The head of ZAYER’s service department (SAT), Angel Mujika, retires on February 29.

Indeed, on the 29th of this month, Angel Mujika transfer the position to Xabier Lacarra, with whom he has been sharing the position for 6 months to achieve the most natural transition possible. We have spoken with both, about the departure of one and the incorporation of the other, about the service they offer and the future challenges facing the department.

How has the SAT area evolved at ZAYER, and what is its work today?

“Before, basically most of the services performed were corrective. Those maintenances was carried out mostly in person and remote customer service was only carried out by telephone. ZAYER’s SAT was made up of highly specialized mechanical, electrical and electronic technicians. They were very decisive people, used to working alone and solving whatever problem”.

ZAYER TECHNICAL SUPPORT TODAY

“We have always served and continue to serve our customers to solve their problems as soon as possible. Nowadays, the services are very different, both new technologies (connectivity, Industry 4.0, APPs) and the high modularity of our new models have forced us to modify our service strategies”.

What changes in the ZAYER SAT area would you highlight?

“Without a doubt, the rental and exchanges of subassemblies», said Angel.

RENTAL AND EXCHANGES OF SUBASSEMBLIES

The high modularity of our mechanisms allows us to have a large park of subassemblies that allows us to offer an exchange service for reduction gear boxes, kinematic chains, elbow rotation systems, electrospindles, motors, etc. This is very important since in this way we achieve:

• Reduce the times of each intervention.
• Provide more effective and higher quality services because the subassemblies are adjusted and tested in ZAYER.

>>The challenge for our service is to be of higher quality, more effective and faster<<

HEAD RENTAL

«Another notable change is the head rental service. When a customer has a problem with the most important element of the machine, the head, we offer the rental service. In order to offer this service, ZAYER has manufactured a fleet of heads, which we offer to customers. With this rental option, the customer can maintain their activity while their head is repaired at ZAYER or at the facilities of our representatives or distributors.

On the other hand, it is important to note that we now have at SAT’s disposal a ZERO 3000 model machine. This allows us to verify and run the heads in the same conditions as those of the client, once repaired. In this way we have more guarantee that the repaired head leaves ZAYER in optimal conditions.»

PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE SERVICES.

Xabier and Angel comment “For some time now, we have been offering our customers the annual preventive maintenance service with tasks clearly defined by machine models. This is a service that customers are valuing very positively since:

• We guarantee that the maintenance recommendations of our own mechanisms are met, as well as those indicated by the manufacturers of the commercial elements that surround a machine. These actions provide greater durability for each of them.
• The number of machine failures is reduced.
• Failures can be detected that require corrective intervention in a medium or short period of time, allowing the client to carry out a scheduled machine stop with the benefits that this entails.»

How are new technologies influencing the SAT area?

“They are influencing a lot. New technologies are allowing us a very broad and very secure degree of connectivity with the machines installed in our clients.»

SAFER AND EFFECTIVE REMOTE SERVICES

«For some time now, ZAYER’s policy has been that all machines leave our facilities with the possibility of being able to remotely connect directly to the machine’s CNC. This has forced us to change the profile of certain SAT technicians since, increasingly, many services are performed remotely, live, so we advise and accompany the technicians of our representatives, distributors and clients in the use of the machines, so that they can verify the status themselves and can carry out interventions of different magnitudes”, said Xabier and Angel.

HORUS ^NX 4.0 SERVICE PLATFORM + APPS.

Xabier and Angel comment: “HORUS ^NX has become an essential tool for us. First of all, because of the services that it provides directly to our clients, such as monitoring their productivity, a greater control of production costs, and obtaining timely information on the status of the machine. , etc., Then, because it has given us the possibility to offer our clients the most important service that a SAT department can provide, predictive maintenance.

And finally, we have defined a line of continuous improvement of this service. And we will continue with it in the future. Today we already offer periodic reports on the state of health of the machine that include: Its functionality, thermal behavior over time and, thanks to our APPS, also the state of its geometry. Another notable advantage of HORUS ^NX is that, thanks to the large amount of data stored, we are able to determine the cause of a breakdown in much less time. And most importantly, all of this, without the need to travel to the customer’s facilities.»

