When the installation of a new equipment is carried out in a manufacturing plant, it is accompanied with a deliverable and unquantifiable value: service. Whether reflected on pre-sale or reflected in post-sales support, the work of a technology vendor's engineering group often makes a noticeable difference in terms of project success and therefore customer satisfaction.

The process of acquiring a new machine and the peripheral equipment that accompany it in a manufacturing solution begins with the analysis of the problem that is the search for the application according to the requirement of a project, always seeking to implement production processes of high efficiency and with the lowest possible cost. For HEMAQ's Engineering and Service team, the development of a close relationship and genuine concern for the client's needs is fundamental in this first stage, as it allows a quick understanding of which technology is most suitable for the client.

Once the solution has been identified, the next step is to install the equipment. In this stage, not only is the machine installed, but the values specified in the previous analysis are adjusted, the corresponding tests are carried out with the applications and the equipment is left running. Without a doubt, this is the part where the client sees their investment materialized.

However, we could say that it is just the beginning since installation work is usually followed by a process of services, maintenance and the corresponding training, which usually lasts for a while after commissioning. The operators and technical team of the client mature their knowledge of the equipment and solve aspects related to the operation.

After that, the HEMAQ Service team deploys a maintenance and post-sale support strategy that, thanks to the close relationship they cultivate with the client, has become one of their differentiators. In addition to the knowledge and training in the metalworking technologies that they promote, the high availability and customer focus is what has characterized the technical staff.

The icing on the service cake at HEMAQ is the guarantee. It is the very quality of the equipment that allows a manufacturer to offer protection against any failure or alarm that may arise. With this, the purchase of machinery and equipment is fully protected.

The team of service technicians is made up of specialists in various fields, such as electronics, electrical, mechanical, pneumatic and hydraulic. As manufacturing technologies develop, knowledge of the service area also expands. Some years ago, for example, software systems were very basic and with non-graphic interfaces (green screens are surely already in the memory of few). Currently, the equipment with CNC controls have systems based on the MS Windows operating system, with object-based technologies and with graphic and algorithmic potentials that allow them to deploy a wide range of application configuration and analytical actions.

Currently, there are more than 30 engineers who make up the HEMAQ technical team and who provide service throughout the country. Depending on the type of need or equipment, there is always a specialist (many of them with more than 20 years of experience and track record in the company) that provides maintenance or repair of machinery that has been in operation for many years. Due to the durability of brands such as OKUMA, it is not uncommon to see machines that have been in operation for more than 30 years (for which there are still spare parts), in perfect condition and in harmony with complementary tasks with state-of-the-art equipment. For example, there are cases of machines that are still loaded with 8-inch drives (or, in the best case, adapted with USB ports), serviced by HEMAQ.

With some clients, preventive maintenance tasks are already carried out, which has avoided many corrective actions and, consequently, unnecessary expenses. As a result of the pandemic, for example, some companies reduced their production volumes and stopped some machines, a situation that was used to fine-tune them and prepare them to restart operations.

Another important factor is adaptation to current demands. A good case is the remote service, which captured more attention due to the confinement schemes derived from the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to this, HEMAQ already had the CONSTANT CARE model, a remote service on OKUMA machines that is possible by uploading a small data file to a customer's machine so that the service team can connect and provide assistance without the need to be at the machine.

With the trend towards technology environments based on Industry 4.0 or the Industrial Internet of Things, it is becoming easier and better accepted by customers to create remote communication and monitoring service schemes with equipment. This will allow areas, such as maintenance, to evolve and help to generate better preventive schemes and equipment performance analysis.

Of course, there are cases in which the service cannot be carried out remotely and it is necessary to do it on site. For customers with a large installed base (companies with up to 200 machines), a full-time technician is assigned to ensure that any eventuality can be corrected immediately. However, the demand for this resource tends to decrease as the client's personnel advance in the training and specialization schemes also offered by the HEMAQ Service team.

The flexibility of the service schemes is complemented by a good inventory of spare parts that allows quick responses. With this, a complete customer service scheme is closed, reducing the downtime of a production line or cell. Thanks to the years of experience of the technical team at HEMAQ, there is an extensive analysis of the inventory that must be available. Components such as cards, batteries, bearings, limit switches, encoders and valves, to name a few, are usually available for immediate delivery from our warehouses located in Monterrey and Querétaro.

Although it is often understood that the technical service begins after the sale of a piece of equipment, at HEMAQ it is clear that this begins with the installation projects, since machines are not usually purchased in isolation, but are part of the configuration of a manufacturing solution.

Understand what type of parts are going to be machined, the materials to be used, the level of demand of the equipment, the production volumes and the desired cycle time, etc.; it’s the first step. There are many variables that allow a good understanding of the customer's needs and then the design of a solution, beyond just delivering a machine. This facilitates correct configuration and installation and significantly reduces the need for subsequent servicing.

The culture of service is deeply embedded in HEMAQ's philosophy and is consequently passed on to its customers as well, making it possible to get the most out of every machine and component on a production line.