With ÖLFLEX® CONNECT CABLES, we offer you the right cable assembly solution – regardless of the application. For over 30 years, our dedicated and highly qualified expert team of engineers, technicians, sales, and service employees have been coming up with tailor-made preassembled cable solutions – from the design phase to the creation of the prototype to production and quality control. We care for everything and develop tailored cable assemblies for you with our robust ÖLFLEX® CONNECT CABLES – always with the highest quality. This gives you more time for what’s essential: your core business!
Our comprehensive inventory of cables, plug connectors, and accessories that we have developed enables us to respond quickly and flexibly to your requirements – from smaller orders to large-scale projects. You get complete connection solutions with us from a single source, from a simple cable with a plug connector or spiral cable to a fully assembled cable harness. This simplifies the ordering process and reduces the work you must put in. Thanks to our cable assemblies, you also have less cutting loss, coil residue, and packaging work, as we deliver directly to where the products are needed.
We also offer you an expert all-around service. Our experts are on hand to support you, from needs analysis and design concept to prototype development right through to needs-based assembly and quality control. No matter what industry you work in, our system engineers know all the special applications and use their in-depth knowledge to develop your individual cable assemblies.
Our product range stretches from single cores and multi-core cables to EMC-shielded cables, all of which can be fitted with a wide selection of crimp contacts, plugs, and housings.
The benefits to you
You minimize the procedures, time, and human resources required
Fewer suppliers mean fewer resources must be devoted to registration, inspection, and storage
Lower costs due to lower cutting loss, coil residue, and packaging work.
All-round service
Take advantage of our expert all-around service and concentrate on your core business.
It is with great enthusiasm that we are pleased to present an exciting new feature for everyone – our long-awaited latest newsletter! We’re excited to share valuable information, industry trends, and updates directly in your inbox.
Stay informed about changes to our product price lists, ensuring you always have access to the latest ones.
Market News:
Keep abreast of relevant trends, developments, and events in our sector so you can make informed decisions.
Technical Articles:
Explore our technical knowledge through specialized articles to help you better understand our products and services.
How to join:
Join us on this journey of knowledge! To subscribe, visit our website and follow the simple instructions to secure your free subscription. Be ready to receive inspiration and valuable information directly to your email.
At Lapp Policabos, we believe that connection goes beyond physical cables. We’re here to connect you to the knowledge that drives the future.
In a world increasingly dependent on connectivity, the importance of electrical and optical cables is undeniable. At Lapp Policabos we recognize that the role of connectors and accessories in cable systems is often underestimated. These components play a crucial role in the quality, durability, and reliability of all cable installations.
In this article, we will explore in depth how connectors and accessories play a vital role in ensuring optimum performance.
The Invisible Connection
Connectors and accessories are the invisible links that keep a cable system working effectively. They are responsible for connecting the main cables, enabling the transmission of power and data, and ensuring that the system functions as a whole. Although they seem like small and simple components, their importance should not be underestimated.
Reliability and durability
Reliability is a critical factor in any cable installation. Interruption or failure in the transmission of energy or data can have serious consequences, from financial losses to security risks. This is where connectors and accessories play a key role.
Secure connections
High-quality connectors ensure secure and reliable connections between cables. This prevents transmission failures and signal loss, resulting in a more stable system.
Weather and Wear Protection
Accessories, including Lapp Policabos protection solutions such as protective covers and seals, help protect connections from damage caused by exposure to the environment, such as humidity, dust and temperature variations. This contributes to the durability of the system.
Efficiency in action
Well-chosen connectors and accessories not only ensure reliability, but also contribute to the overall efficiency of the cable installation.
Ease of Maintenance
Easy-to-maintain connectors make problem detection and correction simpler, reducing downtime and associated costs.
Flexibility and Scalability
Choosing the right connectors and accessories can allow the cable system to be expanded and modified with ease, which is especially important in constantly changing environments.
Proper Selection and Installation
The proper selection and installation of connectors and accessories play a critical role in ensuring a reliable installation. Here are some essential guidelines:
Choosing Quality Connectors
Opt for high-quality connectors that meet the technical specifications required for the application.
