Hofer Powertrain Products Signs-up to SparesVault™ to Minimise Downtime

Phil Black - PII Editor 08/10/2021

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With headquarters in Nürtingen, Germany, and fourteen further production facilities across Asia, the Americas and Europe, including Warwick and Solihull in the UK, Hofer Powertrain Products supplies powertrain solutions for world-leading electric, hybrid, petrol and diesel vehicle manufacturers across the globe.

Hofer Powertrain Products UK has now signed up to SparesVault™ from Northern Industrial, a new service that offers guaranteed access to a bespoke automation spare parts inventory with the intention of balancing the cost of holding obsolete and end-of-life spares against the threat of machine downtime.

Launched by Northern Industrial in November 2020, SparesVault™ is a subscription-based service that starts with a comprehensive review of system-critical assets to create a detailed obsolescence report with recommendations for automation parts to be included in the bespoke SparesVault™ inventory.

The agreed SparesVault™ inventory is then sourced by Northern Industrial, with all parts serviced, tested and checked before being held in a secure bonded warehouse facility. Back-ups of relevant parameters and programs are also securely stored on cloud-based servers. Parts considered most likely to be needed are provided for storage at the customer’s site for immediate access in the case of a breakdown.

Any further parts required, covered by the SparesVault™ inventory, are delivered to the customer’s site within a contractual response time. Inventory levels are reviewed at least annually with adjustments proposed where necessary.

northern industrial sparesvault — JohnJoe McGonagle in the Northern Industrial SparesVault™

Hofer Powertrain Products UK Technical Support & Facilities Manager Darren Dean said: “All manufacturers want to avoid downtime, while getting the longest service life from capital equipment. SparesVault™ provides the perfect solution and has already paid for itself after our first breakdown since signing up.”

Northern Industrial Area Sales Manager JohnJoe McGonagle said: “According to research it’s estimated that downtime costs UK manufacturers £180 billion per year. Downtime costs are detrimental to all manufacturing businesses, with prolonged downtime becoming more likely when running obsolete equipment.”

“With downtime costs running into the billions for manufacturers annually, having a robust plan in place not only protects a business, but can increase growth.”

“SparesVault™ bridges the gap all manufacturing facilities face when an OEM no longer supports a part but the plant is not yet ready to upgrade. We designed it to provide an extra layer of protection for manufacturers seeking to avoid the disruption and risks associated with unplanned downtime, with a customised automation spares kit specific to their needs, available whenever and wherever needed, and provided on a cash-flow friendly subscription basis.”

“We believe this is a game-changing service for manufacturers globally – so we’re very glad to see Hofer Powertrain Products being one of our early adopters after recognising the competitive advantage it offers by helping keep productivity at optimum levels.”

Blackburn-based Northern Industrial is a multi-award-winning provider of new, reconditioned and obsolete parts and repair services, exporting to 146 countries. Sourcing from over 1,350 manufacturers, the company covers over 200,000 part numbers and holds approximately £10m in stock.

For more information go to www.nicontrols.com/uk or call 0800 234 3747.