Top connector supplier of 2016.

Crouzet Automatismes awarded its top suppliers of the year during a ceremony held in late 2016. The 2016 awards were given out by Florence Coiffet, Crouzet’s purchasing director, who also presented the results and named SOURIAU as the year’s top connector supplier.

For this first edition of its supplier awards, Crouzet Automatismes set up a scoring system that took into account a number of key parameters: on-time delivery performance (OTDP), product quality (PPM), and a score that rated the quality of each supplier’s technical, commercial, and logistical support. SOURIAU beat all the other suppliers in its category with a final score of 90 out of 100.

Hermetic connectors for aeronautical applications
SOURIAU was awarded for the hermetic version of its Series 851 and 853 circular connectors delivered to Crouzet. These connectors are fitted on 98% of position sensors used by Airbus, Airbus Helicopters, and Turboméca.

Ability to handle a large number of orders and meet delivery times
SOURIAU delivers between 15,000 and 20,000 connectors to Crouzet’s Valence facility each year. Most orders are for 40 to 50 connectors apiece, which requires having a logistics system that is flexible, highly sophisticated, and able to deliver products regularly. The Supplier Logistics and Quality Performance score of 96 out of 100 obtained by SOURIAU for all of 2016 is testament to the efficiency of its logistics department. In addition, the company received an excellent quality score of 87 out of 100 in Q4 2016.

Strive to do even better
“We are extremely proud of being the very first recipients of this connector award. Needless to say, our goal is to sustain this high level of service whilst increasing our market share. And we can achieve this goal because we have the right products,” says Gilles Rémond, key sales account manager for the engine manufacturing and equipment team assigned to Crouzet Automatismes. “We are also going to build partnerships between our R&D teams and those of Crouzet, just like Ms Coiffet wishes.”

@SouriauSunbank @CRZ_Automation #PAuto 

Joint solution

Crouzet has decided to use HMS Industrial Network’s Netbiter as remote management solution for their latest generation of micro PLCs – the Millenium 3 Smart. This provides users of the micro PLC with instant access to data on their field equipment over the web.

An example of an early adopter is the Swedish-based company Triplesign who uses the solution to monitor alternating billboards. With Netbiter, they can see the status of each billboard and even remotely control which message to display. “I have been working with the Millenium 3 Logic Controllers for some time and the fact that the Netbiter solution had a ready-made template for this micro PLC was a great advantage,” says P-A Claveroth, Sales and Marketing Director at Triplesign. “We simply connect the Netbiter unit to the Millenium 3 and all parameters show up immediately in a web browser.”

How it works:
A Netbiter EasyConnect gateway is connected to the Millenium 3 micro PLC in the field. The Netbiter gateway communicates with a cloud-based data center called Netbiter Argos. This data center collects and stores the data from the field equipment. By logging in to Netbiter Argos, users can see the exact status of the Millenium 3 and thereby their own devices in a web dashboard. They can also get alarms and notifications whenever something happens.

“This combined solution will be very useful for applications in segments such as air conditioning, access control, heat pumps, water and air treatment, waste treatment, lifting and handling, medical equipment and pump management,”says Henrik Arleving, Product Line Manager, Remote Management at HMS. “These segments are very suitable for remote management and Netbiter offers users and service engineers a quick way to improve control of the applications and reduce costs.”

André Chovin, Automation Marketing Manager at Crouzet comments: “In the frame of remote management, HMS’s Netbiter solution contributes to make the most out of the Millenium 3 Smart logic controller as it gets it connected from anywhere, anytime, 24/7. The main attribute of the Millenium 3 range is its easiness of use. Similarly, the Crouzet/HMS solution is easy to use and effective for remote management of automated systems.”

The joint solution is already available and distributed by Crouzet and HMS’s distribution network.