Suitability for the Environment
Consider the environment where the cables will be installed and choose accessories that adequately protect against adverse environmental factors.
Professional Installation
Ensure that the installation of connectors and accessories is carried out by qualified professionals to avoid future problems.
Preventive Maintenance
Implement a preventive maintenance program that includes regular inspection of connectors and accessories to ensure they work properly.
Connectors and accessories are the invisible pillars of reliability in cable installations, as they ensure that power flows without interruption and that data is transmitted effectively. By paying due attention to these vital components and choosing them carefully, you can ensure the durability, efficiency, and reliability of your cable installations.
Lapp Policabos has a solid reputation in the cable and connectivity equipment market and is renowned for supplying the best quality equipment. Committed to excellence and innovation, Lapp Policabos invests in research and development to ensure that its products meet or exceed the highest industry standards. The company makes it a priority to offer technical solutions that not only meet the needs of its customers but also ensure durability, reliability, and superior performance in all cable installations.
In this article, we will highlight the copper solutions featured in the new POLILAN catalog, which offers advanced products to meet the demands of modern communication networks.
Cat6 and Cat6A Cables: Ensuring Performance and Reliability
POLILAN offers a wide range of copper cables, most notably Cat6 and Cat6A cables. These cables are designed to provide impressive data transmission speeds and ensure the performance required in cable installations. With the increasing demand for bandwidth and faster transfer speeds, Cat6 and Cat6A cables are ideal choices for modern communication networks.
Different Armoring Types to Meet Specific Needs
We understand that every cable installation is unique and requires solutions tailored to your specific needs. That is why we offer different types of shielding on our copper cables. From unshielded to fully shielded cables, customers have the flexibility to choose the most suitable solution to ensure signal integrity and minimize electromagnetic interference. At Lapp Policabos, we are committed to providing versatile options to meet the challenges of modern cable installations.
Benefits of POLILAN Copper Solutions
By choosing POLILAN copper cables, customers enjoy several significant benefits. First of all, our advanced solutions offer impressive data transmission speeds, ensuring that communication networks operate efficiently and quickly. In addition, the ability to choose different types of shielding allows cable installations to be tailored to the specific needs of each project. Lapp Policabos is proud to provide technical solutions that meet the growing communications industry demands.
In the world of modern communication networks, reliable and high-quality solutions are essential. At Lapp Policabos, we are committed to providing technical solutions in the field of cable installations. With the new POLILAN communication network infrastructure catalog, we highlight copper solutions, offering advanced products that ensure performance and reliability.
Our Cat6 and Cat6A cables, with different types of shielding, give customers the flexibility to choose the solution best suited to their specific needs. Through advanced manufacturing techniques, our copper cables offer impressive data transmission speeds while minimizing interference and maximizing the efficiency of your installations. Trust Lapp Policabos to provide the copper solutions you need for your communication cable installations.
In today’s world, where communication plays a crucial role in all spheres of society, it is essential to have efficient and reliable solutions for data transmission. In this context, fiber optics has emerged as a revolutionary technology capable of providing superior speed, bandwidth, and security compared to traditional cables.
The Fiber Optic Revolution
Fiber optic technology is based on transmitting information through pulses of light that travel through ultra-thin glass or plastic fibers. This approach surpasses the limitations of conventional copper cables, enabling significantly faster data transmission speeds and greater bandwidth capacity. Fiber optics are immune to electromagnetic interference, ensuring a stable and reliable connection.
The POLILAN catalog features a wide selection of optical cables, including distribution, drop, backbone, and splicing cables. These cables are manufactured using high-quality materials and advanced technology to ensure superior performance. They are designed to meet the demands of modern applications such as data networks, telecommunications networks, and video transmission systems.
2. Specialized Connectors and Accessories
In addition to optical cables, POLILAN also offers a variety of connectors and accessories that complement their fiber optic solutions. High-precision fiber optic connectors ensure reliable connections with low signal loss. Accessories such as termination boxes, splice trays, and adapters provide a complete solution for installing and maintaining fiber optic networks.
