January 22, 2008
Gennady Abelev, Sales Department Director at Taurus-Phoenix:
Pneumatics are used for all primary movements in a packaging machine — as drives for the linear displacement of the packaged product and the packaging material. Taurus-Phoenix uses pneumatics from the German company Festo and the Italian company Pneumax. Modern pneumatics also serves as an interface between electronics and electromechanics: everything must operate within a single software environment, on a common protocol.
The foundation of any partnership for us is reliability — both of the equipment and of the supplier. Essential factors include a full range of products and components available in stock, a favorable price-to-quality ratio, and a strong level of technical and service support — for us as well as for our customers. As for prices, we know how to secure acceptable terms from suppliers. Pneumatic prices are generally quite stable; any increase, if it occurs at all, is minimal. There is always the possibility of aligning on product specifications and costs. Taurus-Phoenix works with companies that offer many solutions to this challenge. Our partners' manufacturing facilities are located in Europe. We receive fully configured products according to the specifications of the machines we produce. Lead times are 2 to 4 weeks. We are satisfied with these timelines, though delays happen with everyone. For the most popular and standard items, suppliers maintain their own inventory, which buffers fluctuations in delivery times to Russia, customs clearance, etc. We also provide after-sales service to our customers ourselves. When necessary, if the issue lies solely in the pneumatics, our supplier can handle everything — we simply need to report the problem. Such issues have arisen extremely rarely and have been resolved at the supplier's expense, without any cost on our part. During the post-warranty period, pneumatic suppliers deliver seal repair kits for restoring pneumatic cylinders and directional valves. This significantly reduces costs for users of Taurus-Phoenix packaging equipment. Pneumatic prices in Russia are lower than in Europe — suppliers accept this to compete for a share of the Russian market. There are many suppliers, but only a few prominent ones. Demand for pneumatic equipment depends on demand for packaging machinery, and both are growing. And the level of machines we offer is rising: Taurus-Phoenix equipment is becoming more complex, faster, more modern and reliable — it must be easy and quick to service, while remaining simple and intuitive for the operator. We apply the same requirements to pneumatics; otherwise, this goal cannot be achieved. As machines become more complex, demands on pneumatic manufacturability increase — it must integrate easily into our machine and be tested and repaired in modules, quickly and without difficulty. The main trend is the integration of pneumatic hardware with control electronics. Another trend is the use of modern composite materials for pneumatic housing components, replacing the traditional aluminum alloys. All of this delivers a good price-to-performance ratio. Manufacturing defects in pneumatic components from our suppliers are extremely rare. When warranty cases arise, the supplier repairs or replaces the item. The circumstances of each failure are analyzed to ensure a more appropriate product selection or improvements to the production process. The main difficulty — which, fortunately, we face infrequently — is pneumatic lead times. We would not tolerate other difficulties. Taurus-Phoenix is a large company, and we are treated as VIPs. As noted, prices in Russia are lower given the volumes we consume — which speaks to healthy competition. There is some low-quality pneumatics on the market, but we do not choose that.
Anatoly Kulikov, Technical Director of Signal-Pack:
Pneumatics has found very wide application in packaging equipment. Pneumatic cylinder-based drives are simple in design and relatively inexpensive, so almost all mechanisms in packaging machines are based on pneumatics. Signal-Pack works with many companies: Festo, Camozzi, SMC, Pneumax. When selecting a supplier, the key criteria are reliability, price, delivery terms and lead times, and service. We also take into account our customers' preferences and the design features of specific components. Our main supplier is Camozzi, which meets all of the above criteria; moreover, many of its components are manufactured in Ukraine, which significantly reduces delivery times. The main "enemies" of pneumatics are oil and moisture, making after-sales service very important. Customers want to replace not entire components, but individual elements (seals, rings, guides, etc.). In Russia this is extremely relevant, yet pneumatic suppliers are still poorly prepared for it. Festo is considered the leader in the pneumatics field, but when it comes to packaging equipment, the positions of Camozzi and SMC are at least on par. Defects in pneumatic components do occur, but they are identified during assembly and adjustment. As a rule, the manufacturer replaces defective parts without major issues. Design flaws on the part of suppliers are also encountered and resolved jointly. At present, equipment developers and manufacturers are increasingly applying pneumatics — demand for it is growing steadily, and there is no shortage on this market. One of the latest trends is the emergence of new players — for example, the French company LEGRIS, which supplies various fittings.
Andrei Bogometov, Deputy Chief Engineer at Kropotkin MiSSP Plant:
Virtually all movements performed by the machine are driven by pneumatic equipment. At the same time, pneumatic apparatus is connected with electronics and mechanics, which together deliver the required result. The Kropotkin MiSSP Plant has been working with Festo for ten years. In addition to supplying pneumatics, Festo provides our enterprise with technical support and consulting services — both during the development of our products and during operation. The main criteria for choosing a partner are: product quality, breadth of the product range, pricing, service level, and technical support. Today pneumatic prices are acceptable and stable. Our supplier always has a wide selection of components in stock, enabling us to find many solutions without changing the price of the full set.
The pneumatic equipment we purchase is manufactured both in Germany and at subsidiaries. Lead times are approximately 8 weeks from the time the order is confirmed by the plant. When components are needed urgently, Festo delivers pneumatics faster than the contractual obligations require. All after-sales service issues are resolved promptly by our partners, at the supplier's expense and without any cost to us. A range of pneumatic equipment manufacturers is represented on the Russian market, offering products of varying quality depending on customer needs. Leading positions are held by well-established manufacturers with extensive experience in the field and favorable terms. Demand for pneumatic equipment in Russia is undoubtedly growing, driven by the dynamic development of the machine-building sector. At the same time, equipment produced in Russia is becoming more complex, and the need for more advanced and sophisticated components — with greater operating speed and service life — is increasing.
Viktor Shpomer, Director of NOTIS:
Packaging equipment uses all the main elements of a pneumatic system:
- pneumatic cylinders — as drives and clamps in packaging equipment;
- cylinder mounting accessories — brackets, clamps, ball joints, etc.;
- electrically controlled pneumatic valves — for managing pneumatic drives via a controller;
- air preparation unit components — filters, pressure regulators, gauges, lubricators — for air treatment and supply to pneumatic circuits;
- fittings and tubing — for supplying compressed air to pneumatic circuit elements.
The company NOTIS selects pneumatic suppliers based on: the price-to-quality ratio of the supplied components; delivery lead times; availability of stock. Partnerships are most often built on mutual trust. The Camozzi pneumatics we use are produced in Russia, so delivery times generally suit us, and we have no need for after-sales service. As pre-sales service, we use free technical consultations from the supplier's Russian representative on component application conditions. We have no particular problems with pneumatic equipment — at most, some inconvenience due to long lead times when changing component types or urgently sourcing new ones. Overall, the use of pneumatics as drives in packaging machines is becoming less prevalent — servo drives and stepper motors are increasingly used as alternatives, offering greater speed and more precise positioning. But pneumatics remains virtually unrivaled in packaging equipment manipulators.
With the growing use of manipulators in packaging equipment, demand for vacuum technology (a segment of pneumatics) is rising. On the Russian market, the most in-demand equipment comes from Festo, SMC, and Camozzi — in that order, which also reflects the pricing of pneumatic components. As for defects, there are virtually none in deliveries. However, failures of pneumatic parts at customer sites do occur, and the cause is typically improper operating conditions. Competition in the pneumatics market is real, but healthy. Furthermore, switching to a different brand of pneumatics is quite difficult for packaging equipment manufacturers, as it requires design modifications to the product.
Pakkograff 2007 #5