Kai Höfer is Head of Service at KOCH Robotersysteme. In this interview, he talks about the range of services offered by his company, the special features and the significance of the human factor.
Mr Höfer, how about this: a robot that maintains and repairs robots?
Kai Höfer: The idea sounds tempting at first. But I think we will never be able to completely do without humans. Robots are always specialists in their niche. Humans are simply all-rounders who can take on any challenge. Combining these outstanding mobility and fine motor skills, perception and intelligence in an autonomously acting machine will be impossible for the foreseeable future. So even if the entire production plant consists only of robots, there will always be a human in between to keep everything running. And people prefer to work with people.
So the human factor is crucial in working on and with robots?
K. Höfer: You could say that. The relationship between people is just as important to us as the technology. There is a pleasant working atmosphere, not only internally but also with our customers. This allows us to learn with and from each other and improve. For example, we have a positive error culture at KOCH. Everyone is allowed to make mistakes. Mistakes happen. We admit to our mistakes and rectify them as quickly as possible, if necessary, by joining forces. What is important for us is that we learn from our mistakes in order to improve. And that is only possible if the interpersonal relationships are right.
Can you give us an overview of the main tasks and scope of the technical service provided by your department?
K. Höfer: For our customers, it is crucial that their systems run reliably and efficiently. And if they do happen to fail, they need to be back up and running as quickly as possible. Our service is structured according to these requirements: the main ‘Maintenance’ division takes on tasks such as servicing and inspections, the spare parts service and the issue of system safety. The ‘Performance’ division takes care of upgrades and retrofits, performance optimisation and training. And then we have the ‘Troubleshooting’ experts. These are our problem solvers with remote and on-site service and our 24/7 hotline.
How does your service offering differ from that of your competitors?
K. Höfer: We differ in three ways: comprehensive service from a single source, rapid solutions and a modular service concept. This means that regardless of whether a system is from us or from another manufacturer, we take care of everything. And we do it quickly, either remotely or on site, and we also deliver spare parts quickly. And we offer flexible service packages that are individually tailored to the needs of our customers.
You offer an ‘all-round service from a single source’, especially for systems from other manufacturers. What services does this include? Do you also do repairs?
K. Höfer: From a single source means that we at KOCH Robotersysteme take care of everything. As a customer, I can turn to our service department with any questions. For example, we have our service programmers, electricians and mechanics, who are able to tackle all technical requirements. If we reach our limits in the service, our internal departments, such as design or electrical engineering & software, can help us. This all happens in the background, the customer doesn’t notice anything and only has contact with our service representative.
KUKA and ABB are the two major suppliers of industrial robots. Our service technicians are specialised in both. This means that, regardless of which system manufacturer has delivered, we can offer services and, of course, repairs for these robot types. In the case of mechanics and hardware, this is done according to the manufacturer’s specifications. When it comes to software solutions, we familiarise ourselves with the programmes of other manufacturers. But since we know the robots and their programming languages, this is absolutely feasible and economical. We also have a large number of third-party products in our customer database, for which we regularly carry out service and repair work. However, it is not only robot systems, we are also happy to take on conveyor technology and other additional tasks.
How do you ensure that your services meet the individual needs of your customers?
K. Höfer: We are close to our customers. We are very proud of the personal relationships we have with our customers. Our employees know how important the systems are for our customers and put a lot of expertise and passion into their work. Most of the systems are always looked after by the same technicians at our company; they know their ‘babies’ inside out and act accordingly in a targeted manner.
Preventive maintenance is also part of your service portfolio. How do your customers benefit from this?
K. Höfer: These regular maintenance and preventive servicing measures keep the systems operational and productive in the long term and greatly reduce unplanned system downtime. These regular inspections are equally important for comprehensive system safety.
Which technologies or innovations do you use in your service to increase the performance of your customers‘ systems?
K. Höfer: We keep our focus on our customers’ systems so that they are always up to date. After each customer visit, our service technicians also include suggestions for optimisation or preventive measures in their report. If the customer requests an increase in performance, we take a close look at the system with our specialists. This can be achieved by simply changing processes, modifying existing designs, such as grippers, or adapting the programme. If fundamental changes are made to the technology, we offer retrofits and upgrades.
Well-trained personnel are also needed for the smooth and efficient operation of the plant. Can you tell us a little more about the ‘training’ service?
K. Höfer: We essentially provide two types of training: training for plant operators and training for maintenance. We prepare the plant operators optimally for daily operation with individual training, either at our site in Dernbach or on site. We also offer practical training in maintenance and servicing. After all, well-trained maintenance staff are the key to reliable and smooth system availability and minimal downtime.
We usually train in groups of three to a maximum of five technicians or employees. Experience has shown that this gives individuals enough space for questions, which simply makes the whole thing more efficient. Of course, we can also train individuals. Depending on the training required, the training is conducted by our maintenance specialists or service programmers. When new systems are handed over to the customer, the training is carried out by the project team, which is most familiar with the specific system conditions and also the operating conditions. Subsequent training is provided by our service team. Incidentally, our service team also receives training from the project team when the plant is handed over. This approach also reinforces an idea that is very important to us: we see ourselves and our customers as one team.
What technologies do you use to make your service more efficient or effective?
K. Höfer: It starts with a ticket system that is specially tailored to the requirements of our service and that also offers the possibility of integrating the customer. Then we have our ‘data glasses’, the KOCH Smart Remote Service. This is software that we are constantly developing further together with two partners. And we have developed KOCHnectivity specifically for use by the customer.
What is KOCHnectivity?
K. Höfer: This is software that helps optimise the performance of systems: KOCHnectivity offers a clear overview of the system’s status and enables a precise analysis of the production structures. Based on these results, we can provide targeted recommendations as to whether the system needs an upgrade, a modification or a retrofit.
How important is digitalisation in service and which solutions do you already use?
K. Höfer: Digitalisation is essential. If you don’t go along with it, you’ll lose! One example of this is remote maintenance: we have been offering this for many years and can use it to access customer systems and rectify most faults online. This saves a lot of time and therefore costs. These systems are constantly evolving and have become indispensable.
Let’s stay with further development: what trends or challenges do you currently see in the area of service and how do you address them?
K. Höfer: It is quite clear that digitalisation will increase even more. Customers want to be able to see what is happening with their systems in real time. The required delivery times, for example for spare parts, and maintenance times will also continue to decrease. The example of AMAZON shows what is possible here, and our customers will expect a similar service. Then, of course, artificial intelligence will become a defining topic, for example, with regard to operation, operating instructions, spare parts determination and similar aspects of service. At KOCH, we have launched an ‘AI’ project to evaluate the possibilities and to use this technology ourselves and for our customers. This is an exciting, promising topic that we are just getting started with.