Technical Resources and Guides
The catalog also includes technical resources and practical guides to assist customers in properly selecting and installing POLILAN’s fiber optic solutions. These resources provide detailed information on product technical specifications, installation guidelines, maintenance best practices, and other relevant information.
Fiber optics has revolutionized modern communications by offering unparalleled data transmission speeds, wide bandwidth, and superior reliability. With the POLILAN new catalog of network infrastructures, businesses and professionals can access complete solutions for fiber optic applications, ranging from high-quality cables to specialized connectors and accessories. Regardless of the project’s size or complexity, POLILAN provides the technical solutions for reliable and efficient fiber optic installations.
Invest in POLILAN’s fiber optic solutions and experience a new level of performance and reliability in your communication networks. Consult the new catalog of network infrastructures for more information and discover how these solutions can drive your business forward.
Lapp Policabos is pleased to announce the launch of our latest catalog: the POLILAN Network Communications Infrastructure Catalog. This catalog was designed to meet our customers’ copper and fiber optic communication needs. It will become a reference in the communications network infrastructure sector with various products and technical solutions.
Exploring the Solutions Offered
The POLILAN Communications Network Infrastructure Catalog features a comprehensive range of solutions that address the challenges of communications cable installations. This catalog is an indispensable source for professionals looking for reliable, high-quality products, from copper to fiber optic cables, accessories, and wall cabinets.
In this article, we will explore some of the catalog’s key offerings:
Copper
In the copper categories, we offer advanced products that ensure the performance and reliability needed for modern communication networks. With Cat6 and Cat6A cables with different types of shielding, customers can choose the solution best suited to their specific needs. Through advanced manufacturing techniques, our copper cables offer impressive data transmission speeds while minimizing interference and maximizing the efficiency of installations.
Fiber Optic
For fiber optic applications, we offer a wide selection of cables that meet the requirements for indoor and outdoor installations. With various types of shielding available, our fiber optic cables ensure high mechanical strength and protection against adverse environmental factors. In addition, we also provide hybrid lines, which combine the advantages of copper and fiber optic technologies, allowing seamless integration into complex communication systems.
Accessories and Cabinets
In addition to cables, the POLILAN Communications Network Infrastructure Catalog offers a wide range of copper and fiber optic cable accessories. These accessories facilitate communication system installation, maintenance, and management. From connectors and adapters to specialized tools, we provide everything you need to create a high-quality cable infrastructure.
The catalog also includes wall cabinets and pedestals to accommodate and protect communications equipment. With robust and functional designs, these cabinets ensure cable systems’ proper security and performance.
Technical Resources and Guides
To help our customers choose the right products and implement their cable installations, the Communications Network Infrastructure Catalog includes quick-choice guides and comprehensive technical guides. These resources provide detailed information about the product’s technical specifications, performance characteristics, and installation guidelines. These guides will be of great value to professionals who want to get the most out of their cable systems.
With the launch of the POLILAN Communications Network Infrastructure Catalog, our company reaffirms its commitment to providing quality technical solutions for communications cable installations. With various products and comprehensive technical resources, we are ready to meet our customers’ specific needs for copper and fiber optic cables.
We invite you to explore the new catalog and discover our innovative solutions. Our team of professionals is ready to help you find the best option for your communication needs. Join us in our search for reliable and efficient connections in communication cable installations.
Contact us today for more information about our products and solutions!
Download the new POLILAN Communications Network Infrastructure Catalog here.
In the last few years, sustainability has become a buzzword that we encounter everywhere. For LAPP, however, sustainability is not a trend, but a duty. In order to further advance the topic, a central position was created in LAPP Holding AG in the spring of 2022. The LAPPConnect editorial team spoke with Global CSR Manager Maria Dobritzsch.
Why was this new position created?
