The challenge: shorter lead times and earlier delivery 

For years, the harnesses were handmade at SPIE Nederland B.V. “The assembler would manually cut and strip the wires to length  and attach a ferrule if necessary. We continuously strive for innovation because innovations determine the future. To remain competitive as a flexible partner, we were looking for an automation solution. Above all, we wanted shorter lead times and earlier delivery."

SPIE Nederland B.V. started looking for a suitable partner for this automation project. They soon encountered Smans. "From the first meeting it was clear that they have enormous expertise in the challenges of our sector. They consider all possibilities and that gives everyone a good feeling."

The solution: complete flexibility for automated wire processing thanks to the Komax Zeta 640

This is where Smans’ expertise became apparent. Thanks to the open communication and close cooperation with Komax, Smans has helped many customers in the cable and wire manufacturing industry optimize their processes. They proposed the Zeta 640. This flexible, completely automatic wire processing machine fulfills the increasing variety of customer-specific requirements perfectly. "Once the machine was ordered, a lot of preparations had to be made internally. The schedule was very tight, but thanks to the good cooperation between all parties, we were able to do what we needed to and the machine arrived within the requested delivery time."

The expertise: Smans’ comprehensive service

Even during the employee training, Smans’ full service was evident and inspired admiration. “Their technicians took the time to share their expertise with our production managers. They explained step-by-step how the Komax Zeta 640 works. But their explanations went further than just how the machine works. They also discussed basic principles of high-quality cable and wire processing, so that our people felt very involved in the entire process. And if we ran into a problem, we could always count on remote support.”

The benefit: up to 70% time savings in wiring 

SPIE Nederland B.V. is thrilled about the performance. "Now the Zeta 640 assembles the harnesses for the assembler. Thus, they are ready in a short time, while the mechanical part can be prepared. Everything can be prepared in advance, which reduces the lead time. We save 30-70% in wiring time depending on the number of wires per cabinet. With 100, the time gain is of course lower; at 4000, it may well be 70%. We also benefit from having less goods standing around. So we have more production space and therefore higher capacity."

And what about quality assurance? Thanks to the 3D drawings, digital production flow, automated wire assembly, and printing on the wire, the error margins are so small that final checks are quick.

The impact: fruitful long-term cooperation

Now that production is running smoothly, Smans can also score points in after-sales service and thus the intensive relationship continues: Recently, Smans contacted SPIE Nederland B.V. to ask if they could use their machine to provide internal training to their new technicians. Obviously, they agreed. Helping each other to innovate, that's what long-term cooperation is all about!

SMANS NV

Zeta 640