Individuality in series production

Digging, grappling, hammering, levelling, pulverising, backfilling, cutting, earth-moving and much more: excavators are real all-rounders. Kiesel customises excavators with buckets and other hydraulic attachments for specific areas of application.

When new excavators roll off the transporter and into the Kiesel yard, they are already equipped with extensive options at the factory. "The final customisation is then based on individual customer requirements," explains Thomas Marquard, Technical Manager of the Kiesel factory. The focus is primarily on tasks such as quick-coupling systems - the basis for easy switching between countless attachments for a wide range of requirements. Numerous other options such as 3D controls, additional lighting or a paint finish in special colours are also available.

"Because we customise all of our excavators, changes to the hydraulics are often necessary. In order to prevent the quantity and technical variants of the hose lines from getting out of hand, we have rigorously defined standards for recurring requirements that apply company-wide at all our locations in Europe," reports Marquard. Kiesel has grouped the hose lines required for the attachments into kits. At the same time, the number of different hose lines, screw fittings and accessories such as abrasion protection have been drastically reduced. Despite a large number of attachments and thousands of possible combinations, Kiesel is now able to work with just 275 different hose lines contained in 250 kits. "With our modular system and clearly defined standards, we combine cost-effectiveness, serviceability and safety. At the same time, we benefit from lean processes in logistics and production."

Kiesel manufactures the prototypes for the hose line kits itself. The construction machinery specialists rely on HANSA‑FLEX for the series production of the kits: "HANSA‑FLEX has impressed us in equal measure with its product quality, adherence to deadlines and consulting expertise. As a global player, HANSA‑FLEX is in a position to fulfil all the required specifications (technology, support, delivery conditions)," confirms Marquard. For Kiesel, many small solutions make the decisive difference: for example, all the hose lines supplied are already labelled with Kiesel's own article numbers. Each kit comes with a list that enables the contents of the packaging to be checked for completeness at a glance. A further advantage: the HANSA‑FLEX range of fittings ensures that high-pressure and low-pressure hose lines have a consistently uniform appearance on the excavator.

Kiesel's own logistics centre with over 60,000 items avoids bottlenecks in the supply of materials for construction and materials handling machines or attachments, and guarantees the rapid availability of spare parts. In logistics, too, Kiesel and HANSA‑FLEX rely on standardised and efficient processes: HANSA‑FLEX supplies the hose line kits in special packaging on pallets that can be stored directly in the high-bay warehouse. "Not only do we save time but we also increase our process reliability, in that with the kit our incoming goods section only needs to book one item rather than 15 individual articles," comments Marquard. The two companies regularly consult on the forecast requirements for materials, enabling Kiesel to optimise its stock levels and reduce the amount of capital tied up in the warehouse. Individual hose lines, which are more susceptible to external damage due to their exposed position on the excavator arm, are always in stock at Kiesel as spare parts. For rarely required items, the construction machinery specialists benefit from overnight deliveries from the nearest HANSA‑FLEX branch.

From Marquard's point of view, the successful cooperation is based not least on a number of similarities. As family businesses, both companies share similar values and regard themselves as system partners. "Quality, cost-effectiveness and adherence to delivery deadlines are a matter of course for us. With HANSA‑FLEX we experience day after day that their staff are willing to go the extra mile to find solutions that make our processes more efficient and transparent in the long term," says Marquard, describing the close cooperation. HANSA‑FLEX Customer Advisor Jens Lösch particularly appreciates the short lines of communication that enable quick decisions to be made: "The tasks for an OEM customer like Kiesel are varied and demanding. We are delighted that our team at the Weiterstadt branch is able to actively support the growth of our customer Kiesel."