ALMAG Aluminium requested us to modify Rigid Tap feature in our EtherCAT Motion Controller EC01 to meet their specific mechanical and electrical requirements.

Initial Assessment and Quotation

Upon receiving the request from ALMAG Aluminium, we conducted a preliminary assessment based on the available information and our past experiences with similar customizations. Our initial evaluation suggested that the customization of the Rigid Tap feature on EtherCAT could be accomplished within a day or two. Consequently, we provided ALMAG Aluminium with an initial estimate of $1795 USD to remotely work on this project. This quote reflected our estimation of engineering work required, assuming a straightforward integration process.

Development Challenges

As we progressed with the project, we realized the customer needed not only support on Rigid-Tap, but they also needed to get the rest of the machine in proper order to achieve production level. Also the Rigid Tap feature necessitated a deeper integration with the EtherCAT servo drives than initially anticipated. This involved significant modifications to the software components to ensure seamless and reliable operation. Extensive testing was necessary to ensure the newly integrated feature functioned correctly and met all operational requirements, requiring additional work for the project.

Revised Cost Estimation

Given these complexities, we recognized that the initial quotation did not cover the additional time and resources needed to successfully implement the Rigid Tap feature. After a thorough reassessment, we concluded that an additional $2500 USD was required to cover the additional engineering time and extensive testing procedures. The revised total cost for the project was therefore adjusted to $4295 USD. This adjustment was necessary to ensure that ALMAG Aluminium received a high-quality working solution that met their specific requirements and industry standards.

Conclusion

Despite the unforeseen challenges, we successfuly delivered robust and cost effective solution to ALMAG Aluminium. If they had brought someone to their factory to get their machine operational and implement a customized solution on EtherCAT, they would be easily spending well over $25000 USD. Not only that, there would be no guarantee they could pull it thru, and ALMAG would incur a big loss with no solution in hand. In comparison, our solution gave ALMAG the best working solution that was a win-win for both ALMAG and our company. By customizing our EtherCAT and other Motion Controllers and PLCs in our product portfolio, we are providing best customer experience, reinforcing our dedication to providing tailored solutions that exceed client expectations.