Maria: Sustainability is firmly anchored in LAPP’s thinking and actions. And currently there is a lot of movement in this area. The legal requirements are becoming more and more extensive and complex, our customers are increasingly demanding information on our sustainability goals, and our banks are also taking our sustainability performance into account when calculating interest rates and carrying out risk assessments. The newly created position centrally manages the topic of sustainability at LAPP.
How sustainable is LAPP already today?
Maria: Sustainability has been defined as one of the five breakthrough goals of our corporate strategy. The focus of our activities is on our products and their manufacturing processes. Here, the carbon footprint plays an important role. To calculate this, LAPP Product Management recently introduced its own software. The goal is to reduce the CO2 footprint by 20% by 2025. Our resource management plays a major role here, as copper is responsible for the majority of CO2 emissions in the production of our cables. It is therefore particularly important that we pay attention to low-carbon production of the copper. To this end, we are in close contact with our copper suppliers and find out how their production and supply chains are set up. In addition, the colleagues look at other components of the cable. For example, they examine the sheathing and check whether bio-based composite materials or recycled plastics can be used. It is always important that the quality of our products remains guaranteed.
What has LAPP already done in recent years to address the issue of sustainability?
Maria: A lot has already been done. For example, analyses have been carried out on the subject of “green copper” and data collected on our copper purchasing throughout Europe. We’re picking up where we left off and want to continue this process globally. Our national companies are not idle either. Some have replaced old light sources and used LEDs in recent years, while others are relying on photovoltaic systems.
At our production site in Bangalore (India), 90% of the electricity required is covered by our own photovoltaic system. Speaking of electricity, we consistently purchase green electricity in Stuttgart.
How are employees motivated to be more sustainable?
Maria: In previous months, we have carried out various campaigns to raise awareness of sustainability among all our colleagues. At our global Learn Challenge at the end of 2021, we collected many ideas. For example, we focused on climate change and social sustainability. Another special highlight was the Sustainability Hackathon at the beginning of the year. Here, interdisciplinary teams worked on various issues related to sustainability. Exciting ideas were discussed, such as awarding an internal sustainability prize.
Is there a particular goal we are working towards in terms of sustainability?
Maria: My big goal is to be able to present a regular sustainability report for the entire Group. The first step is a kick-off workshop in Stuttgart and the establishment of a sustainability steering group. The plan is for this committee to bring together colleagues from different areas of the company on a regular basis to define sustainability goals for the company and to initiate projects. Another essential building block for comprehensive sustainability reporting is the introduction of suitable software. This will take place before the end of 2022. Finally, it is becoming increasingly important to define, collect and evaluate sustainability indicators. For example, water and energy consumption, waste volumes and gender ratios can be used for this purpose. Initially, the software will be tested at the Stuttgart site. In the long term, a global rollout is planned. We aim to present the first sustainability report for Germany as early as the end of 2023.
In our highly networked world, continuous learning is essential for organisations since yesterday’s knowledge may already be outdated today. The rapidly changing requirements of our day-to-day lives require us all to be able to learn this new knowledge equally quickly. For this reason companies aim to encourage their employees to continue to educate themselves. Realising this during our day-to-day work is a real challenge however. On the one hand, it requires suitable formats; on the other, employees often lack the time for seminars lasting several hours or even days. LAPP has rolled out its learning and development platform LAPP Grow with this in mind. This offers employees new training formats, which can be integrated perfectly into their day-to-day work. All employees in the LAPP Group will have access to the system by the end of the year.
Globalisation and digitalisation offer countless opportunities – new working methods, new tools and even new business divisions. These changes also involve particular challenges that require special knowledge. This is why LAPP Global HR Development is working on the LAPP Grow platform. This already provides more than 7,000 online training opportunities – from e-learning to in-person training, which can be booked directly in LAPP Grow. All LAPP, employees can choose from a wide range of relevant and interesting learning content on a variety of topics: from compulsory training on occupational safety to professional further training, for example on plastics technology, right up to courses promoting the development of soft skills, such as the interpretation of body language. LAPP Grow provides an overview of all further training and development activities within the company – and the format in which they are carried out. The advantage of this is that the platform can be accessed by all employees worldwide.
