Month: January 2020

Two years ago, Mosca introduced a service concept that the strapping specialist say is unique in the industry. Under the name ONE Service, it offer customers globally standardised maintenance, repairs, installations and support for machine relocations.

Mosca says it has now drawn some initial conclusions about ONE Service’s effectiveness. In Germany, where over 2,000 machines are covered by maintenance contracts, there were hardly any ad-hoc troubleshooting calls. ONE Service also ensures easier planning and more reliability at the end of the packaging line, it claims.

“In an era of digitalisation and Industry 4.0, the demands on our customers’ production processes – and on our machines – are rapidly changing. This makes it all the more important for us to make sure our services are in line with customer needs and continue setting industry standards,” explains Mosca CEO Timo Mosca.

Maintenance contracts for customers around the world
ONE Service fundamentally changed Mosca’s approach to providing services. One of the key elements of the concept is the availability of customer-specific maintenance contracts around the world. This sets Mosca apart from other strapping industry manufacturers, it says. “The standard used to be that customers call for service when there’s a machine failure. These kinds of situations need to be resolved immediately – which can be very stressful for the technicians as well as for customers, who can’t afford downtime on their lines,” says Michael Raule, Head of Technical Service at Mosca.

Today, when Mosca service technicians visit customers, there is rarely any pressure or stress. More than 2,000 machines are covered by Mosca maintenance contracts and are checked once or twice a year in line with ONE Service benchmarks. “We are now working worldwide with standardised maintenance plans and checklists. This way, we know exactly when and where each machine needs to be checked and which parts are required – and are able to routinely detect signs of wear and prevent potential damage,” explains Mosca Service Technician Andreas Bulling.

Easier planning and more transparency for Mosca customers
For Mosca customers, ONE Service means easier planning, more reliability and more transparency. “Customers that have a maintenance contract with Mosca know about maintenance procedures from the start. We remind them when maintenance is due and send them maintenance kits before the scheduled appointment,” Michael Raule explains. This makes service calls quick and easy. Mosca technicians appreciate the regular contact with customers. “ONE Service changes the way we work together and promotes more direct communication,” says Andreas Bulling. “We can give our customers more in-depth support, help them set up their machines, and listen to their feedback – which benefits both sides!”

Breakdowns are rare
Thanks to regularly scheduled service appointments, strapping machines operating in Mosca customer packaging lines are reliable and stable. And if something goes wrong, Mosca technical services are available around the clock. “In addition to our maintenance technicians, we have field-service technicians on duty. These specialists are never far away from the customer and can be on-site within 3.5 hours in an emergency,” says Michael Raule. The technicians go on the road with a standardized set of parts and are optimally equipped to solve problems on the spot – and ensure Mosca machines deliver maximum performance at all times.

“In many cases, our experts don’t even need to go out on the road,” Raule adds. Mosca has also expanded its remote support as part of the ONE Service concept. Service technicians can start troubleshooting via remote control. “We can generally handle acute malfunctions via remote maintenance. This saves time and resources for us and for the customer.”

MatHem.se, a Swedish online grocer, has deployed 30 new vehicles featuring the fully electric E-200 multi temperature refrigeration units from Thermo King. The new fleet allows MatHem.se to move food sustainably and always at the right temperature, guaranteeing an unbroken cold chain all the way from their warehouse to the customers’ doorstep.

MatHem.se was looking for an all-in-one transport refrigeration solution that would allow them to maintain two cooling zones in the vehicle – one for cooled and one for frozen – and remove the heavy standalone freezer they had used before to transport frozen goods. They were also looking for an environmentally sustainable way to keep the refrigeration unit operating while the driver stops for delivery, has a lunch break or needs to turn off the vehicle for longer. Thermo King E-200 unit with additional battery pack met all the requirements.

The multi-temperature set up of the E-200 units allowed MatHem.se to save approximately 80 kilograms when compared to the previous fleet configuration featuring a standalone freezer. This directly translates to fuel savings and increased cargo space in the vehicle. The hold-over capacity is secured thanks to the additional battery pack, fully independent from the vehicle, which can power the unit during stops for deliveries or breaks. This gives the driver the peace of mind and flexibility to stop at any time without the need to keep the vehicle running on idle to keep the transported goods cooled.

 

 

 

Customers seeking collaborative robot technology are now able to lease models without upfront capital investment.

That’s because Universal Robots (UR), which describes itself as the most trusted and widely-deployed collaborative robot (cobot) manufacturer in the world, has launched its new cobot leasing program in collaboration with DLL, a global vendor finance company.

The new partnership, it is claimed, enables all manufacturers, regardless of size or capital equipment budgets, to reap the benefits of automation without worrying about cash flow and seasonal fluctuations.

“We’re levelling the playing field by enabling all manufacturers to immediately put cobots to work without an upfront capital investment,” said Klaus Vestergaard, CFO at Universal Robots. “UR Financial Services offers end-users a fast, low-risk and financially-friendly model to accelerate automation in their factories. The partnership makes it easy to upgrade existing cobots, add additional units or test cobots for the first time – and equips end-users to maximize productivity, quality and profitability, without increasing costs or cash outlay.”

Customers will have the option to schedule payments to fit fluctuations in cash flow, upgrade to new equipment, or add cobots anytime during the contract term. At the end of the finance term, customers will have the option to buy the equipment for a fraction of the original cost, upgrade to newer technology, extend the finance term or simply return the equipment.