Nothing beats personal contact

ACE's digital selection and advice service appeals to all technical target groups and is particularly popular outside of traditional office hours. Even during the Covid-19 pandemic and especially during times of contact restrictions, ACE's websites and the integrated chat function were popular, much-used communication channels alongside telephone advice. There is now a greater need for personal advice and on-site appointments again. This trend has also been confirmed by the increasing attendance at trade fairs since the beginning of 2023 and the consultations held there.

Design engineers can configure various machine elements in advance. In the brake cylinder configurator, for example, oil brakes and hydraulic brake cylinders can be calculated online and ordered in the online store. © ACE

Ralf Küppers, the sales engineer responsible for the Benelux region at ACE since 2006, says: "At training events and trade fairs, but also in certain consulting situations, there is no substitute for personal contact. An example of this is the case of one of our customers who needed a damping solution for fire-resistant sliding doors for the new design of an environmental container. We were able to clarify design data such as weight, closing speed of the doors and inertial forces to be decelerated over the phone. This allowed us to narrow down the machine elements in question and arrange a sampling appointment on site." During the meeting, an even more concrete picture emerged, allowing Küppers to present the possible solutions to the designers and test install a preferred one on the spot. "I often find that you can offer a very suitable, suitable product on site," explains the ACE Benelux representative.

His colleague Christopher Berning, who works in technical sales at ACE's headquarters in Langenfeld, agrees and reports on a shock absorber application in a test facility of a large German supplier of car washes. The aim was to find suitable industrial shock absorbers in the sample system under real conditions that could withstand both the water and the washing chemicals even better in the long term and reliably decelerate the mass forces on the construction's swivel arms. The particular challenge lay on the one hand in the selection of stainless surfaces and resistant seals. On the other hand, the main task was to carry out a series of tests to determine the setting values for the industrial shock absorbers that had to decelerate the brush rollers of different weights on swivel arms moving at different speeds, depending on the washing process and amount of water. ACE's field service managed this balancing act on a live object by first testing conventional, adjustable industrial shock absorbers until the exact values for continuous operation of the system were determined. "We were prepared to accept rust and possible damage to the seal pack due to water and washing chemicals in order to transfer the values determined to our self-adjusting stainless steel industrial shock absorbers at the end of the tests. In the end, MC3350EUM shock absorbers were determined to be the most suitable for the task, we adapted them precisely to the conditions on site and then installed them in a stainless steel version for the customer," recalls Christopher Berning. The decisive factor for the customer in this case was that they found a partner who was able to deal with the specific situation in the test plant very quickly and was also able to manufacture and deliver special models in a short space of time.

Free training courses and demonstrations

The speed of response and customer-specific solutions described in both cases also characterize ACE's sales department in the provision of other services. These include free product demonstrations and training courses.

For example, it is possible for small groups to experience the advantages of the service with competent, personal advice and support during a visit to the ACE demonstration vehicle on site. An ACE representative will present exemplary solutions from the product range to the participants. On the other hand, certain facets of damping or vibration control technology can also be highlighted or components for speed control or the safety of structures can be demonstrated, depending on the customer's wishes. "The best thing is when you can convince engineers who are still pondering the right solution to a damping problem of our wide range of solutions," explains Jörg Brinkmann, ACE's training manager. "In addition to these types of demonstrations, we also hold free lectures and talks at technical colleges and universities," he adds.

Valve technology, VibroChecker and much more

ACE initially supported the customer in the design of a new washing system with advice and on-site sampling and supplied the corresponding industrial shock absorbers made of stainless steel. © MTE

Ralf Küppers points out another added value for customers: "As part of our field service activities, we are sometimes asked during customer visits to check components supplied by us and, if necessary, to adapt them even better to the respective design." This is possible, for example, if industrial gas pressure or gas tension springs have been installed. Thanks to the valve technology used by ACE, the technicians can either let the nitrogen escape from the cylindrical components to the nearest Newton meter or add it.

ACE technicians can also use the VibroChecker mobile app to measure vibrations on systems and machines if required. The software is available free of charge to anyone interested and provides valuable services for preventing vibrations and shocks, particularly when used on the move to test vibration-sensitive structures.

VibroChecker is the free vibration measurement app that can be used to determine the vibration values of vibration sources and a suitable solution for damping them. © ACE

From the customer's point of view, ACE shock absorbers score points for both presence and expertise. These two advantages are constantly being expanded thanks to the company's affiliation with the Stabilus Group. This is demonstrated, for example, by the fact that the leading supplier of gas springs, dampers and electromechanical actuators in the automotive sector has also geared its sales structure to the needs of industrial customers. A newly formed sales team can now also offer solutions from the Stabilus Industrial division, resulting in an even wider range of suitable machine elements. For engineers and designers, this means that they can now select and install the right solutions for future-oriented designs from a single source, either on-site or online.

Robert Timmerberg, M. A., specialized journalist, plus2