Innovating under time pressure: How Festo and Apex serve customers flexibly
Developing and delivering a custom machine within 6 weeks? Festo only managed to do that thanks to their close collaboration with Apex Dynamics. We delivered a gearbox and the necessary information within a few days so that Festo could 3D print the necessary adapter plate. We talk to Festo’s Senior Application Engineer, Martin de Deyne, about this project and the collaboration.
“We always contact Apex Dynamics when we need a quick solution that we don’t have off the shelf. Thom and his team are there with technical support and help us to get everything done in a short time. For this project we exchanged the data of the 3D models and printed a temporary motor adapter plate to save time during the integration. Their direct approach and technical flexibility are a real added value. When a customer asks us for a solution, we can switch immediately thanks to Apex and that is worth gold.”
About Festo
Festo is known as a technological market leader in drive technology and industrial automation. As a Senior Application Engineer, Martin de Deyne supports customers on a daily basis in developing customized solutions, integrating Festo products into a wide range of machines. With a broad portfolio and technical expertise, Festo offers customers both high-end and pragmatic solutions, tailored to their specific needs. Whether it concerns advanced high-end systems or more standardized low-end products, Festo can respond flexibly to the customer’s wishes in order to always realize the optimal product-market fit.
Emergency solution:
machine development in 6 weeks
“In this particular project, lead time was key,” says De Deyne. “The customer, active in the postal and parcel market, was faced with an acute challenge: to develop a machine that would relieve the workload of their employees, within an extremely short time frame. Due to the pressure on working conditions, we were tasked with delivering a working prototype in just six weeks. The problem was that, although we were able to quickly obtain the right gearbox from Apex Dynamics, the required adapter plate was not yet available.
So we had the gearbox on site quickly, but to save time we decided to get creative. We exchanged the data from the 3D models and 3D printed a temporary flange to start the integration. Within three days we had a working solution that allowed the customer to continue immediately. This collaboration and the quick action with Apex was crucial to meet the tight deadline.”
“Our strength is that we are flexible and can respond directly to the specific requirements of the customer,” adds Thom van Oss, director of Apex Dynamics. “For us it is important that we not only deliver the requested product that is requested, but also actively think along in situations where speed and technical creativity are required. That, combined with our very short delivery times, makes the difference in many cases.”
The solution uses an AE155-070 gearbox from Apex Dynamics in combination with the Festo EMMT-AS-100-M-HS-xxB servo motor.
Investing in long-term customer relationships
Festo is about more than just technology. By thinking strategically with customers, Festo helps large accounts achieve their long-term goals. This customer-oriented approach and their technical expertise strengthen the relationship with customers, which is why Festo is increasingly involved in new projects at an early stage.
“Our goal is to build trust by listening carefully to the customer and thinking pragmatically. My role in sales is of course to get our product into the machine, but that should never be at the expense of the relationship. We always look at what best suits the customer’s question and situation, because in a month we will be working together on something else and then we have to get along. This project with Apex has shown us again that if we can switch flexibly and quickly, customers are more likely to involve us in new projects. We have also shown this customer what we are capable of as a team, and we are now also sitting at the table early on for other projects of this customer.”
Move forward
The rapid exchange of information and short delivery times characterize the collaboration with Apex Dynamics. Customers receive answers to questions or a clear quote in their mailbox within a day. After approval, they then receive the gearbox, rack and pinion, coupling or lubrication system within 2 weeks.
Would you like to experience this too?
Please contact us via sales@apexdyna.nl or call +31 (0)492 509 995.
