Mikron Machining Technology has restructured its international customer support operations around its new Global Service Solution operation which has four discrete levels: Business Support, Product Support, Xchange Service and a Spare Parts Service. Customers are able to select service options from each level and create individual specific service solutions to achieve optimised productivity throughout the entire lifecycle of any Mikron machining system installation. The machining solutions based company, headquartered in Agno near Lake Lugano in Switzerland, has some 6,000 machines installed around the world and employs 65 people in its international customer support operations and service centres.

These provide a 24h global service line for problem notification.

The Business Support operation has been developed to help optimise the use of a Mikron system investment and provides a specialised consultancy service for re-tooling of rotary transfer and the highly flexible Multistep XS linear transfer machines.

This re-tooling service is aimed to meet user needs when application requirements change and considerably reduces the investment required for existing customers in new equipment.

In addition, due to almost every Mikron machine forming a key production installation, dedicated customer training courses can be arranged by the business support team, for electro-mechanical, CNC technologies, machine setting and error management.

Through Product Support, Mikron has devised a wide range of comprehensive services to optimise the maintenance of a machining system.

Proactive measures driven by Mikron ensure maximum productivity and machine availability are now covered by the company's Product Support Team providing on-site inspection by Mikron service technicians able to recommend a scope of customised service solutions for the machine and application.

Further development is also underway through use of condition monitoring.

A teleservice, free of charge during the warranty period, also enables the status of the machine to be checked remotely in a matter of seconds.

There are also telephone support help desks and a complete equipment overhaul service providing a full machine analysis and recommendations for upgrading or improving productivity and reliability.

The Mikron Xchange Service will minimise down time by enabling a customer to return a defective module from a machine to the factory where an overhauled replacement unit, having the same warranty as a new unit, is available for immediate installation.

The price however, is some 60% lower than the price of a new unit.

In addition to a recommended fast moving spare list provided for each machine installation, original spares are stocked to provide immediate support to customer service and breakdown recovery.