Conveying, emptying, filling, dosing – HECHT has been testing the behavior of bulk goods in its technical center for several years. Short reaction times are also important here for attaching and detaching sensors or for product changeovers. This work is made much easier by using the new WAGO TOPJOB® S Rail-Mount Terminal Blocks with levers. Sebastian Wiesenbart, director of Automation Technology at HECHT, tells us the whole story of their success.
“I’m proud to work at HECHT.” Sebastian Wiesenbart’s whole face lights up when he starts talking about his employer. Wiesenbart has worked at the company since 2016 and been responsible for the control and automation technology for various systems. It started with a passion for mechanical engineering: What started in 1978 as a one-man operation in a three-bedroom apartment in Munich is now an innovative international company with about 100 employees. HECHT produces systems for the bulk materials sector, mainly the chemical and pharmaceutical industry, and has done so for 40 years. Today as well, the focus is still on innovation: For example, the HECHT technical center offers the right environment for a wide variety of bulk material handling tasks. Will the process even work like we imagined? Is what needs to be built for the customer feasible? These are the questions that Wiesenbart and his colleagues face in the technical center. And what exactly happens in the technical center? Here, sensors and actuators are attached and detached in a short time, and test runs are adapted to the products – and this often has to happen very quickly. That’s where the WAGO TOPJOB® S Rail-Mount Terminal Blocks with levers come in.
Sebastian Wiesenbart, HECHT Technologie GmbH
But it’s not only our employees who benefit from the new rail-mount terminal blocks with levers – customer also benefit by quickly and easily grasping where the conductor is supposed to be connected. According to Wiesenbart, their cooperation with end customers is “quick, easy and smooth and requires no tools.” The marking system with plain text on the terminal block also helps users intuitively understand what type of signal is supposed to be connected.
Further technical development and innovation are an important part of HECHT’s corporate culture. They have that in common with WAGO: Finding innovation solutions together is always the key to successful cooperation for both family companies. And both companies know the limits of standard solutions. “Not all solutions are created equal. We can only sell products if we offer customers tailored solutions and immerse ourselves in the process,” says Wiesenbart. The motto “we care” makes clear that HECHT never gives up until it finds the right solution.
WAGO has supported HECHT for many years in its continuous further development of solutions. “We feel like we’re in good hands,” says Wiesenbart in summary. And the feeling is mutual, as Sven Keller, technical sales advisor in the WAGO field office, can confirm. He especially likes seeing the installed WAGO TOPJOB® S Rail-Mount Terminal Block live in action. What value does the terminal block add, and how can it be used to improve processes? These are only some of the questions this experienced WAGO asks himself.
The focus is on the collaboration with HECHT and both companies’ need to constantly improve and progress. There are no off-the-shelf solutions at these two companies. On the contrary: Current trends in automation and digitization are becoming more and more important, and with them the question: How can value be added for customers on the market?
TOPJOB® S Lever, Live in Action
HECHT was also looking for an innovative product when WAGO’s field service made it aware of the new TOPJOB® S Rail-Mount Terminal Block with lever. When cabling the systems, service employees can connect nearly all the signals without a circuit diagram, optimizing the installation time of the machines. And fast conversion can ultimately reduce the commissioning time. All the connections are unique, and no tools are necessary. “WAGO provides great support for further development and technical progress,” says Wiesenbart.
In future, both companies want to take their collaboration a step further: The plan is to expand the strategic partnership with WAGO on control technology, using DIMA. HECHT is also planning a new technology center, which should be ready in 2020, so it can test even more products.
In the end, what counts for both family companies is their focus on the future, and no one day is like another there. “This collaboration allows us both to develop further, benefit from each other and get the best for our end customers,” concludes Keller.
Author: Lena Kalmer, Communication Manager, WAGO
Sebastian Wiesenbart, Head of Automation Technology at Hecht, is not fond of downtimes. For this reason, he uses WAGO TOPJOB® S Rail-Mount Terminal Blocks with levers at the technology center of this Pfaffenhofen equipment manufacturer to make handling of bulk materials faster when systems are reconnected – something that occurs often. In the video, he explains how the innovative WAGO product also supports him at the interface to his customers.
Always Have the Right Solution
In various industrial applications and modern building installations, WAGO’s wide and versatile range of rail-mount terminal blocks provides more than just reliable electrical connections.
WAGO Rail-Mount Through Terminal Blocks are available in three different actuation variants: lever, push-button and operating slot – the right rail-mount terminal block for every application.
