Working together

27 October, 2017

Love pointed out that Terex Trucks works with some of the world’s leading suppliers of hydraulic hoses, and, together with these companies, looks to continually improve the hose structure and the type of materials used. “In this way, we are constantly striving to reduce the risk of hose failure or leaks – issues that are always at the forefront of any hydraulic circuit designer’s mind; both from an efficiency and health & safety perspective,” he said. “With this in mind, there is a continuous cycle of information being fed back to us; for example, information recovered from warranty statistics and also from customers themselves – something we refer to as VOC (voice of customer).”

Rigorous selection criteria

From Brammer’s perspective, Hanson explained that the company has in place rigorous selection criteria for product sourcing, as well as a continuous improvement policy with regard to its suppliers’ overall performance and the products they provide. This is underpinned by Brammer’s supplier management system (SMS), which focuses on quality, delivery, cost, service and innovation. “We are focused on service and the use of quality management systems to ensure we are dealing with like-minded manufacturers,” said Hanson. “With the right systems in place and the technical support from Brammer, customers can be confident they are receiving the right products, from the right manufacturers, at the right time and at the right cost.”

Bespoke components

Love pointed out that, in certain instances, a standard component from a supplier’s catalogue won’t fit an OEM’s required specification. With this in mind, Love explained that Terex Trucks’ technical design engineers can work closely with supplier partners to design and produce bespoke components within a short timeline. “For example, when designing hydraulic systems, we work closely with our supplier partners throughout the design and prototyping stage,” said Love, who added: “Our partners’ applications and design engineers liaise with our own personnel to meet the required values, temperatures, flows etc., for the individual components to ensure the key deliverables of component lifecycle and reliability are always met. The process of customising components can also be driven by the requirement for change indicated by customer feedback, component performance or application learnings developed through field support.”

Eriks UK requests that it be involved in the early stages of the design process, and also involved in subsequent product upgrades. As an example of the benefits of this strategy, Dawes explained that the company has secured improvements in tube manipulation routings (reduction in connections and complexity) and now offers tube assemblies that have increased corrosion resistance via a unique protective coating, without the additional cost of them being manufactured in stainless steel.

In terms of legal compliance with regard to the supply of fluid power parts and equipment, Dawes explained that Eriks UK is increasingly advising its customers regarding the Machinery Directive and the Duty of Care for an OEM and the legislation for burst and leak proof protection for hose assemblies if they are within one metre of the operator.

Strict environmental ethos

Love concluded that supplier relationships for Terex Trucks are pivotal to ensuring the efficiency and reliability of its equipment, together with the safety of assemblers and operators. He added that it is also crucial that Terex Trucks and its suppliers adhere to a strict environmental ethos. “As part of the Volvo Group, one of our core focuses is on ensuring that our business partners are aligned to these ideals, as well as helping us to continually drive improvements for our company and our customers,” he said.