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customers process evolving board grades without sacrificing throughput.
Although the production of innovative equipment is integral to SUN, continuing to expand its client offering beyond new machinery is another major area of focus for the company.“ We are investing heavily in aftermarket solutions and modernization programs that allow customers to extend the useful life and productivity of existing equipment, including controls upgrades, servo conversions, mechanical improvements, and new technologies,” highlights Patricia.“ Additionally, we’ re continuing to develop Helios. The ability to combine equipment knowledge with machine data is becoming increasingly important.” With SUN claiming the largest inventory of corrugated parts in North America, she goes on to describe the aftermarket business as“ extremely important” to the business’ overall value proposition.
“ Having a deep parts inventory, knowledgeable technical staff, and
experienced field service personnel gives us the ability to respond quickly. But aftermarket support goes beyond emergency parts, and we work with customers throughout the lifecycle of their equipment. Many machines in the corrugated industry have been running for decades. Customers do not necessarily need to replace those assets if there is a practical way to improve their performance. Helping plants make those decisions is a very important part of SUN’ s value proposition.”
While labor remains one of the biggest issues in the industry at present, retirement of experienced operators and maintenance personnel is driving greater interest in automation, predictive maintenance, and digital tools, as plants endeavor to transfer human knowledge to the next generation.“ Our strategy includes both new machinery and a significant focus on aftermarket upgrades, modernization, and digital technology,” notes Patricia.“ One thing that is important to emphasize is that despite all the
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