GENERAL NEWS
New pay-per-part business model for TRUMPF
Sheet-metal specialist TRUMPF is set to unveil a new digital pay-per-part business model for its full-service laser machine , TruLaser Center 7030 , at EuroBLECH 2022 in Hanover , Germany ( 25-28 October 2022 ).
“ Using an equipment-as-a-service ( EAAS ) model , we will supply customers with this high-output machine along with a material storage system . Companies will be able to use the TruLaser Center 7030 for their own manufacturing requirements . We will have access to the machine from its Remote Control Centre in Neukirch without the customer needing to be present all the time . The full-service laser machine is fitted with cameras , sensors and remote-control systems ,” it told ISMR .
“ With our new pay-per-part business model , we are focusing on our customers ’ needs like never before ,” explained Stephan Mayer , chief executive officer for machine tools at TRUMPF . “ We are helping them combat the shortage of skilled workers in industrial manufacturing and providing them with even more add-on services with which to boost their productivity and competitiveness .”
With the pay-per-part model , TRUMPF will be able to remotely schedule and control manufacturing processes with the
TruLaser Center 7030 and provide machine programming and maintenance . In the event of machine failure , TRUMPF will be notified without delay and – in its own interest – move to remedy the problem as quickly as possible . This , it explained , is because pay-per-part customers are only charged for parts that are actually manufactured .
“ In tests with pilot customers , this new business model has boosted productivity by as much as 50 per cent ,” the German manufacturer highlighted . “ In these times of skilled-labour shortages , many companies are having problems sourcing suitable employees to program and operate their machines . This is when sheet-metal processors can benefit from the pay-per-part model . The new model means that companies can operate their machines around the clock without having to hire new labour .”
It also enables automatic and economic production of small batches , said TRUMPF , provided that the minimum agreed level of capacity utilisation is met .
“ With fully automated systems like the TruLaser Center 7030 , the operator is not always in the vicinity of the machine ,” added TRUMPF programme manager , Benedikt Braig . “ However , to be as efficient as possible , these
With its new pay-per-part business model , TRUMPF is offering remote operation and maintenance of the TruLaser Center 7030 from its Neukirch facility .
machines should be operating as continuously as possible . If manual intervention is required , our remote pay-per-part team can respond extremely quickly and restart production within a matter of minutes .”
Should it prove impossible to remedy the problem remotely , TRUMPF notifies the user and instructs them what to do . The team from TRUMPF will set up the machine to the customer ’ s exact requirements and leverage data analytics to obtain “ the maximum productivity ,” it told ISMR .
The new business model also enables TRUMPF to make targeted improvements to its own machines and software , easing the development of new technology . n
. trumpf . com
Meetings in the Metaverse
The Metaverse offers intriguing potential for industry ( image : Shutterstock . com ).
Meetings in the Metaverse could become reality for millions of workers in the near future after a new UK study found that hundreds of businesses are looking for , or building , office space in the virtual technology .
Research undertaken by Regus , part of workspace group IWG , found that twothirds ( 66 %) of business leaders view the Metaverse as the natural progression for hybrid working , and that half ( 48 %) are exploring office space in the online world for their employees .
“ Enabling workers in different locations to interact via 3D avatars , bosses believe the Metaverse will have a significant impact on the way we work . [ Around ] 70 % expect it to increase demand for flexible working , as it will reduce the need for staff to work from the same office location ,” explained Regus .
“ Business leaders also believe that the flexibility offered by the Metaverse will bring a host of other benefits including more diverse workplaces ( 62 %); improved mental health ( 57 %); reduced presenteeism ( 54 %) and better relations between remote and office-based staff ( 54 %). Seven in ten ( 71 %) also think it will present new business opportunities and welcome the news amidst fears of a recession on the horizon ,” it added . But despite bosses ’ enthusiasm for the Metaverse , according to the study , there are fears among office workers that businesses will not be brave enough to take the plunge on the new technology . Nearly two thirds ( 63 %) think their employer will wait to see how other businesses fare before investing themselves , while less than half ( 46 %) think their company will be an early adopter of the Metaverse . Just 6 % think their business will adopt the technology in the next 12 months , with most ( 33 %) expecting it take three to four years .
“ Employee enthusiasm for the technology to be adopted quickly is driven by its perceived benefits . Communication between team members ( 44 %); teamwork ( 41 %); remote working opportunities ( 40 %) and creativity ( 39 %) were identified by staff as the greatest advantages of working in the Metaverse . When it comes to implementing the new tech , 56 % of business leaders say shared office space will be key . Around 61 % are so bullish on its prospects that they believe it will become crucial for communications between different company
offices ,” said Regus .
A separate study by Regus found that three times the number of FTSE 250 companies are looking to use a hybrid office model compared to those looking to carry on in the same way as pre-pandemic , suggesting that the appetite for working in the Metaverse will only increase . Regus ’ parent company , IWG , has committed to opening 1,000 new spaces in 2022 to cater to this demand , with the majority set to open in rural and suburban locations
Mark Dixon , Regus Founder and CEO , said : “ Change in the world of work is almost always driven by technology ...... This data shows that business leaders expect the Metaverse to have a transformative effect on hybrid working . It will enable better collaboration for people working all over the world , reducing the need to commute and allowing greater flexibility in people ’ s day-today working schedules .” n