Serving the customer

Can seaming machines are often in operation around the clock. To ensure a fault-free production of up to 120 000 cans per hour, a 40-man team is employed worldwide by the Swiss Ferrum AG: the Customer Support. When a new machine leaves the factory for the first time, the work starts for Customer Support.

A production hall in Germany. Hamza Cosgun, Ferrum service technician, is standing on the can seamer at a height of two meters. A machine needs to be completely overhauled after 20 000 hours of operation and the subassemblies disassembled into their individual parts. Now it is time for reassembly – after three days of disassembly, cleaning, and replacing of wear parts. The time schedule is tight: Work continues through the weekend, because operation has to commence again in the next week according to the plans of the production director.

Precision: "Don't make a wrong move"

Hamza Cosgun gives the forklift operator precise instructions: The center part rotor, which seals over 2000 beverage cans per minute, is heaved into the machine from above, lowered slowly and brought into position. One wrong move or a jerking brake of the forklift could easily cause damage in the six-digit range. Cosgun has brought along 60 kilos of tools and needs to keep an overview of the 20 palettes on which the disassembled subassemblies are distributed.

1500 machines on 5 continents

Can seamers are the most important products of the Ferrum Canning Technology Division. More than 1500 can seamers and fillers have been sold around the world, which want to be maintained for decades: After 5000 operating hours at the latest, a minor maintenance is in order; a major maintenance is due after 10 000 operating hours. For comparison: An automobile achieves 5000 operating hours by driving about 200 000 kilometers.
The assignments of the service technicians on five continents need to be planned with precision: That is the greatest challenge for the 40-man Customer Support. Ferrum currently manages two individual service offices in Asia and Spain and coordinates from its Swiss headquarters a worldwide network of representatives. Further Ferrum service technicians are based in Germany.

Fault diagnosis in the filling line

Back to Germany. After eight days, the filling line returns to normal operation. In addition to precise working, flexibility, and mobility, a solid vocational training in mechanics is required. The service technician adds: "It's also most important to be able to diagnose faults on site and to be familiar with the entire filling line," knows Hamza Cosgun. "A can crash in the seamer does't necessarily mean that the problem also lies in the seamer." As a former employee of a large filling operation, he is familiar with all types of machines and knows how they interact. That helps him with the fault analysis during his assembly jobs around the world.

Hotline: For emergencies around the clock

Werner Fischer is director of the Customer Support, Canning Technology Division. "As a modern machine construction corporation, we want to offer the customer a constant availability of competent employees so that he can act accordingly," is how Fischer outlines his concept. Customer satisfaction has priority for Fischer and only becomes possible through teamwork. Urgent cases are answered around the clock by the Ferrum hotline. Complaints though find the boss' attention: Werner Fischer takes care of them personally then.

Spare parts "just in time"

"To renovate a machine, it needs spare parts just in time on site", Werner Fischer knows. "Because the customer doesn't overhaul just our machine, but seasonally the entire line." Particularly for this reason, good timing is indispensable by the sale of spare parts in coordination with the maintenance assignments. Urgent orders therefore have to be ready for pick-up within just a few hours in order to deliver the needed spare parts to the customer by express. Sales-and-Return contracts ensure before the maintenance that the customer receives all available spare parts, whereas parts that are not needed are returned.

Training: Individually according to target groups

When a new can seamer goes into operation at a customer, a Ferrum service technician provides a brief introduction on the operation and service of the machine. "We offer more than this introduction, which is part of the purchase of a new machine. The customer can request individual training programs from us," said Werner Fischer. The courses are oriented according to the needs of the operator, maintenance personnel, electricians or quality managers. Instruction takes place in the Ferrum training center or if desired, directly at the customer's machine.

Engineering support with specialist

An additional, free service for customers is offered by Ferrum since 2009 in the form of Engineering Support. "We want to relieve the operational business with a technically competent contact point," Werner Fisher points out. The responsibility of the Engineering Support lies with the experienced engineer Bruno Schwaller, who in 29 years has gotten to know and help develop the Ferrum machines down to the last detail. Ferrum employs numerous experienced employees that have grown with the company. That is the secret for success of the family-run corporation, which celebrated its 90th anniversary just in 2007.

About Ferrum AG

Ferrum AG was established already in 1917. With over 430 employees, Ferrum is one of the largest family-owned companies in Switzerland and is operating in five divisions. In the business sector of canning technology, Ferrum occupies the world-wide market leadership position for beverage can seamers. Centrifuges and cast products are developed and produced in addition to state-of-the-art can seamers. www.ferrum.ch/canning