The MIDRAULICS project requires the use of electronics and electronic related specialities within a company specialised in hydraulics (which is mainly mechanics). This has been the real only challenge of the complete period.
Electronic and Mechanics has subjected to completely different timing and time schedules were respected, but slightly reorganized.
The main activities of the projects have been:
TECHNICAL ACTIVITES:
• identifying a location for the mechatronic department.
• installing furniture and finding personnel (software and mechanic engineers),
• defining technical specifications for mechanics:
◦ main hydraulic collector,
◦ mechatronic cover of the electronic board,
◦ special drive shaft,
◦ 3way-pressure compensator,
◦ sensor installation screw,
• defining technical specification for the electronic:
◦ I/O list, safety and fieldbuses requirements,
◦ define overall dimensions to match with the mechanics (and vice versa),
• coordinating activities of internal co-operators and external subcontractors,
• producing static and dynamic prototypes of the mechanic part,
• producing a working electronic controller able to fit inside the limiter room of the mechanics,
• producing a working firmware and libraries in order the electronics to work as planned,
• producing an application software to start test and trials.
All the above-mentioned activities have been executed and have been successful: the results will be exposed from 23 to 26 November 2018 in SPS Drive trade fair in Hannover.
COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES:
• registering a specific brand for the new offer,
• activating a specific website and web domain, including sales and support e-mail,
• creating a conference room in Hydronit’s facilities and related furniture,
• Obtain international patent
• creating keynotes for presentations,
• editing and printing a complete catalogue including the complete MIDRAULICS ecosystem,
• selecting and apply for trade fairs,
• starting sales-engineers formation,
• visiting dealers and OEM.
• Start SALES!
Apart those activities already launched and completed above, few strategy adjustment was needed to focalize the attention of the customers and potential customers on the application of this technology: all sales documents now clearly identify eleven domain of application which make easier the dialog with OEMs (which are the main target of Midraulics). We found that dissemination of Video over the most common social media platoforms returns good feedback from the OEM.
The first sales results arrived 2 months before grant closing: in just 3 months a total of 5 machines have been equipped and commissioned with MIDRAULICS, 4 went to Malaysia, one is in Germany: this is a clear sign that MIDRAULICS is to be considered a solution where time to market is fundamental for the customer. Just this 5 MIDRAULICS has generated more than 30K€ of incoming.
