Siemens says it has improved its offering to customers by more closely integrating some of its specialist UK divisions. Head of Siemens Drives and Motion Control, Andy Hodgson, said it made operational sense in a highly competitive environment to link Geared Motors with Motion Control, as this enabled Siemens to offer complete design solutions to customers‘ – totally integrated automation (TIA) and integrated drive systems (IDS).
Geared motors are some of the most competitively priced units within the industrial drive train – which comprises motors, gearboxes, couplings and controls. Siemens says that its competitors often buy Siemens control systems to use with their own geared motors as they do not manufacture all components themselves, unlike Siemens.
As Hodgson commented: “At Siemens we are able to provide the complete drive system including PLCs, drives and motors, and take away the customer’s concerns about sourcing different components through different manufacturers and then hoping these components will function well together. We’re removing the gamble from the equation and providing the secure assurance of a properly designed system, with all its associated benefits of higher and more reliable performance over a longer timespan.“
In a recent project, Siemens is not only providing the integrated drive systems (IDS), but is also providing condition monitoring in an environment where reliability is crucial for guaranteed production. In looking for a supplier that could provide 99.9% uptime, the customer tested three machines fitted with condition monitoring over a three-month period. They were tested for vibration, heat, bearing wear, and all achieved full productivity during this time. One machine was identified as having a bearing issue, which was subsequently repaired over a weekend, proving the value that condition monitoring brings to predictive maintenance. The customer is now in the process of rolling out condition monitoring throughout its operation, which will enable it to buy fewer machines because the existing machines now deliver more uptime.
