CS2500 - Elpress

NO. 3 2010
Top of the line – Traction
Elpress at the Innotrans trade fair
Flexible service solutions
for certified DUAL tools
- we combine two
existing technologies
and take the best bits of both
CS2500
– The Rolls-Royce of crimping tools
Elpress is able to offer automated production equipment with the best
possible safety. The Elpress CS2500 crimping station is a complete solution for
industrial contact crimping.
PAGE 7
Elpress to double
turnover and profit
"We are facing an
enormous growth
and will be needing
more key people
who are interested in
influencing the ongoing development of
the group."
CEO Sten Alfredsson
PAGE 4
DV1300/DV1300C
Competition
Crimp head using patented
DUAL technology, which gives an
optimised hexagonal crimp and
a punch crimp in two integrated
stages. Crimps terminals type
KRF and through connectors type KSF.
DUAL crimp dies are available for 10-300
mm2, no die holders are required for
DUAL dies.
PAGE 6
Enter our competition
on page 8 and win a
Pl451m assortment box
containing 350 insulated
terminals; EMBLA,
cutting and stripping
tool with exchangeable
cassettes and LED
pocket torches.
PAGE 8
service
We offer a concept for demanding applications. It consists of four elements,
and we will be presenting one element in each of the next coming issues.
"We keep track of everything!"
How to sign into a
service agreement
Elpress has tightened up its product portfolio and is now able to offer
flexible service solutions for all certified tools.
"Our new international service agreements ensure enhanced equipment
performance and at the same time reduce the risk of any stoppages," says
Tobias Norlin at the Elpress service department.
Information on the various service levels
and how to enter into agreements will be
supplied with all new tools from Elpress
as of autumn 2010. If you are interested
contact our service department if you have
any questions call, +46 612 71 71 99.
Elpress represents quality right
down to the tiniest detail.
Quality not only of the tool you have in
your hand, but also over the long-term
service life of that tool.
For the past year, Tobias Norlin at
the Elpress service department has
been responsible for developing service
agreements that meet customers' high
expectations for equipment that works.
"We know we supply good tools. Now
we are also in a position to offer service
solutions offering the same high quality,"
says Tobias Norlin.
Service agreements can be entered into
at a number of different levels, and they all
include tool calibration and certifications.
This means that Elpress regularly inspects
tools according to a set checklist and
makes sure they are compliant with all
safety aspects.
"Elpress calls in tools when they are due
for their annual service so that customers
can avoid unnecessary stoppages. We
make life easier for our customers by
keeping track of everything," says Tobias
Norlin.
Besides calibration and certification,
more advanced service agreements also
include preventive maintenance and
replacement of wear parts.
Elpress has also produced uptime
insurance which in practice means that,
over an agreed time, customers will never
be without a tool that works.
Custom training courses offered by
Elpress in contact crimping and operating
are another element in the service
agreements, all of which aim to enhance
tool performance and minimise the risk of
unpredicted stoppages.
"An aftersales service that works well is
a must if we are to continue to see strong
growth. We will be launching our service
solutions in late autumn 2010. This is a
product offering the same high quality as
all our other products," reckons Tobias
Norlin.
2
Service agreements
• Elpress Basic: This includes calibration
and certification. Elpress carries out an
inspection according to a set checklist and
makes sure tools are compliant with all
safety aspects.
• Elpress Advanced: Besides calibration
and certification, this service agreement
also includes preventive and rectifying
maintenance, as well as replacing wear parts
at a set cost.
• Elpress Premium: The above, plus
training. Elpress offers training in contact
crimping and operating so as to prevent
unnecessary stoppages. Training can be
customised to suit customers' requests.
• Uptime insurance:
A guarantee that indicates that customers
will never be without functioning tools
within an agreed time thanks to service
partners globally and flexible international
express deliveries.
www.elpress.net
One moment
Sune Dahlberg
Customer service
"Customer support
that means something"
Elpress Mini enhanced quality
The two Special Bodywork plants for
production of truck bodies are situated in
Ätran, just a stone's throw from Ullared,
a town in Sweden with a slightly more
familiar name. The company has been
operating there since 1967, building up a
name for itself as one of the biggest truck
constructors in Sweden. Nowadays, the
plants build most things wich customers
ask for and that are to be positioned on or
pulled by a truck.
When we meet workshop manager
Adam Nilsson, he tells us straight away
how much better things have been since
the company bought Elpress Mini for their
electrics department.
"Because we always have to change the
cable harness that comes directly from
the plant, we have had problems with
maintaining sufficiently good contact
for power cabling and connection to the
battery, above all. The battery is located in a
spot that is very difficult to access, and so
we have problems when new cables are to
be laid.