TRAINING ACTIONS

Xabier Lacarra, for his part, tells us: «An aspect that I would highlight is the integration of our network of distributors in our training actions. The ZAYER product evolves to adapt to the technological needs of the market and the ZAYER heads in particular, have done. considerably, this leads us to periodically incorporate into our training actions distributors from all over the world, who come for training at our facilities. At ZAYER we teach them how to use our product and train them to carry out small interventions.

If the intervention requires a degree of expertise, we come from ZAYER’s SAT, these actions in knowledge management allow us to empower field technical service people in the face of interventions and reduce response times. Our services of exchange of subassemblies, repair and rental of heads, as well as our APPS aimed at facilitating machine adjustment, are fundamental pillars in the attention and rapid resolution of incidents and we will continue to promote these lines of work in the future.»

«Another area in our management is electronic engineering,» says Xabier.

ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING

«This team participates in the whole development of the machine, from the moment the order is placed until its commissioning at customer’s facilities, also providing support to SAT and pre-sales. Our area is structured to be able to carry out projects on multiple CNC programming platforms. We conform a motivated, proactive team with great technical preparation that, together with the good teamwork environment that exists at ZAYER, responds to customer needs and innovation challenges. The lines of the future involve continuing to innovate in control and continue to respond to the functionalities demanded by the market. Also the generation of electrical documentation and the management of the execution of machine wiring, they are aspects that we address from the area and on which we will continue working.»

>>The project team accompanies the machine during its life cycle<<

«Throughout the life of the machines, there is always a person from the electronics area who is normally part of the same structure of project people that took part in the construction of the machine, who connects remotely with the machine when it is requires and leads the control expansions that are requested.»

Regarding its human side, what would you highlight about the work of the SAT?

«A ZAYER machine,» says Angel, «is a long-lived machine, one of the longest on the market. Proof of this is that they are highly valued on the second-hand market. We have some up to 35-40 years old. Throughout the life of a machine, there are SAT people who provide service. These people travel, go to the customer’s facilities to take care of the machine, they know it inside out. They face a challenge and have to solve it. On the other hand, they serve the customer, they support them. In those moments of tension, making them see that we will solve the problem as soon as possible. And finally they have the satisfaction of having solved it. It has a very rewarding commercial part, since the customer is satisfied. And another very interesting technical part, by accompanying the machines in their normal use.»

Angel, now that your work at the head of the SAT is ending, what would you tell us about your years at ZAYER, and in particular, what do you say to your successor Xabier?

“It has been rewarding to coordinate these areas and I am very grateful to ZAYER for the trust placed in me” said Angel.

“I have worked for 40 years, of which more than 20 have been at the head of the SAT Department and the Electronic Department. I leave satisfied, calm and with enthusiasm. Satisfied because, during this time, I have tried to do things as best as I could. With greater or lesser success, but always trying to give the best response. Don’t worry because both departments are in good hands, with very good professionals. Under the direction of Xabier, to whom I have tried to teach everything I know, he will know how to face new challenges with confidence. I am happy, because I have realized that we speak the same language. Additionally, we have established a friendship. I know he will try to do his best.

«TO MY COLLEAGUES»

«To the rest of my ZAYER colleagues, what can I say. I thank you for all these fruitful years of profession and that I will always remember you. I don’t want them to miss me but I don’t want them to forget me either. There have been so many hours working together… To all of our representatives and distributors, I would like to say it has been rewarding and their collaboration has been very important. Thank you so much.

Having said this, — he adds with a smile -, I have to confess that it was my turn. I want to change my activity, to see my agenda occupied with other matters! It’s a beautiful job, but also a lot of pressure.

Xabier adds with a big smile: «Without a doubt, it is a tiring job, but part of the challenge is there; managing it with a service orientation to be able to respond to the needs that arise. I hope to do it as well as he has done. Now it’s your turn to come to lunch and make us jealous, Angel!»

<<It has been an honor to belong to this team and I am leaving satisfied, calm and with great enthusiasm”>>

Thank you for your dedication and good work Ángel, and come visit whenever you want, the pride is ours!