Learn what you need right now anywhere at any time
HR Management & Organizational Development specialist Christina Krieg has already tested LAPP Grow and has found: “LAPP Grow provides access to a variety of learning content from a single platform. Previously, I had to trawl through our intranet and various other systems for content. Now, LAPP Grow offers me internal and external content bundled together on one platform.“
The special feature is that all employees can log in to the learning environment with their PC, laptop or smartphone at any time – whether in the office, at home or on the move – making use of waiting times. LAPP Grow thus enables self-directed, flexible and self-organised learning – each person learns in a work-related manner and at their own pace and according to their individual possibilities and needs. Feedback on the design of the platform has also been positive: “The interface is clear and user-friendly, so I was able to find my way around it quickly,” said Rebecca Kümmerle from Internal Audits. Benjamin Suljic, Referent of Digital Learning and Development, is responsible for global implementation of LAPP Grow and stresses: “For me, the biggest advantage is that the platform gives all LAPP employees the opportunity to find the content they need at any time, in any place. In this way, LAPP Grow combines learning and development opportunities and acts as a foundation for a learning organisation.“
The project as a learning process
LAPP Grow commenced in October 2021 with the go-live for LAPP Holding AG. The next stage was the APAC region and its German site. It will gradually be taken on board by all national subsidiaries around the world. Sampatkumar B. Aratti, Vice President and Head of HR APAC, emphasises the importance of LAPP Grow for the development of the entire LAPP Group: “Companies can only develop successfully if their employees are constantly learning. This is why, throughout the LAPP Group, our motto is “Level up” . With LAPP Grow, we are implementing a format where employees are empowered by easy-to-access training opportunities which enable them to expand their professional and social skills while providing an opportunity to further their education – alongside their day-to-day tasks.“ The online academy, which invites people to develop in a relaxed learning atmosphere, promotes the LAPP culture of lifelong learning. Working together with colleagues from around the world, LAPP Grow provides all employees with the opportunity to build up their skills and grow closer together thereby raising the level of knowledge in the entire organisation – while at the same time updating’ it. “Our aim with LAPP Grow is to find, recruit, develop and retain the best talents for the long term,” Jasmin Capitano, Head of Talent Acquisition, Employer Branding & People Development LA EMEA concludes. “We have noticed how critical such issues are for potential applicants and are therefore clearly highlighting the opportunities available at LAPP.”
Skyscraper cleaning and maintenance staff rely on the high-quality facade access systems from Manntech. Manntech is part of the Alimak Group and provides innovative, tailored facade access solutions worldwide. When it comes to electrical cables, a partner is required who offers durable and high-quality products for harsh and demanding environmental conditions. Manntech relies on LAPP as the trusted brand of choice.
Share
Manntech is developing a sophisticated, customized solution for facade maintenance of the Porsche Design Tower.
If you have a fear of heights, this job is not for you: window cleaner working at the Porsche Design Tower in Stuttgart. The high-rise building reaches a height of 90 metres, with 25 floors housing offices, restaurants, a hotel, and a bar with spectacular view of Stuttgart’s Killesberg and the Neckar valley. On the tenth floor, you can find a terrace that visually breaks the glass front. This architectural feature is a challenge for maintenance personnel. Conventional work platforms, which are lowered from the roof, would touch down on the terrace, and a transition to the lower floors would not be possible.
Tailored solutions for challenging facades
The solution: a stationary building maintenance unit with a double telescopic boom and a guided cable system anchored to the roof of the building. This allows the facades of the upper and lower parts of the building to be reached separately. The sophisticated design was developed and constructed by Manntech. Founded in 1953 by Mannesmann, the company is a specialist in high-quality and tailored solutions for facade construction and building maintenance – wherever standard systems do not work, such as in the case of high-rise constructions, facades with numerous projections and recesses, slanting or aspherical roofs. The product range includes facade access systems, facade lifts, cross-transfer carriages, ladders, lifting tables, abseiling systems, fall-protection systems, scaffolding and much more.
