A wide range of industries is showing significant supply chain issues. However, the Michigan-based manufacturer of Gemco linear position sensors, AMETEK Factory Automation, has proven they can still deliver in a timely manner.
In the past couple of years, an increasing supply shortage due to various factors has caused manufacturing and on-time delivery issues. On top of the supply shortage, a side-effect of the Covid situation has been the increased focus on automated manufacturing workflow, which has caused an increase in the demand for position sensors.
How has AMETEK Factory Automation managed to avoid the supply shortage?
AMETEK Factory Automation manufactures Gemco rod-style position sensors for hydraulic cylinder applications, profile-style linear position sensors for blow molding machines, printing web, tire and rubber, and other similar applications.
According to Product Manager Blake Cawley, Gemco can still deliver on-time despite these new challenges. “We have an in-house machine shop and have switched over to manufacturing items that are hard to procure or have a long lead time. Gemco is a world leader in ruggedness and accuracy, and I wouldn’t trade that for anything! Our main focus is delivering the quality that our brand is famous for; even though we have had to update our workflow and supplier network, these days are testing every company’s ability to be flexible. While our lead times have increased for some products, we can still deliver some of our most popular models in a reasonable amount of time.”
Gemco is perhaps best known for the 953Vmax, designed for the hydraulics industry and can be a drop-in replacement for competitive model transducers. But the increased focus on automated manufacturing has caused Gemco 955BRIK, a Profile Style transducer designed for general automation, often found in plastic injection molding and tire and rubber machinery, to be a prevalent model.
Increased customer flow and more products
AMETEK Factory Automation has experienced increased traffic from new customers searching for a supplier that can deliver Magnetostrictive position sensors without a waiting time of up to 7 months. For Blake Cawley’s team, this situation has been a great experience. “We welcome these new customers with open arms; many applications demand adaptations of the position sensors, which is a standard procedure for us,” Cawley said. “For the user, as for us, the focus concerning the application is to provide the accuracy that makes the working place safe and efficient.”
Despite the covid and supply shortage, Gemco has launched two new products over the past 18 months, the Gemco 959CT for hydraulic cylinders and the 956 EBlok for molding machinery. AMETEK Factory Automation has designed the position sensors to appeal to customers, aiming for a more budget-friendly solution while still providing accuracy and longevity.
According to Cawley, Gemco has seen the past few years as an ordeal that has proven that linear position sensors are gaining increased popularity within the automation industry and that Gemco has grown as a leader in the industry. “Look, we build the future on what we have today. Our foundation has proven very strong; that’s why we still manage to deliver linear position sensors of world-class quality and on time. I am certain that is why we have increased our flow of manufacturing customers worldwide. On top of that, we are still gaining application knowledge, this knowledge is key to where we stand in the future, and I am very confident about that.”
AMETEK Sensors, Test & Calibration
www.ametekfactoryautomation.com
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