We used to crimp using tool T3165, but
the big gear change made it very difficult
to crimp well in that environment.
But our problems with connection and
access disappeared when we switched
to the tool Elpress Mini, and now our
electricians can work even in very small,
tight spaces.
We were the first in our industry to
achieve quality accreditation to ISO 9001,
so this feel just like we are now hand in
glove. Now our connections are qualityassured thanks to the fact that we work
with System Elpress*, and knowing that
terminals are seated just the way they
should be, allows us to sleep well at night!"
Describe a really good day at work.
"Of course, things are quite good fun when things
hot up. A customer might have ordered the
wrong article, for instance, and want to prevent a
stoppage, so we resolve the situation by sending
out what they need as an express delivery.
I really ought to say that on those days in which
customers tell me straight that Elpress offers the
kind of customer support that really is worthwhile,
I really am very proud of what I do!"
See page 2 for more information.
*
What kind of things do you help customers with?
"All customers phoning customer support receive
pretty immediate answers to their questions. We
might advise on where customers can go to get
the right things supplied quickly to fairly advanced
technical queries and questions on special
products."
Product updating
Massive increase in sales
of click&heat
Elpress offers kits consisting of heat shrink insulation
with connectors supplied together. This facilitates materials distribution
management and makes installation work easier for installers. This programme
is for connecting 1 kV, Cu/Al conductors, 10-240 mm2.
For 1 kV 3 and 4 conductors, with or without screen
Area, mm2
Cat no
For
10-50
50-95
95-150
150-240
KSC50-1-4HS
KSC95-1-4HS
KSC150-1-4HS
KSC240-1-4HS
Al/Cu
Al/Cu
Al/Cu
Al/Cu
Area, mm2
Cat no
For
10-50
50-95
95-150
150-240
KSC50-1-5HS
KSC95-1-5HS
KSC150-1-5HS
KSC240-1-5HS
Al/Cu
Al/Cu
0Al/Cu
Al/Cu
So what would you call a really tricky question?
"Well, we might receive questions from companies
that have brought in contractors to do a job and
are wondering about things during an inspection.
They think something looks off and want to ensure
we think the connection is approved. Then when
it comes to questions on special products, I do
sometimes have to talk to our consultancy team
first to be able to answer the question."
Could Elpress customer support be made even
better?
"Our customer support is really, really good. We
are strong on service overall, but of course I do
wish sometimes that I had more of an insight
into customers' different operations. There have
been times when having different perceptions of
problems to be resolved have caused problems on
the phone."
For 1 kV 5 conductors, with or without screen
www.elpress.net
On average, you talk to around thirty customers
every day and answer about as many emails.
Of all the questions they ask, which is the most
common one?
"Without a doubt, questions through connectors
or terminations are the most common ones I
see. Customers want to be certain they are using
the right through connectors and tools in System
Elpress. After 25 years at Elpress, the product
catalogue has become something of a bible for
me, and part numbers are a hazard of the job, you
could say."
3
"We will double our turnover and
results within four years"
Sten Alfredsson, a year ago you took
over as CEO at Elpress and now the company
is presenting a very aggressive growth plan.
What is your role in all of this?
"When I took over as CEO, work was already
in progress on production of a growth plan,
and certain preparations had already taken
place. My job is to make it all happen. We
will double our turnover and profit in a few
years' time, and even though this is a very
aggressive growth plan we will have to grow
organically on the basis of what the market
needs."
Why is Elpress taking this step now?
"We have a good range of products to offer,
good products offering high quality. This is
a completely natural step to take now that
most companies are certified in accordance
with standards that involve stringent
requirements for guaranteeing processes and
maintaining traceability for the work done.
We can help our customers here because
our system consisting of connectors and
associated tools gives end results that are
compliant with standards. There is a great
demand for a quality guarantee as terminals
are one of the most critical points in an
installation, so companies are not prepared
to take risks just to keep costs down."
What does the Elpress future strategy involve
in practice?
"It involves a number of things. We will make
the transition in a short time from being a
fairly small company to being a major global
company.
In organisational terms, we will be
building a structure which facilitates a
simple, effective route to market for our
products. In parallel, we will be constructing
a network of authorised service partners.
We will be broadening our product range
to include a wider range of services and
goods adjoining Elpress systems. We focus
on flexible training solutions on everything
from contact crimping and operation to
training on applicable safety standards and
norms. We focus enormously on service
agreements which aim, over various levels,
to guarantee the performance of customers'
equipment while at the same time reducing
the risk of stoppages. We also focus on
consultancy services such as telephone
support, on-site support or testing at our
laboratory.
