CeiliX accelerates InfinityCrane development with component procurement via FACTUREE
Brief portrait of FACTUREE
FACTUREE offers a future-oriented all-in-one solution for the fast, reliable and up-to-date procurement of all types of drawing parts from a single source. With a network of over 2,000 manufacturing partners and around 15,000 machines, the company covers all common processes such as CNC machining, sheet metal processing, 3D printing and casting. From prototypes to large-scale production, FACTUREE offers maximum delivery capability and resilience for industries such as mechanical engineering, automotive and aviation. Its customers include well-known companies such as Siemens as well as SMEs and research institutions.
Further information: www.facturee.de
In product development, requirements often change with every iteration. If components are missing or coordination is delayed, tests and optimization loops quickly come to a standstill. CeiliX therefore relies on digital component procurement via FACTUREE for prototype construction and pre-series production of the InfinityCrane. The procurement service provider delivers the required drawing parts at short notice, enables flexible design adaptations and relieves internal resources in purchasing.
CeiliX Technology GmbH develops automation solutions for logistics and manufacturing environments, where transport and handling processes are relocated to the hall ceiling. The core product is the InfinityCrane with its rail-guided SkyRunner drive unit, which moves loads omnidirectionally in the ceiling space. Depending on the design, the system can handle loads of up to over one ton.
High need for coordination with limited resources in purchasing
In the early development phase of the InfinityCrane, CeiliX did not have its own specialized purchasing department. At the same time, procurement placed high demands: The overhead crane system requires high-precision milled parts with CNC 3-axis machining - with tight tolerances, different alloys, various threads, helicoils and specific surface coatings such as galvanic processes. In addition, regular design adjustments were made at the prototype stage.
„This combination quickly leads to a high level of coordination in purchasing: searching for suppliers, technical clarifications, coordination on post-processing and quality - often across several individual suppliers,“ explains Dr. Torsten Siedel, CTO of CeiliX Technology GmbH. „We therefore needed a procurement model that reliably covers drawing parts, including post-processing, without having to build up and manage a large pool of suppliers internally.“
Central procurement interface instead of many individual suppliers
CeiliX decided to work with FACTUREE. The decisive factor was a procurement model with just one contractual partner and a central interface - with simultaneous access to a broad manufacturing network.
FACTUREE pools the expertise of over 2,000 verified manufacturing partners worldwide and handles the entire process: from inquiry to production and post-processing to delivery. Digital processes and AI-supported methods support efficient supplier selection and cost-effective manufacturing decisions.
Dr.-Ing. Torsten Siedel says: „We have a fixed contact person who advises and supports us. FACTUREE takes care of sourcing and all other downstream processes. This reduces supplier management and coordination loops to a minimum.“
Less sourcing effort and shorter time-to-market
„The elimination of our own supplier search - especially for special processes - saves us considerable resources in sourcing. With the help of FACTUREE, we were able to significantly shorten the time-to-market of our InfinityCrane,“ explains Dr. Torsten Siedel. „The high quality of the components ensures that our system also delivers the expected performance in industrial use: even loads in the ton range can be moved precisely and with minimal effort - often a finger is enough to push them.“
Fast iterations in prototype construction
CeiliX uses the components procured via FACTUREE in research and development as well as in pre-series production - from individual parts in prototype construction to small series for initial customer deliveries.
The operational process is organized in a lean manner: Once a design phase has been completed, CAD data is transmitted digitally, checked technically and ordered. Prototypes can then be manufactured, tested and, if necessary, reordered at short notice or reordered in an adapted form.
„Personal and solution-oriented coordination is important to us - for example with tolerances or galvanic coatings. This allows us to clarify technical details quickly and transfer changes to the next iteration without long loops,“ says Dr. Torsten Siedel.
Scalability is becoming an increasingly important success factor
Following the successful launch of the pre-series, CeiliX is planning to gradually expand series production. The InfinityCrane has a modular design and is already being used in Germany, Austria, Sweden, Belgium and the USA. CeiliX will continue to see FACTUREE as a central partner for flexibly expanding production capacities and organizing the procurement of drawing parts via a central interface as volumes grow.
