long product bar cutting?" >}}
Most of these platforms have some bar or section cutting functionality, but it is typically an add-on module rather than the core product. The workflow and interface are designed primarily for sheet/plate nesting. For a business where long product cutting is the main operation, GoSmarter is a better fit.
{{< /faq >}}

{{< faq question="What does mill certificate traceability mean in a cutting plan context?" >}}
When you cut a 12-metre section of S355 rebar into five pieces for a project, GoSmarter records which specific bar (identified by its heat number and EN 10204 certificate) each piece came from. If an inspector or client asks for traceability data months later, you can show exactly which mill certificate covers each cut piece. This is standard practice for structural and civil engineering projects.
{{< /faq >}}

{{< faq question="How much does GoSmarter cost compared to Lantek or Sigmanest?" >}}
GoSmarter starts at £400/month with no implementation fee. Lantek and Sigmanest are enterprise products with per-seat licences, annual maintenance agreements, and professional services costs for implementation. Accurate pricing for enterprise platforms requires a quote, but budgets of £10,000–£50,000+ per year are typical for a properly licensed and supported installation.
{{< /faq >}}

{{< faq question="Can GoSmarter and Lantek/Sigmanest run in the same business?" >}}
Yes. If you cut both long products and flat plate, running both systems makes sense. They operate independently: there is no direct integration, but because the workflows are genuinely separate (bar cutting vs plate cutting), this is usually not a problem.
{{< /faq >}}

## Try GoSmarter Cutting Optimiser {#start}

If your cutting operation is primarily long products: rebar, sections, beams, tubes: GoSmarter is built for your problem. Upload your stock list and your cut orders, and you will have a cut plan in under a minute.

[Start your free trial →](https://app.gosmarter.ai/)

Or [book a demo](https://outlook.office.com/book/NightingaleHQ@nightingalehq.ai/s/ynY0EG7IDUO6MEWp5i53KQ2?ismsaljsauthenabled) if you want to see how the traceability and certificate linking works in a live environment.

## Related Reading

- [GoSmarter Cutting Optimiser product page](/products/cutting-optimiser/) — features, pricing, and free trial
- [GoSmarter vs Excel for Metals Inventory Management](/blog/gosmarter-vs-excel-inventory-management/) — the spreadsheet comparison
- [Mill Certificate Automation for Metals Manufacturers](/hubs/mill-cert-automation/) — traceability from cert to cut piece
- [GoSmarter for Metals Operations](/hubs/gosmarter-for-metals-operations/) — the full platform overview

*GoSmarter is made by [Nightingale HQ](/nightingale-hq/), a UK-based AI company building practical tools for metals manufacturers.*