In the long run, we have to support our
customers in the best way possible by
increasing focus on those customers."
Which markets and segments are of most
interest in the growth plan?
"As with everything in life, we cannot do
everything at once.
We will be growing two-dimensionally. This
means we will be focusing on a number of
markets where we perceive a need for our
products, and we will also be focusing on a
number of major industry segments where
we think there is a need for Elpress systems
expertise.
Last but not least, we will be underpinning
our position on the Nordic market, where
we currently lead the market. Our customers
Sten Alfredsson, CEO at Elpress.
here know us and our tools, and our
customers here are also the people who have
helped us to get to where we are today.
As a company, Elpress is on a fantastic
journey. Turnover has increased from SEK
100 million to SEK 250 million in just a few
years." Why are things going so well?
"We interpret this as meaning quality is
the recipe for success in this industry. With
System Elpress, quality is precisely what we
bring to the market."
Elpress AB is a growing engineering company in Kramfors which develops, manufactures and markets qualified electrical connection systems for electrical distribution
and of industrial applications at leading companies which have stringent demands
in terms of reliability and quality. Our customers include wholesalers in the Nordic
region, distributors and agents, as well as transformer, rail, wind power, automotive
and telecoms industries the world over. The group has a turnover of some SEK 250 million, of which more than 70 per cent is exported via the company's own subsidiaries in
Denmark, Germany and China, but also directly to customers all over the world. There
are around 150 of us working for the group, of whom 130 work in Sweden. Elpress is
now on the brink of enormous growth and will be needing several new key people who
are interested in influencing the ongoing development of the group.
4
www.elpress.net
added products
New opportunities with Added Products
Elpress Added Products is a complement to System Elpress.
"These are carefully selected added products which we have chosen to
put our name to and keep in our own stock as they are of extremely high
quality," says Andreas Renmar, sales engineer at Elpress.
Elpress is broadening its range so
as to be able to assist customers more
effectively with complete solutions for
individual applications.
"There is rarely a problem with products
not being on the market. Rather, many of
our customers are finding that it is hard
to find their way around the huge range
of products available and finding the best
solutions. Added Products is our way of
meeting customers' needs, and in the
long run it is all a matter of transporting
power safely no matter what items are
used; terminals, accessories or alternative
connections," says Andreas Renmar.
Renowned secondary substation
constructor KL Industri snapped up one of
the products in the Elpress Added Products
range early on, namely the cable clamps.
"Earlier we used a bracket which
contained wooden blocks, but it is a lot
easier to work with Elpress cable clamps.
They make assembly easier because we can
tighten one layer at a time. It also looks
better and the price was reasonable too,"
reckons Robert Pirklin, who works with
design at KL Industri.
His attitude to the Added Products
concept is predominantly positive.
"To date we have almost exclusively used
Elpress terminals, and when we became
aware of this solution we leapt on board
straight away," he says.
The Added Products cable clamps,
just like other products in the range,
are carefully selected and approved by
Elpress. In terms of size they are able to
handle large areas, have high mechanical
strength and are quality-assured for specific
temperature and fire classifications.
"They meet our stringent quality
requirements in every way and add
precisely the technical value that Elpress is
constantly striving to give its customers,"
says Andreas Renmar.
Clamps and clamp blocks are supplied in kits.
Material information
Cable clamps
Elpress cable clamps are made from glass
fibre-reinforced polyamide, giving them a
service life in excess of 50 years. Polyamide
is highly resistant to moisture, which means
that these clamps are suitable for use in
both indoor and outdoor installations. These
clamps can be used for both low and high
voltage cables and are resistant to corrosion,
ozone, frost, oil, acids, salt, corrosive material
and UV radiation.
There is no reduction in strength at
temperature changes from -40°C up to
+120°C (short up to +225°C)
new product
Cable blocks for four conductors, diameters
12-32 mm and 32-48 mm
Saves space
For attachment of four conductors in a block alongside one another.
These blocks can be mounted onto one another or alongside one
another using the grooves in the block. Use two blocks to secure
four cables and three blocks to secure eight cables. Able to handle a
mechanical strength of up to 29500 Nm. Stackable.
Easy to install
Clamps for three conductors, diameter 27 - 69 mm
Supplied in two
blocks
Halogen free
For securing three low or high voltage conductors in triangular form.
Able to handle a mechanical strength of up to 65 500 Nm. The
width of the clamp maintains a controlled pressure on the conductor,
thereby preventing insulation damage. Stackable.