Around a hundred such systems leave the Manntech plant in Mammendorf every year, destined for buildings all over the world. The company has been part of the Alimak Group since 2017. “Our solutions allow customers to clean, service and maintain buildings in a cost-effective, safe and unobtrusive manner,” says Gerhard Zeitler, Head of Sales at Manntech. “We are not the biggest player in the industry, but we aspire to be the best – we are the technology leader in our field.”
The Porsche Design Tower in Stuttgart is 90 meters high and allows a spectacular view.
Sensors for safe and efficient maintenance
This makes Manntech a pioneer in remote and predictive maintenance. Sensors report constantly from anywhere in the world on where the rig of the facade access system is located and its movements. This allows the building cleaner to drive along the facade and digitally record any detected damage. In the past, they would have had to write this down on a piece of paper, indicating the rough position. Now, technicians immediately find the place and can repair the facade.
Manntech is also popular with architects because the systems are known for not disrupting the aesthetics of the design. For the World Trade Center in Abu Dhabi designed by Norman Foster, the company produced rails that can be mounted on the roof despite its 55-degree inclination. The rails were measured using a laser, whereby everything needed to be accurate down to the millimetre, and special cooling is also required. Manntech was the only supplier who was able to meet the architect’s design and technical requirements. It took 60 weeks of development work, and everything was tested using prototypes. The system is equipped with sensors with absolute value measurement. This means that it is always possible to see exactly where the rig is located and how it is moving. This provides a significantly higher level of safety for the maintenance personnel.
Expertise and impulses from LAPP
Systems such as these need to function without failures for many years, even in the face of wind, weathering, and high levels of UV radiation. After all, human lives depend on it. Replacing defective components is very difficult and time-consuming. Each country also has different requirements and standards. When looking for suppliers, they can therefore only consider partners who can offer robust quality and tailored variety. When it comes to cables, Manntech relies exclusively on LAPP. ÖLFLEX® cables, UNITRONIC® data cables, various plug connectors and cable conduits are the most common products. “We value fast communication”, commends Richard Horkavy, Head of Development at Manntech. “Our contacts at LAPP always have an open ear and can quickly find a custom solution that fits our requirements.” Manntech also expects suppliers to take the technological lead. “We are open to impulses and innovations”, says Horkavy, “we can learn a lot from LAPP’s expertise, for example when it comes to efficient warehouse processes in production and assembly.”
Manntech relies on durable and high-quality products from LAPP and appreciates the joint cooperation.
Facade access system for a World Cultural Heritage
The next opportunity for this is a very challenging new project, where Manntech is once again relying on solutions from LAPP. Manntech is currently constructing a maintenance and access system for one of the most famous bridges in the world in Australia. The bridge is a World Cultural Heritage that must not be changed. Drilling new holes into the bridge structure is not permitted. The installation is therefore set up on the bridge and held via 1400 special bolts. It consists of two motorised gantries, two different access units for a total of six available cradles, two drive bogies and two material trolleys. Sensors ensure safety and communication. “In Mammendorf, the bridge was replicated and tested at different temperatures and wind speeds,” reports Dieter Eichler, Plant Manager at Manntech. Another challenge is the colour of the maintenance and access system: it must be adapted precisely to the shade of the bridge. Also in this project, Manntech can meet its customer’s aesthetic and technical requirements and offer a solution that enables maintenance work to be carried out efficiently and safely.
“Such exciting projects make collaboration with Manntech extremely attractive – for both partners,” says Markus Schreiber, Account Manager at LAPP. On the one hand, LAPP’s expertise and brand products, from ÖLFLEX® to HITRONIC®, support the implementation of innovative and sophisticated safety solutions. On the other hand, LAPP is learning a lot from Manntech about future application requirements such as data acquisition and transmission under challenging conditions. Markus Schreiber explains: “This is a great partnership. We still have a lot of plans together for the future.”
