Air Techniques specialises in the design and manufacture of equipment powered by compressed air. Based in France, close to the German border, it works with a number of different partners across Europe, including Modec. Clients, meanwhile, are predominantly located in France.
The company has a design division and so can help clients, notably in the industrial sector, who come to them with specific requirements. Occasionally, the client will have a complex niche problem that demands specialist technical knowledge outside Air Techniques’ realm of expertise.
It was in this context that Air Techniques first turned to Modec.
“At this point, we did some initial analysis with the technical commercial director at Modec,” says Daniel Reimherr, director at Air Techniques. “Everything depends on this person. If they are open-minded and have a good understanding of the problem, it’s much simpler to progress than if they have difficulty understanding or don’t particularly want to bother. At Modec, we had the right person.”
One of Air Techniques’ clients, operating in the agro-food sector, was having problems with a back-up air motor in one of its principal machines. The air motor was designed to kick into action in case there was a disruption in the electricity supply powering the machine’s electric motor. However, the air motor would regularly break down causing the business to lose valuable production time. As a back-up, the motor didn’t guarantee the necessary reliability, plus the cost of repairs was adding up.
Having assessed the complexity involved, Air Techniques approached Modec to see if they had an air motor model that could function reliably in the context of the client’s needs – or, if not, could they manufacture one?
Air Techniques explained the difficulties the client was experiencing and what it believed needed to be rectified to resolve the problems. Modec supplied an air motor that corresponded with the request and Air Techniques began testing the motor with the client.
“The initial trials weren’t totally convincing,” recalls Daniel. “So we went back to the customer service team at Modec for help. Their analysis led us to understand that the motor was right for the functionality but that there were certain constraints imposed by the machine itself that were affecting its performance. Thanks to their expertise, we went back to the client suggesting certain modifications and improvements to the machine that would overcome the problems. And they did. Problem solved.”
“We look for partners who are prepared to get involved, want to take things on, who are innovative and can offer solutions,” he adds. “Modec gave us pertinent advice on a complex project - now we’re confident of taking on this type of project in the future because we know we’ve got the right partner.”
For Air Techniques’ client, a solution was found to correct a recurring machinery error that was proving costly to the business. With a reliable back-up air motor, the company is no longer at risk of losing a day’s production whenever there’s a power cut.
As for Air Techniques, they were able to provide a solution for their client – and as we all know, a happy customer is a loyal customer. If the client had needed to go elsewhere to solve the issues, Air Techniques might have lost their business.
“Thanks to Modec, the commitment of their technical team and the dialogue we had with them, we were able to solve the problem and now have a very satisfied client,” says Daniel.
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