WEG, a leading international supplier of drive technology, has opened a new European automation centre to improve support for its customers and to further strengthen its automation components business in Europe. In addition to locating its European automation specialists in the new centre, WEG is opening a shop with test stands, a training centre and warehouse space for automation components.
With the main objective of concentrating forces in one location to boost awareness of WEG's frequency inverters, soft starters and servo drives in Europe, the new centre will be led by both Fábio Gonçalez, the recently appointed EME Automation Manager and head of the Automation Centre, and Bernd Kaiser, Automation and Drive Systems Manager at WEG Germany. The company is also recruiting new employees for the expanded premises and relocating experts from other sites to Unna.
The opening of the new automation centre brings together WEG's staff and its expertise from the German headquarters in Kerpen with those of its subsidiary Watt Drive to a single location. This leads to a closer integration of Watt Drive gear technology, particularly technology for relatively low power levels, with automation components such as frequency inverters.
The in-house training centre for automation topics and the dedicated test stands in the shop enable WEG to better respond to customer needs and increase customer awareness of WEG's automation portfolio. Now frequency inverters, soft starters and servo drives for example, can be set up, repaired and modified with custom software at the centre in Unna. The experts can also look after the layout of complete electrical cabinets.
"In the last few years we have constantly expanded and optimised our sales organisation in Germany," says Klaus Sirrenberg, Director Low Voltage Products at WEG Germany. "Establishing the automation centre is a strategic move to increase customer awareness of our automation portfolio in Europe. In Brazil we are the market leader in automation, but in Europe we are presently primarily known as a manufacturer of electric motors. Our goal is to be regarded as a solution provider, and the new automation expertise centre enables us to get even closer to our customers and offer them improved support. I think we're heading in the right direction."