The Dutch manufacturer of industrial sawing machines, Harwi, is known for the durability, quality and user-friendliness of its products. To increase its own productivity and simplify assembly, Harwi opted for tailored cable assemblies from LAPP. This saves the machine manufacturer four hours per constructed machine, which sums up to an additional machine every two to three weeks. In addition, the installation of the sawing machines on site has been noticeably simplified and the risk of incorrect cabling is reduced.
Safety, ergonomics and health – these are Harwi’s current development goals for the industrial sawing machines they have been constructing since 1960. The company from Helmond in the Netherlands is also known for its extremely durable products: “We know that there are Harwi sawing machines that have been in use since my birth, i.e. for over 35 or 40 years,” says Adrian van Mensvoort, Managing Director of Harwi. Three years ago, Adrian took over the management of Harwi as part of a generational handover in the long-established company. Although the robust, high-quality machines are highly rated on the market, he left no stone unturned when it came to finding ways to further optimise their quality and durability.
Robust sawing machines for a safe and ergonomic work environment
Since its founding in 1960, Harwi has made a name for itself with robust, easy-to-use and high-quality sawing machines for the wood processing industry, but Harwi has also long been associated with renowned DIY brands such as Praxis, Gamma and Bouwmaat. Alongside durability and ergonomics, Harwi also stands out by producing all important types of sawing machine: vertical sawing machines, radial sawing machines and circular sawing machines. “Circular sawing machines are definitely our speciality,” says Adriaan, “but our quality standards apply equally to all types of sawing machines that we manufacture.” The machines make their way to customers via a large network of dealers around the world who also take care of installation and service.
“When I became the new Managing Director, I knew that the company urgently needed innovation and development,” says Adriaan. “It was important to me to check all suppliers and dealers we work with and ensure that their services and products correspond to our newly established core values.” Harwi’s main goal has always been to supply machines for a safe and ergonomic work environment, a guiding factor in all technical and service decisions. “We want our machines to make life easier and convenient for everyone involved, from design and installation to the many years of use,” adds Adrian. “And we noticed that connection solutions were an aspect where improvement would make a big difference in this respect.”
LAPP cable assemblies make design and installation considerably easier
Before the change in management, Harwi ordered cables and connectors as individual items. During the construction of a machine, employees took what they needed from the warehouse at their own discretion. “This worked because we had and still have qualified employees, but it was not particularly efficient with regard to either assembly time or storage,” explains Adriaan. “And this made installation harder for the customer than it ought to be.” Harwi sawing machines are delivered in two parts which must be assembled on site. This also includes connecting the saw motor to the control unit. “Until recently, this meant opening a junction box and manually wiring several power cables,” says Adriaan. “It was a complex process that required a trained eye and if even one of these many cables was connected incorrectly, the saw blade turned in the wrong direction or not at all.”
Adrian approached Harwi’s long-standing partner LAPP and asked for a solution. Cable assemblies quickly proved to be the ideal solution. LAPP now supplies all necessary cables and connectors for every Harwi sawing machine as a complete, pre-assembled package. Alongside significant time savings in assembly, this also means that Harwi no longer needs specialists for this task – a major advantage in the face of increasing skilled worker shortages. Last but not least, this has made the installation process easier: instead of the previous complex process, service personnel simply has to click in one cable bundle during assembly and the cabling is complete. “This makes life much easier for our dealers,” emphasised Adrian, “and it greatly reduces customer complaints about their machine not working properly.”
Full trust in LAPP
Under different circumstances, Adriaan might have felt unsure about deciding to switch to pre-assembled cable assemblies: “Outsourcing something as essential as cable assemblies requires a certain degree of trust in the manufacturer, as you become quite dependent. But we have complete trust in LAPP.” The fact that LAPP has been a supplier to Harwi for many years has helped develop a relationship of trust. “LAPP works closely with its customers and both the sales and engineering teams understand our needs,” says Adriaan. “We noticed their enthusiasm when it came to finding a solution tailored to our application – and they did just that. And they always take our feedback on board for improvements. That is exactly the type of relationship that we are looking for with a supplier and we will definitely continue maintaining this partnership in the future.”