Our customers regularly contact us with questions about their motion and positioning systems. With the wide variety of components that PI offers, we can easily help them realize their projects. However, in some cases, simply delivering a component may not be the right solution to the problem or challenge a customer is facing. Rather than the question being ‘’how can we realize our idea?’, it might be ‘what exactly do we want to realize, and why?’
At PI, we’ve trained ourselves in looking beyond a question; we deliver more than parts, we can be a sparring partner for our customers, and we can help clients see the bigger picture. Because a seemingly simple question may very well be part of a bigger need that PI’s Engineered System specialists can help both define and fulfill.
Engineered systems: more than the sum of its parts
Each of our customers has its own expertise. But when it comes to handling ultra-complex multi-axes motion and positioning situations, with challenging specs in accuracy and hardware, customers often face a lack of either resources or competences. This is where PI can step in. We can define the exact need, translate that need into an engineered motion system, develop that tailor-made system and deliver it. We guarantee that it meets the predefined specs, with test results and reports to prove it.
PI distinguishes itself in the unique combination of both a broad range of high-precision actuator competences and the specialized Engineered Systems department, consisting of experienced engineers – our experts. They know our products inside and out, and what these products can and cannot achieve. They also know how to use and combine our components to their fullest potential, offering an engineered system that is so much more than the sum of its parts. And, they are a (an often much needed) sparring partner, taking away any concerns customers may have, enabling them to focus on their expertise. That’s what we call ‘creating bright ideas together’.
PI’s Engineered Systems in practice
A customer came to us with detailed questions about a tip-tilt mirror. We started a conversation about the reasoning behind these questions, and discovered that the customer was actually looking for a total motion system solution. To cut a long story short: we ended up designing and developing a one-of-a-kind, double-hexapod ‘Death Star’ motion system, answering all the specs this company needed (e.g. high-stiffness carrier structure, sophisticated control system, and interfaces for multiple spectrometers that can be repositioned without moving the sample. See our video about this impressive system!).
It’s also worth knowing that a custom-made solution can be considerably less expensive than a system that is compiled of various existing separate products. What is key, then, is to involve our engineers in an early stage of the entire process.
Curious how PI and our Engineered Systems-experts can help develop your bigger picture?
Let’s meet over a cup of coffee and find out what lies beyond your question.
