Proximity to customers is ensured by our plants, warehouses and local customer support. Short distances are important, not only to save costs, but also time. After all, time is a key factor when it comes to replacing spare parts or on-time installation. For this reason, Saurer is constantly working to expand its local network by investing in new plants and in the modernisation of existing locations.

Reaching customers in all corners of the globe Proximity to customers is ensured by our plants, warehouses and local customer support. Short distances are important, not only to save costs, but also time. After all, time is a key factor when it comes to replacing spare parts or on-time installation. For this reason, Saurer is constantly working to expand its local network by investing in new plants and in the modernisation of existing locations.

This approach can be seen in our new locations in Asia, including our facility in Karjan, India, which offers service and repair services, also featuring an original parts warehouse for our ring-spinning machines. In 2015, the Saurer site in Suzhou, China, was recognised by the government as a high-tech company in Jiangsu Province. This award is only given to innovative companies in key areas relevant for China. In 2018, we launched a smart factory on the new Silk Road. Our plant in Übach-Palenberg was recently expanded and modernised. (Read more about "Made in Germany" on p. 44 of our "Insight" customer magazine, available for download below.)

No company can have production sites everywhere, which is where our Customer Service Centres (CSCs) come in, ensuring a strong and reliable life-cycle partnership and making sure that your machines run at their best, increasing sustainability with the packages offered through Sun – Service Unlimited. CSCs take care of your needs in Indonesia, Uzbekistan, South Africa and Mexico, among over a dozen other sites. (Meet two of our CSC team leaders on p. 38.)

The outbreak of the coronavirus has shown how important customer proximity and anticipatory action is. As borders started to shut and flights were being cancelled en masse, we knew we had to move fast to keep local original parts warehouses around the world stocked. This way, we ensured that important and critical parts, particularly consumables, were and are available locally in sufficient quantities. As a result, the increase in air freight rates and the closure of customs offices posed no obstacle for Saurer customers.

Delivery was made by local transport companies, which in turn ensured that the machines restarted smoothly after various lockdowns.

As lockdowns took effect, our service personnel turned to digital technology to assist customers via video call. In urgent cases, special vehicles were organised for deliveries, even at weekends.

In addition, we provided our customers with special guidelines in good time on how to stop the machines for a longer period and then restart them safely. The parts teams put together the components that our customers would need for restarting after a long standstill. In some cases, in compliance with strict hygiene measures, local service teams, on site at the customer's premises, ensured that new assemblies were completed and the necessary service provided, despite the pandemic.

But there are also many challenges in product development, because every machine must be able to serve a wide range of users and yet be adaptable to individual customer requirements. "One of the biggest challenges begins with finding and defining the right products,” says Thomas Ammer, Head of the Saurer Group's Project Management Office.

Like our customers, we have to adapt continually to the changing environment. Development often takes years and foresight is vital to be able to tackle the problems of tomorrow, while ensuring that our customers benefit from our innovations and boost profits. Today, more than ever, flexibility and automation are what is require to meet the demands of the market. Saurer has been producing technologies that take this into account, including MultiLot technology on the rotor-spinning machine Autocoro, which allows customers to produce up to five lots simultaneously. PilotSpin can be used to conduct spinning trials on certain spindles while the remainder runs at full production speed. (For more on Autocoro’s intelligent features, see p. 12.)

We also ensure that our machines can be upgraded and place a high value on sustainability. One example of this is the energy-saving spindles Saurer developed for our CarpetTwister and CarpetCabler machines. Customers can retrofit this technology onto earlier models. It makes a substantial contribution to return on investment – an energy saving of up to 30% means that the payback period is significantly shorter.

For almost two centuries, we as Saurer have stood by our customers, supporting them as they navigated the maze of challenges posed by our cyclical industry and dynamic markets. As always, our eyes remain fixed on future possibilities and opportunities.