Equipment makers are moving forward with efforts to offer more complete systems that help OEMs and system integrators install systems more quickly with a minimum of tweaking during construction. Vendors throughout the huge PackExpo show touted their efforts to provide more vertically-integrated services and products for strapped engineering staffs.
Many companies are broadening their lines in response to market changes.
“We have a corporate directive to sell systems. We’ve made a number of acquisitions to fill holes in our product line to help make that possible,” says Jay Reidy, applications engineer at Parker Hannifin Corp. of Cleveland, OH.
System integrators are benefiting from the change in focus. “They used to all do one or two components. Now they’re offering complete lines,” says Jeff Jendryk, of The Dennis Group LLC, a Wheaton, IL, firm which builds new factories for manufacturers.
The trend is driven by shrinkage of engineering staffs at manufacturers and by pressure to get automation systems into action quickly. “System integrators have seen their delivery times shrink from 24 weeks to eight weeks or less,” says Kevin Gingerich, marketing services director at Bosch Rexroth Corp. of Hoffman Estates, IL.
International Packaging Systems GmbH is taking vertical integration to a high level, building robots, vision systems and the control systems that drive them. The company has even built a large shop where these elements are put together. “We build prototype plants in our facility in Germany so customers know that everything works and fits together,” says Gerald Schubert, managing director at International Packaging, based in Crailsheim, Germany.
Not surprisingly, the Internet is coming into play, providing a way
“Customers can go to the website, select parameters and get a fully designed CAD drawing with a bill of materials. Then they can submit the BOM to us for pricing,” Gingerich says.
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 Parker Hannifin’s show floor model demonstrates robotics, mechanical structures, drives and controls. |
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//Web Resources
http://www.parker.com/Markets/
http://www.boschrexroth.com/corporate/en/products/index.jsp
http://www.ips-packaging.com/branchen.php?id=1
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