As the person responsible for Kilian KiTech, the department in Kilian that takes care of testing customers products on IMA tablet presses, both in Kilian and at customers’ plants, Dolf Oberborbeck is a direct witness of the importance of service for improving machine productivity. We had a short talk with him, to understand how IMA Active’s wide range of services can be a fundamental factor for higher efficiency – and lower manufacturing costs.

Maximization of tablet output and minimization of non-productive times are key factors to determine the effectiveness of a tableting installation, most of the technical innovations are now developed for this purpose. Is the concept of service changing as well, as a result of this modified environment?
Yes, it is. In the past, service was mostly perceived as something that was required to solve a problem, after it had occurred. Now the request is shifting to preventive service: customers are more frequently asking for training and programmed maintenance.
Training of personnel is vital for a stable operation. The better the operators and maintenance staff handle the machine, the more stable the production. Training can take place either at IMA Kilian or on site and it involves all critical factors in terms of process understanding and machine operation. There is enormous potential in cost reduction and savings in terms of product loss, down time, cleaning and changeover.
Programmed maintenance is usually part of a dedicated contract, and includes several aspects such as the control of wear parts and machine calibration on a regular basis. The advantage for the customer, compared to standard unscheduled maintenance, is shorter machine down times, higher machine output, improved and more stable quality of the product and less waste.


How does the new information technology help with after sales support?
Well, it allows us to be somewhere, without having to be physically present. For example our remote diagnostic support allows our technicians to connect via ISDN or DSL/VPN line to all our windows based tablet presses. A functional inspection of all evaluable components is possible, to identify and fix any possible problems or incorrect settings on the tablet presses and to monitor the process. Again, intervention times are extremely fast, minimizing down-times and at the same time avoiding costs related to travelling expenses.
As a new option we can also supply a DSL connection together with an industrial web cam. This helps us to give nearly the same support as well as educated Kilian technician on site, but much more cost effective and faster.


You also can offer the possibility of e-sourcing for spare parts, right?
Yes, the application is not new in the IMA group, but the extension to Kilian products is quite recent. It is linked directly with the IMA SAP operating system, so that by accessing the My IMA Spare Parts portal customers can perform different operations, such as:
- place Orders or request Offers for mechanical and/or electrical spare parts,
- view the Spare Parts Catalogue relative to individual machine serial numbers that are present in the system,
- view the item codes of the parts and order them easily and directly,
- view the status of the Orders and Offers,
- configure authorization pertinent to each user for each machine serial number.
It is the preferential route to buying Kilian OEM Spare Parts: manufactured to precise specifications and built for reliability, productivity, less environmental impact and re-use. We make sure the parts will match up with your machine and are delivered in a timely manner.

Want to know more about this and other IMA Active products and services?
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