Dr Daniel Wächter, Product Manager After Sales and Service: First of all, all our products go through an extensive R&D process. This is coupled with the innovations from series machine development. Our many years of worldwide market experience and close cooperation with our customers during field trials are equally valuable. Our specialists put our Saurer original parts through strict quality checks – we test them thoroughly in hardness applications. They have also proven their worth a thousand-fold in spinning mills around the globe. Some, like our Belcoro spinning components, set technical and technological standards in the textile industry.

D.W.: Our customers enjoy the benefits of life-long technical services and guaranteed availability of original parts for decades. They can also count on support from our technological consulting team across the globe and our Customer Technology Centres. We also have a worldwide network of Customer Service Centres and Saurer agents to support our customers' businesses. Saurer original parts have a long service life. They ensure trouble-free production in the customers’ plants and reduce machine downtime. Naturally, our products come with specified guarantee periods, information concerning expected service life and application recommendations. Many parts are protected by patent to ensure that our customers can benefit exclusively.

Another major advantage is that customers' machines will always be up to date and benefit from the latest innovations. It can be costly to use parts from a third party because this often decreases machine performance: the risk of damage is higher, e.g. damaged bearings caused by badly balanced rotors. Very often, third-party parts have a shorter lifetime and must be replaced at shorter intervals. Replaced parts or electronic parts with incorrect settings may need to be serviced more in order to address problems.

D.W.: We focus on key components that determine yarn quality. They are relatively easy to identify by the quality seal that is printed on or stamped into their surface. In many cases, the logo is a figurative mark that we have trademarked − this means only Saurer can use it.

D.W.: Many specialised and experienced teams handle this process: parts administration is responsible for order management and the export team for shipping and customs regulations. For very urgent deliveries, customers can opt for express shipping: all orders placed by 13:00 GMT are turned over to the freight forwarder on the same weekday.

In the warehouse, we ensure that the correct parts are shipped with modern pick to light systems. Our original parts are stored carefully to prevent dust contamination. Rotors and all other susceptible parts are stored in rustproof paper. We also send out all the parts in specialised packaging to ensure that they arrive at the customer in the same condition in which they left the factory. Since we have stock available in many countries, we are able to deliver orders fast and reliably.