Disappearing knowledge at OEM requires substantive support

Drive products still form the basis, but Groschopp's Consultive division has been growing steadily for years. Simply because machine builders have less and less knowledge and the need for substantive support in selecting the right drive elements is increasing. Groschopp is happy to take on this role with its many years of knowledge and experience. In doing so, the company also responds specifically to issues from the food industry with, among other things, stainless steel drives and special coatings.

Groschopp BV has 'breathed' technology and the will to realize optimal solutions with it since its founding year 2000. On the one hand as a trading company, supplying motors, gearboxes and related products as the exclusive representative of the German factory of the same name. Thanks to the short lines of communication with the factory, the company can ship practically any combination of motor (up to 1 kW) and gearbox from its own warehouse at short notice; assembled as required and, if necessary, combined with the appropriate controller. Groschopp does this for diverse sectors ranging from the pharmaceutical industry and companies supplying welding equipment and transport solutions to the medical industry and, of course, the food industry.

Consultive

On the other hand, the company also received more and more "knowledge questions" in recent years. Which solution is the best for a specific application? How do I select the best fitting drive for my machine? What do I need for a machine that makes pastries and what is the maximum speed at which I can handle products? It triggered the passionate employees to consciously offer their knowledge and experience through a new service: 'Consultive'. Cock den Uijl: "We notice that machine builders are struggling to retain their knowledge in these times. People are retiring or choosing other jobs while the need for young, well-trained technicians is difficult to fill. This means that original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have people with less knowledge coming to work and, therefore, more questions. When it comes to drives, they come to us naturally."

In the new service "Consultive," Groschopp shares not only its knowledge, skill and experience, but also its creativity to arrive at the best suited solution. An important element when, for example, lack of space or other circumstances require 'out of the box' thinking. In this way, a rotary punching machine, a welding robot and semi- and fully-automated production processes in food were thought along with the customer at an early stage of the design process.

One point of contact

The German factory specializes purely in the development and production of motors up to a typical output of 1 kW and gearboxes and gearboxes of various sizes and gear ratios. A significant part of the product range is literally up for grabs in a remarkably neatly arranged warehouse area. However, Groschopp Netherlands goes further than just advising on the right combination and then delivering it. In its own small but optimally equipped workshop there are various processing machines with which small adjustments can be made directly in-house. In this way, standard products can still be fully adapted to customer requirements. Moreover, the lines of communication with Germany are short, which means that back-up with additional knowledge and experience is immediately at hand and very accessible.

Rob den Uijl: "Finally, we frequently work together with various suppliers of different types of control technology. After all, every machine builder or end user has a preference for a bus system or brand of controller, and moreover, 'motion' is becoming increasingly important. The developments in this field are so rapid, however, that we prefer to cooperate with various specialists in each field. Such that our motor-reductor combination is properly controlled and can be integrated into the customer's network."

From coating to configurator

Specifically for the food industry, Groschopp's standard program includes stainless steel (servo) motors and gearboxes. Drive elements that meet the strict laws and regulations of this sector and help prevent contamination of food products. These components can also be found in Groschopp's database, which includes more than 50,000 items. Via an inventive configurator - developed in-house - machine builders themselves can make an initial selection by entering various relevant parameters, such as torque, speed (range), power, design, and so on. With this, they can often already make the right choice themselves. If there are still questions, Groschopp can answer them.

Finally, Groschopp offers various surface treatments including the application of Hart-coat, Sila-coat and Durni-coat. Sila-coat is particularly interesting for the food industry because it is a good(copper) alternative to stainless steel components. This is because it conducts heat well, making drives more compact than is possible with stainless steel. In addition, motors can also be provided with a Sigma Rite coating.

Good products and good advice or, as the website says: drives & more.