Westeria has been a quality global conveyor system brand for over 60 years. Day in, day out Westeria conveyor belts transport bulk materials in many sectors and their efficient design and long service life is a tribute to German machinery and plant engineering. This long-established company is now attracting attention with an innovative production and sales strategy: Westeria has introduced WeKea, an order, delivery and assembly system, which opens up entirely new perspectives for users.
The registered trademark WeKea stands for a conveyor system which is “Made in Germany”, is completely configurable online, is compact to ship and can be assembled and commissioned by local personnel.
According to the company, this new approach can mean price reductions in the two-digit percentage range. A message which will not be lost on overseas emerging economies, the growth markets of tomorrow, especially since Westeria’s high quality still comes as standard.
Modular construction
The new WeKea sales system is based on producing series components and then holding stocks in-house. This meant building an only recently completed high-bay warehouse and an additional production shop.
The modular design with standardized elements ensures great flexibility without sacrificing individuality: colors in line with a user’s corporate design or other custom requirements are still possible.
The majority of system elements are manufactured at Westeria, in particular the sensitive and complex parts such as the drive and tensioning unit are factory preassembled. Onward shipping is in prepackaged kits and, as a result, four containers can now carry what in the past required ten. Very clear, logical assembly instructions make on-site installation a simple job for customer personnel.
Online configuration with immediate quote
However, before a conveyor system can be “picked off the shelf” every detail has to be configured and immediately included in the quote. What previously required long discussions sometimes lasting weeks can now be achieved in minutes at your computer with the WeKea configurator. After obtaining access credentials, a customer can adjust every variable from dimensions and the support system to details such as transfer chutes and covers. The system is defined on the basis of three conveyor types: FlatCon, UCon, and SteelCon. Any change is immediately reflected in an updated binding price. According to the manufacturer, this approach to the design process is unique in the engineering sector. Once the user has made their decisions, the binding quote is ready to print. At the same time, 3D drawings are immediately generated as a STEP file which the customer can use for their system planning. The entire discussion process, which can sometimes last for weeks, is completely eliminated. In the background, the configurator carries out complex calculations to verify that all customer inputs can also be implemented in reality. Impossible inputs are ruled out from the outset.
Innovation impressively demonstrated
The project once again shows why the new corporate slogan “Moving Innovation” was chosen at the start of the year.
“We have successfully put our WeKea system in place within just a few years and it will ensure purchasers get new, lower price options while maintaining tried and trusted Westeria quality. At the same time, greatly reduced container capacity needs for logistics also reduce the CO2 footprint for shipping. And self-assembly on-site also offers customers distinct cost benefits.
All in all, we have put our company’s future on a secure footing. Not least because our modular manufacturing system works, as evidenced by the hundreds of conveyor systems which we have already supplied around the world using this system”, explains Dipl.-Ing. Felix Poth, Managing Director, confirming this successful corporate strategy.
Westeria® Moving Innovation – wind sifters and conveyor systems, individual and tailored for every requirement in production, logistics or recycling. Westeria solutions deliver wherever unit loads or bulk material have to be conveyed or recyclable or mixed materials have to be separated and sorted: economical, robust, durably reliable and individually tailored to custom requirements. Whether wind sifters, individual components or complete conveyor lines or bunker or material distribution systems, Westeria delivers quality and individuality from planning to assembly and after sales service.