TRUMPF’s digital business model helps tackle shortage of skilled workers

Approximately one year ago, TRUMPF began offering sheet-metal fabricators the opportunity to use its fully automated TruLaser Center 7030 laser machine under a Pay per Part business model. TRUMPF provides customers with the high-performance machine and a material storage system on the basis of an equipment-as-a-service (EAAS) contract. Customers can then use the TruLaser Center 7030 for their own manufacturing requirements. The fully automated laser machine is equipped with cameras, sensors and remote-control systems. This enables TRUMPF to operate the machine from its Remote Control Center in Neukirch without the user having to be present all the time. “Pay per Part is yet another example of TRUMPF’s market-leading position in the realm of digital connectivity. We can operate the TruLaser Center 7030 remotely and use the machine data to improve the efficiency of the manufacturing process. That gives our users a competitive edge,” says Thomas Schneider, CTO at TRUMPF Machine Tools. The Pay per Part model enables TRUMPF to remotely schedule and control the operation of the manufacturing cell while also providing machine programming and maintenance services. 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. Under this new business model, customers are only charged for parts that are actually manufactured.

Helping to tackle the shortage of skilled workers
One of the first companies to adopt this new model was Reiff Umformtechnik. Based in Leipheim, Germany, this metal-processing company supplies various industries including the mechanical engineering and vehicle manufacturing sectors. The shortage of skilled workers has presented it with some significant challenges. “We have huge numbers of orders coming in, but too few staff to keep our machines working at capacity. Pay per Part helps us increase machine availability and improve our production processes,” says Reiff. He also points to further benefits, such as the ability to deploy innovative technologies without having the personnel that would normally be required to program and operate them.




All-inclusive package for sheet-metal fabricators
Pay per Part allows companies to keep their machines operating without having to hire new labor. It also enables automated and cost-effective production of small batches – provided that the minimum agreed level of capacity utilization is met. Should a malfunction occur that cannot be remedied remotely, TRUMPF notifies the user and instructs them what to do. In addition, the team from TRUMPF is able to set up the machine to the customer’s exact requirements and leverage data analytics to obtain maximum productivity.

Greater customer focus
TRUMPF, too, benefits from Pay per Part. This new business model provides an in-depth understanding of customer requirements, thus enabling the high-tech company to undertake targeted improvements to its own machines and software. This, in turn, facilitates the development of new technology. Combined with the TruLaser Center 7030, the Pay per Part business model offers an attractive option for any company that has full order books and a shortage of skilled labor. TRUMPF currently offers the model in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

Pay per Part has cemented TRUMPF’s reputation as a pioneer of innovative business models in the global sheet-metal community. The remote-control technology used in the Pay per Part model won the Microsoft Intelligent Manufacturing Award in the "Scale!" category at Hannover Messe 2022.

www.trumpf.com