Interview with the two Managing Directors of esitron-electronic GmbH: Saurabh Basu and Dennis Raiser
The company esitron produces solutions for drive and positioning technology. They offer an automation system consisting of controller, servo drives as well as servo amplifier with programmable (web) control panel and large LED display. Keyword: Potential of sophisticated positioning and automation products – Where is the road for esitron going?
Individual solutions instead of from the standard portfolio, that was and remains the credo of esitron-electronic GmbH.
The decentralized servo drives with integrated controller from esitron can be connected to a wide variety of fieldbuses in all versions. These include Profibus-DP, ProfiNet, CANopen and EtherCAT. Alternatively, up to 15 PLC programs can be stored in the motor, allowing the esiMot to be operated in stand-alone mode.
The Safe Torque Off (STO) safety function can be configured in addition to each motor. This allows a modern safety concept to be implemented even in a decentralized manner. With the STO function, Category 3 and Performance Level e can be achieved. The eight digital inputs and two digital outputs can take over internal functions, such as limit switches or “ready for operation”, or can be used as decentralized I/Os. The intelligent “all-in-one” design is particularly suitable for complete decentralized solutions. The wide range from 70 W nominal power at 24 V DC supply up to a motor power of 4.4 kW (S3) and direct 230 V / 400 V AC mains supply open up a diverse range of applications. Optionally, there are multiturn absolute encoder, holding brake or an ATEX-compliant version for zones 2 and 22. IP65 protection is standard.
Inside a production plant, it is more and more about the implementation in the smallest space and clarity in the control cabinets. How do you see the further development on the market and the challenges of the future? Inside a production plant, it is more and more about the implementation in the smallest space and clarity in the control cabinets. How do you see the further development on the market and the challenges of the future?
The direct 230 V or 400 V supply of the larger esitron drives (esiMotXL, esiMotSL) means no bulky power supply module in the control cabinet. In short: no heating and also no space requirement in the switch cabinet!
There is the possibility of connecting external encoders for slip-related applications. Customized variants we offer from 50 pieces per year, as well as software adaptations according to customer requirements.
Drive technology from esitron stands for German workmanship, for durability and high adaptability to a variety of machines and systems in the field of positioning and automation. How do you estimate the life cycle, the maintenance effort and the repair conditions, e.g. for your bestseller, the servo motors of the esiMot series?
We have an operating hours counter for this, which not only records the undercurrent time, but the actual movement, which is important for the gearbox and attached mechanics. Looking to the future, the next generation of motors should also be able to make this data available to a cloud.
Headwords efficiency, resilience and sustainability: How would you categorize esitron’s products?
Of course, our greatest interest is to supply components for machines and plants that work with the highest precision, show little material fatigue and have a long service life. Customer satisfaction is very important to us. We are proud of many long-term cooperations and lasting business relationships. Our customers appreciate the high quality that goes into our products.
We are able to repair drive technology that is up to 10 years old or supply a functionally compatible successor model. A repair is also always under the aspect of economic efficiency and sustainability – we leave this decision to our customers.
How do you deal with supply chain bottlenecks?
We have always lived long-term material planning in the more than 30 years that esitron-electronic GmbH has been on the market. But even we come to limits and cannot stock the complete demand for our multitude of products in our warehouse. Nevertheless, we have a high delivery reliability, which we want to maintain in the coming years. We have already placed orders with our suppliers for 2024 and 2025, so they can also plan for the long term. We work very closely with our suppliers to involve them in the procurement process. This is the only way to establish long-term cooperation based on solid trust.
The past year has also shown how flexible our team is. We are technically and practically adaptable enough to replace hard-to-find components used in our servo controllers, for example, with alternative units that are currently available. This has also enabled us to maintain our very good delivery performance.
There are many suppliers for servo drive technology. How is esitron different from others?
Quite clearly: through the comprehensive in-house know-how as well as through flat hierarchies and thus efficient working practices. The specialist departments are door to door and regularly consult with each other. This means that technical inquiries from customers can be clarified and answered within the shortest possible time. The wealth of experience of our employees ensures comprehensive and expert advice. These are the reasons why we can promptly and quickly implement the most diverse customer requirements. Fast response times from quotation to order processing to shipping, this is what distinguishes the company esitron.
What added value do your customers get when they buy a product from esitron?Welchen Mehrwert haben Ihre Kunden, wenn Sie ein Produkt von esitron kaufen?
1. Even before the purchase: individual consultation, design and dimensioning of the order scope. This is followed by intensive examination of the customer’s concept, to which we contribute our expertise if requested. We often send test units to customers so that they can see and test for themselves how something works. In the vast majority of cases, the prospective customer immediately keeps this test device.
2. During commissioning: There is life after the purchase. We do not leave our customers in the lurch. Free telephone support, remote maintenance and, if necessary, on-site installation and assistance with initial use are all part of our services.
3. We also provide free telephone support in the event of service. We offer remote maintenance, if necessary, an employee comes to the factory for service.
What can your customers expect from esitron in the future?
The proximity to the customer remains unchanged. We want to make it even easier for our customers to reach us and are in the process of preparing a new website. In the future, we will continue to focus on the concerns and needs of our customers, so that we can find the best solution for our clients’ ideas even better.
In concrete terms, we are planning to expand our range of digital displays with a text- and graphics-capable display for the industrial indoor sector. We expect to ship the first DotMatrix displays in Q2 2023.
In addition, we are expanding our esiMot series and releasing the esiMot Mikro. As the name suggests, this will be esitron’s smallest servo motor with integrated electronics. It is planned to offer this up to an output (S1) of 105 W. This decentralized servo drive will initially be available with PROFINET and EtherCAT. Other fieldbuses, such as CANopen, are also being considered. esiMot micro motors equipped in this way can be ordered for the 2nd quarter of 2023. So there is an exciting new year ahead!