Posted to News on 19th Nov 2019, 12:12
NSK appoints Rubix Haarlem as Certified AIP Service Branch
Netherlands-based Rubix Haarlem, a specialist provider of more than 400,000 MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) products to industrial and maintenance customers from all sectors, has become an NSK Certified AIP Service Branch. An intensive qualification process was concluded with a series of end user visits by teams from both NSK and Rubix Haarlem.
Founded in 1994 and formerly known as AKN or Brammer, Rubix Haarlem is a highly proactive branch of the Rubix Group with a strong track record of adding value and engineering specific solutions to suit individual customer requirements. The company's relationship with NSK is very strong and the management team wanted to build on this foundation by using AIP (Added Value Programme) to make a statement of joint collaboration.
AIP comprises NSK engineering and service solutions designed to add value for end users by improving their machine reliability, technical knowledge and overall profitability (via lower total cost of ownership - TCO). As a Certified AIP Service Branch, Rubix Haarlem will ensure its customers' operations and maintenance processes are even more efficient and therefore more profitable, saving them money at every step of the process.
Certified AIP Service Branch training commenced in the summer of 2018, with a Rubix team attending two sessions at NSK's training centre in Tilburg, Netherlands. The first session encompassed the basic principles of AIP and how it is best applied to customers, while the second focused on important aspects such as return on investment calculations, how to perform AIP surveys, and how to deliver bearing training and undertake successful AIP+ demonstrations.
Rubix Haarlem has a full applications engineering team that is focussed on adding value for customers, so embarking on the AIP programme was a logical extension that would allow the company to form a close preferential partnership with NSK.
Once all of the training was completed, joint visits were staged with Rubix Haarlem to two snack food manufacturing facilities. This activity formed the final stage of the Certified AIP Service Branch process and involved launching AIP with these customers and developing process maps for each site. From these visits significant potential cost savings were identified, all of which will be documented and presented back to the end users.
The NSK Certified AIP Service Branch award ceremony for Rubix Haarlem took place in July 2019. Ultimately, the company wants to become a centre of excellence, and is in the process of developing its own MRO training capability at Haarlem using NSK products and materials. Learn more at www.nskeurope.com.