(above/below clamp)
Clamps for one conductor, diameter 26-135 mm
For securing one low or high voltage conductor. Able to handle a mechanical
strength of up to 68000 Nm. The width of the clamp maintains a controlled
pressure on the conductor, thereby preventing insulation damage.
www.elpress.net
5
Welcome to Elpress’ stand at the Innotrans exhibition
When: 21 – 24 September • Where: Berlin/Germany. Hall 12, stand 105.
Top of the line – Traction
As a serious actor in the field of electricity for train manufacturers, Elpress has a very clear profile: Quality pays
off in the long run.
This was the philosophy which paved the way for cooperation with industry giants such as Bombardier and
Siemens, and this was the reason Elpress included in the management team for the Train Engineers course at
Hässlögymnasiet vocational college in Västerås.
"It is both remarkable and fascinating
to see that a product that represents onethousandth of the value of the finished application is so critical to quality and function,"
reckons Leif Lundberg, the man responsible
for the Elpress Traction segment.
Quality is the vital factor.
"There is really nothing strange about it.
Quality is quite simply defined by a terminal,
a tool, a cable and an operator all working in
harmony," continues Leif Lundberg.
He is more than happy to hold onto the
reins himself when he sorts out the puzzle
for customers.
"In this industry, the consequences of sloppy work can be devastating. So learning the
hard way is simply not an option," says Leif
Lundberg.
He can see a number of reasons as to why
Traction became one of the major growth
areas for Elpress.
"On the one hand, we are big enough to
be able to operate globally, but at the same
time we are small enough to be quick off the
mark on a local level. Also, our experience
and expertise in the field goes way beyond
just terminals," states Leif Lundberg.
Not least, Elpress has patented its DUAL
solution, which has made a major breakthrough in the Traction segment.
"DUAL is a method which combines two existing technologies and takes the best from
both, which results in less harsh crimping
which does not break the thousands of fine
wires. As far as we know, Elpress is the only
company in the world that can offer this solution, which is particularly well suited to
crimping in demanding environments. One
good example of this is when a cable runs
between two railway wagons, and the connection has to move flexibly, but at the same
time it must simply not be allowed to come
off," says Leif Lundberg.
When the industry – both production and
maintenance – identified difficulties, a
couple of years ago, with skills supply as
a consequence of major generation shifts,
the industry itself took the initiative to start
training train engineers.
Peder Hellberg is the project manager for the
Train Engineers course at Hässlögymnasiet
vocational college in Västerås, Sweden.
He explains that when he contacts companies these days to arrange on-site work
experience, two of the most common questions he is asked are: "Are they familiar with
connection technology?" and "Are they certified?".
"Without certified connection expertise in
crimping technology and other kinds of
electrical connections, we have problems
placing our students in production. Elpress
is a hallmark for quality in the industry. The
company works together with major power supply companies which include ABB,
Banverket, Bombardier and Siemens. Cooperation with a prominent, renowned organisation such as Elpress is invaluable for us,"
reckons Peder Hellberg.
PRODUCT INFORMATION
DV1300
DV1300C
Properties
Properties
Crimp head used together with the P4000 foot pump or
battery and mains-operated PS700 pump.
Crimp head used together with the P4000 foot pump or
battery and mains-operated PS700 pump.
• Crimp head using patented DUAL
technology, which gives an optimised
hexagonal crimping and some pierce
crimping in two integrated stages.
• DUAL crimp dies available for 10-300 mm2
• crimps type KRF terminals and type KSF through connectors
• no die holders are required for DUAL dies
• standard dies can be used (without DUAL function)
• weight 3.4 kg
• Crimp head for patented DUAL
technology, which gives an optimised
hexagonal crimping and some pierce
crimping in two integrated stages.
• DUAL crimp dies available for 10-300 mm²
• crimps type KRF terminals and type KSF through connectors
• no die holders are required for DUAL dies
• standard dies can be used (without DUAL function)
• weight 4.9 kg
6
www.elpress.net
Welcome to Elpress’ stand at Husum WindEnergy 2010
When: 21 – 25 September • Where: Husum/Germany. Hall 4, stand 4C01.
"Water – an aggressive environment for electrical connections"
Although Man has been using wind energy for thousands of years, Elpress today can count itself as one
of the veterans among people working with applications for modern wind energy plants.
"With more than twenty years behind us, we now have the confidence to supply our solutions to several of the
leading technological manufacturers globally," says Carsten Mathiesen, CEO of Elpress in China.
For 20 years now, the development of wind
energy plants has been all about size and
capacity for the most part. However, there
are limits on how large a wind energy plant
can be, and today developments are heading more towards water (rather than land),
where constant, consistent wind is available.
"Of course, water is an aggressive environment for electrical connections, and offshore work makes stringent demands of applications and our products," says Carsten
Mathiesen.
