Why is a Hydraulic Equipment Supplier a Vital Partner in the Automotive Industry?
Hydraulic power supports a large variety of processes in the automotive industry, including many manufacturing and maintenance processes. To ensure these processes can be executed without interruption, automotive companies frequently partner with hydraulic equipment suppliers.
How Can a Hydraulic Equipment Supplier Support the Automotive Industry?
Hydraulic equipment suppliers serve as the go-to experts for all things related to hydraulic power, and this expertise is valuable for the automotive industry. Specifically, a hydraulic equipment supplier can add value in these areas:
- Assisting with hydraulic system design – Hydraulic systems are extraordinarily complex and require extensive engineering support. A hydraulic equipment supplier can provide this engineering support when automotive companies need to design a new hydraulic system or upgrade or replace their existing system. A hydraulic equipment supplier can also assist with troubleshooting if a hydraulic system sustains a failure. Some of the technical aspects that hydraulic supply experts can help with include component selection, sizing hydraulic power units and cylinders, performing pressure and flow calculations, identifying potential efficiency improvements and implementing improved safety measures. If needed, a hydraulic equipment supplier can develop a custom solution for automotive applications.
- Providing quality hydraulic equipment – The first job for every hydraulic equipment supplier is to provide quality hydraulic cylinders, hydraulic pumps, hydraulic power units, hydraulic valves, high-pressure hydraulic hoses, hydraulic filters and any custom hydraulic assemblies. Hydraulic equipment suppliers maintain a broad inventory of these critical components to ensure automotive companies have access to the power and precision they need. This includes components for assembly line automation, manufacturing robotics, vehicle lifting/positioning systems, metal stamping and forming systems, and any injection molding equipment.
- Providing preventative equipment maintenance – Preventative maintenance is key to extending hydraulic equipment lifespan and optimizing its performance. With expert preventative maintenance, automotive companies can avoid costly downtime and safety hazards arising from catastrophic failures. Preventative maintenance includes hydraulic fluid service, full hydraulic cylinder and pump inspections, hydraulic system calibration and troubleshooting any hydraulic system issues or concerns.
- Expediting hydraulic equipment repairs – By partnering with a hydraulic equipment supplier, automotive companies will usually get a faster response on any required repairs. This can be a massive cost-saver, as hydraulic equipment breakdowns halt operations and can take a long time to resolve without an expert overseeing the fixes. In fact, if a hydraulic failure isn’t addressed by a proven hydraulic technician, it can cause additional wear related problems that result in further downtime.
- Accelerating hydraulic component acquisition and replacement – A major bottleneck during hydraulic equipment repairs is acquiring the needed components. Supply chains are stressed and it’s difficult for companies to acquire the parts on their own without an experienced hydraulic equipment supplier on the job. By partnering with a hydraulic equipment expert, automotive companies will gain access to the parts they need faster, and the exact part models needed for repairs.
- Supporting the company’s safety, efficiency and scalability goals – If your organization has ambitious efficiency or scalability goals to hit, it will likely need additional hydraulic equipment resources to make them happen. A hydraulic equipment supplier can identify what systems automotive companies should plan to implement as they grow, prioritizing cost efficiency and safety in the process.
What Kind of Partnership Models do Hydraulic Equipment Suppliers Offer?
Hydraulic equipment suppliers can work with automotive companies to develop a partnership agreement that makes sense for their operations. Flexibility is the priority here, and some of the most common partnership models include:
- Transactional relationship – A transactional relationship is the simplest and is exactly what it sounds like. An automotive company needs hydraulic equipment, and the hydraulic partner supplies it. There’s no formal, long-term commitment involved, so this is a common choice for small automotive manufacturers and shops.
- Preferred supplier agreement – Larger automotive companies may opt for a preferred supplier agreement instead, which may offer volume discounts, priority inventory access and faster response times for repairs and maintenance. With a preferred supplier agreement, the automotive company isn’t usually obligated to source their hydraulic equipment from the partnered supplier, but they’re the first option and it’s typically beneficial for the company to do so.
- Preventative maintenance contracts – Preventative maintenance contracts are ideal for automotive businesses that rely heavily on their hydraulic power units, cylinders and accessories. Preventative maintenance contracts can be drawn out on an annual basis with defined service levels and schedules. This may include services like scheduled inspections, fluid analysis, leak detection, performance testing and preventative repairs, as needed.
- Inventory management programs – Inventory management programs establish the hydraulic equipment supplier as a supply chain partner. Specifically, they’re used to manage critical hydraulic equipment inventory for the automotive partner, which may involve on-site parts stocking and automatic parts replenishment. This is ideal for automotive companies that expect wear and the occasional failure to impact operations.
These are just some of the arrangements that hydraulic equipment suppliers can offer. If one of these doesn’t fit your organization’s needs, ask if the supplier has another option available.
Protect Your Valuable Hydraulic Assets with a Hydraulic Equipment Supplier Partnership
Automotive companies rely on hydraulic equipment in many capacities, so any hydraulic system issue may result in expensive downtime. To prevent interruptions from affecting your operations, consider partnering with an experienced hydraulic equipment supplier.
Hydraulic equipment suppliers can provide automotive shops and manufacturing centers with the hydraulic pumps, cylinders and accessories needed to keep their operations running. Further, they can establish ongoing maintenance and inventorying partnerships that ensure automotive companies have the resources they need, when they need them.
Frequently Asked Questions
A supplier assists with hydraulic system design, provides quality hydraulic equipment, performs preventative maintenance, expedites repairs, accelerates component acquisition and replacement, and supports the company’s safety, efficiency and scalability goals.
Hydraulic cylinders, hydraulic pumps, hydraulic power units, hydraulic valves, high-pressure hydraulic hoses, hydraulic filters and custom hydraulic assemblies. These support assembly line automation, manufacturing robotics, vehicle lifting and positioning systems, metal stamping and forming systems, and injection molding equipment.
Hydraulic fluid service, full hydraulic cylinder and pump inspections, hydraulic system calibration, and troubleshooting any hydraulic system issues or concerns. Expert preventative maintenance helps automotive companies avoid costly downtime and the safety hazards that come with catastrophic failures.
Common models include a transactional relationship, a preferred supplier agreement, a preventative maintenance contract and an inventory management program. If none of these fits your organization, ask the supplier what other options are available.
It is an arrangement larger automotive companies may opt for, offering volume discounts, priority inventory access and faster response times for repairs and maintenance. The automotive company usually is not obligated to source everything from that supplier, but they are the first option.
