flexPay: KraussMaffei and Linxfour revolutionise financing offers in the plastics industry
KraussMaffei's new financing model, flexPay, developed in collaboration with Linxfour, is setting new standards in the plastics processing industry. By adjusting financing rates based on actual machine usage, customers benefit from increased flexibility and security with variable production capacity. In this interview with Linxfour, Quirin Kuchler, Product Manager Digital & Service Solutions at KraussMaffei, discusses the advantages and potential of the innovative Pay-per-Use model.
Adapting to Modern Needs: The Pay-per-Use Trend
Linxfour:
Pay-per-Use has become more established in the industry and is seen as one of the next "must-haves" in machine financing. How do you view the Pay-per-Use trend?
Quirin Kuchler:
Especially in current times, characterised by unpredictable and volatile market demand, measures to minimise the risk of underutilization are increasingly in focus. Numerous advancements in the digital area enable us to offer Pay-per-Use models without additional manual effort.
With flexPay, we have expanded the classic Pay-per-Use model with additional components to increase overall customer benefits. Various digital and lifecycle products help to minimise costs and maximise machine availability throughout its entire lifecycle.
A prime example of a digital product that contributes to both cost reduction and machine availability within flexPay is liveCare. As part of the KraussMaffei product family socialProduction, liveCare monitors various machine components and helps ensure that worn components are replaced at precisely the right time. This can minimise the risk of unplanned machine downtime and better coordinate maintenance work.
flexPay and KraussMaffei's Strategic Sustainability Goals
Linxfour:
How does flexPay fit into KraussMaffei's long-term strategic orientation, especially in terms of sustainability?
Quirin Kuchler:
A central pillar of KraussMaffei's corporate strategy is to contribute to sustainability, particularly in the area of CO2 emission reduction. The largest CO2 emissions and financial expenditures typically occur after the machine is installed. This offers enormous potential for financial and ecological optimisations post-initial investment.
The integrated approach of decarbonization through digitalization has been successfully implemented within the financing product flexPay. The digital service products included in flexPay contribute to reducing energy consumption, avoiding scrap, and extending the machine's lifespan. Thus, flexPay combines the economic appeal of a flexible financing solution with ecological optimisation throughout the machine's entire lifecycle.
Customer-Oriented Benefits through flexPay
Linxfour:
Where do you see the greatest advantages for your customers with flexPay?
Quirin Kuchler:
flexPay is not about owning the machine, but about paying for usage hours. In this context, flexPay offers four main advantages:
1. Affordable Production - Flexible Payment and Usage
We optimise our customers working capital by shifting CAPEX to OPEX, minimising costs in the event of machine underutilization, and enabling new offerings.
2. OEE Optimisation (Performance, Availability & Quality)
Our customers produce - we guarantee machine availability so that production runs smoothly and the production of high-quality parts is maximised.
3. D2 - Decarbonisation through Digitalization
The machine comes with top-class digital products that help achieve CO2 targets while maximising our customers profits.
4. Unlocking Data Potential
We connect our customers shop floors. Digital products also support the digital transformation.
Rapid Commissioning and Low Effort with flexPay
Linxfour:
How quickly can KraussMaffei customers commission their machines with flexPay financing? Is there an increased effort compared to traditional financing solutions?
Quirin Kuchler:
Customers can commission the machine with flexPay without any delay. It only requires a data interface to calculate the flexPay rate based on actual machine usage. The data interface is realized through KraussMaffei's smartCube, and the flexible rate is billed to customers by Linxfour.
Additional lifecycle and digital services included in flexPay are provided by KraussMaffei and are designed to facilitate machine operation, optimize production, and take over central maintenance tasks.
Distinguishing Features of flexPay Versus Standard Pay-per-Use Solutions
Linxfour:
How does flexPay from KraussMaffei differ from other Pay-per-Use solutions?
Quirin Kuchler:
flexPay includes a maintenance package and continuous digital condition monitoring, which helps to increase the residual value of the machine. This, in turn, reduces the monthly flexPay rate. Additionally, flexPay contains a variety of digital products for production monitoring, efficiency enhancement, or simpler machine operation. This allows operating costs to be significantly reduced compared to other Pay-per-Use solutions and traditional machine financing.
Contact KraussMaffei
Quirin Kuchler
Product Manager Digital & Service Solutions
quirin.kuchler@kraussmaffei.com
Contact Linxfour
Linxfour Sales Team
sales@linxfour.com