Elpress supplies product solutions for the
tower and rotor blades, engine rooms, control systems and all applications are approved in accordance with standards such
as IEC and UL.
"Besides this, we also offer training, servicing and maintenance for our applications,"
says Carsten.
Danish-born Carsten is based in China,
which is the biggest wind energy market.
Elpress is represented here by its own com-
pany, an authorised service provider and a
warehouse.
If wind energy has developed a lot over the
past 20 years, this reflects a parallel development of crimping technology which has
developed apace.
At present, Elpress is the only company on
the market that is able to offer automated
production equipment with the best possible personal safety. The Elpress CS2500
crimping station is the Rolls-Royce of crimping tools.
"We will be presenting it at the wind energy
trade fair in Husum and the Innotrans trade
fair in Berlin. The CS2500 is designed for
continuous production of electrical connections of really enormous cables, the total production time for crimping being kept short
thanks to fast, low power terminal locking. In
addition, wind energy manufacturers can link
it up to an ordinary PC. We supply software
for printing analyses and reports on crimping
operations," says Carsten.
A one-day training course is supplied on
installation of an Elpress CS2500 crimping
station.
"As part of our stringent quality requirements, we provide on-site training for
customers. We feel that having a good
knowledge of how to use the machine is a
long-term investment," says Carsten.
PRODUCT INFORMATION
CS2500
A complete solution for industrial contact crimping
The Elpress CS2500 crimping station offers efficient production with the best personal safety possible.
Advanced intelligent properties combined with simplicity make this product unique.
• Designed for continuous production of electrical connections, 10-300 mm2
• Fast, locking and unlocking of terminals with low force makes the total total time for crimping short
• Designed for maximum personal safety
• Automatic setting of crimping force of up to 250 kN ensures optimal tool and accessory service life
• Only one crimping necessary on the entire work site
• Integrated Elpress DUAL System
• PS700 hydraulic pump with control, monitoring and fault reporting
• Foot pedal operation
• CE-approved, compliant with requirements laid down in accordance with machine safety provisions
• Software for printing analyses and reports on crimping
www.elpress.net
7
competition
Answer our 5 questions correctly and tell us your reason what you think of Elpress products for the
chance to win one of the following three products:
1. PL451M, assortment box with 350 insulated terminals, GSA0760 crimp tool and SCT001 stripping tool.
2. EMBLA, cutting and stripping tool with exchangeable cassettes.
3. LED pocket torch (3 available).
QUESTIONS
1. Which of the following three products are included in the Elpress Added Products range?
1. Insulation kit X. Crimp tool PVL1300
2. Cable clamp
2. What is the name of the patented solution produced by Elpress which has made a major breakthrough in the
Traction segment?
1. DUAL X. Added Products 2. LAUD
3. What is the name of the college in Västerås, Sweden, where the Train Engineers course is taking place?
1. Sydsjögymnasiet X. Hässlögymnasiet 2. GB-skolan
4. At Elpress, who is responsible for the new international service agreements produced?
1.Leif Lundberg X. Andreas Renmar
2. Tobias Norlin
2. What is the name of the biggest electricity trade fair in Norway, which Elpress took part in last June?
1. Elfack
X. Eliaden
2. Elnytt
What I think is good about Elpress/Elpress products:
Name
Company
Address
Postal code
I do not use Elpress products because: / I think Elpress could improve this:
Town
Country
Tel.
Post or fax your answer by 30 September to:
ELPRESS AB, P.O. Box 186, SE-872 24 Kramfors, Sweden. Fax no. +46 612-71 71 51.
The correct answers and names of our winners will be published on our website
www.elpress.net on 15 October. Where applicable, profits tax is payable by the winner.
E-mail
trade fair
Sales of ES/EL2258 doubled
We presented the launch of the ES/EL2258 and
MINIFORCE tools in the last issue of Elpress
News. This launch has been a great success.
The ES/EL2258 has more than doubled sales
compared with our earlier version, the T2258,
and sales of our new MINIFORCE tools are up
by around 40%. Of all the positive feedback we
have received, what users say they appreciate
the most are the enhanced ergonomic
properties, combined with the reducing handle
force. These tools have met great success in
Norway as well. At Eliaden, the biggest electricity
trade fair in Norway, we saw enormous interest
in these tools and a number of visitors ordered
the tools from us at the stand.
For more information of our products, see our
website at www.elpress.net.
The Elpress stand at the Eliaden trade fair in Norway.
Elpress AB, P.O. Box 186, SE-872 24 KRAMFORS, Sweden. Tel. +46 612 71 71 00, e-mail: [email protected], www.elpress.net