Siemens 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 competitors often buy Siemens control systems to use with their own geared motors as they do not manufacture all components themselves, unlike SIemens.
As Andy 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.“
Reflecting the success of this integrated approach, Siemens has just won four projects from a major operator in the food retail sector, providing over 1000 of its Simogear geared motors plus Simatic controls for a fully automated warehouse conveying system.
New appointment
Geared Motors has a new UK business manager: Julie Ferguson, whose role incorporates balancing the growing geared motors business that Siemens has in the UK with its assembly centre for geared motors, based in Leeds. Build times have been shortened through the use of lean techniques and response times improved for both new unit supply and service support, enabling customers to buy fewer machines to guarantee delivery, thereby controlling costs and helping to win new business.
Julie commented on her new role: “It’s a very exciting time for geared motors, with our new Simogear range providing not only a high-quality standalone product, but also the benefits of being fully compatible with all the other Siemens components in the drive train. This provides great reassurance to our customers and is already being reflected in the business we are now doing.“
More information on Siemens geared motors is available at www.siemens.co.uk
