One reason for ACE Stoßdämpfer GmbH's successful cooperation with engineers and designers worldwide is the multi-track sales structure. Founded 60 years ago as ACE Controls Inc. in Farmington near Detroit in the USA, the company has relied from the outset on an indirect channel in the form of distributors in addition to direct sales via its own technical field service. The system of nationwide distribution of damping technology solutions established in this way in the USA is also successfully adapted by the German subsidiary founded in Langenfeld in 1978. ACE Stoßdämpfer GmbH has also been active on the European market for 45 years with this distribution model in the speed control, vibration control and safety product divisions. In addition, the expert brand ACE, which has been part of the Stabilus Group since 2016, expanded its consulting and sales activities to include digital sales channels at an early stage. In addition to a complete overview of the catalog range of thousands of machine elements, the website www.ace-ace.de also offers comprehensive configuration and calculation options (www.ace-ace.de/de/berechnungen.html) as well as an online store (www.ace-ace.de/de/vertrieb-kontakt/shop.html).


"In certain cases, there is no substitute for personal contact."


ACE's digital selection and consulting services appeal to all technical target groups and are particularly popular outside of traditional office hours. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic and especially during times of contact restrictions, ACE's websites and the integrated chat function were popular, much-used communication channels in addition to telephone advice.


Following the lifting of the coronavirus-related restrictions, there has been a noticeable increase in demand for personal advice and on-site appointments on all sides. This trend has also been confirmed by the increasing attendance at trade fairs since the beginning of 2023 and the consultations held there. Ralf Küppers, the sales engineer responsible for the BeNeLux area at ACE since 2006, adds: "There is no substitute for personal contact at training events and trade fairs, but also in certain consulting situations. A case in point is that of one of our customers who needed a damping solution for fire-resistant sliding doors for the innovative design of an environmental container. We were able to clarify design data such as weight, closing speed of the doors and inertial forces to be decelerated over the phone. This allowed us to narrow down the machine elements in question and arrange a sampling appointment on site." During the meeting, an even more concrete picture emerged of the container prototype, so that Ralf Küppers was able to present the possible solutions to the designers and test install a preferred one on site. "I often find that you can offer a very suitable, perfectly fitting product on site. One of the reasons for this is that younger employees on the customer side are more online and don't always find the most suitable component for a construction, which makes life more difficult for them," explains the BeNeLux representative from ACE.


His colleague Christopher Berning, who works in technical sales at ACE's headquarters in Langenfeld, agrees and reports on a shock absorber application in a test facility of a large German supplier of car washes, which would probably have remained unsolved without an on-site visit by ACE's technical customer service. The aim was to find suitable industrial shock absorbers in the sample system under real conditions that would be able to withstand the water and washing chemicals in future car washes even better in the long term and also reliably decelerate the mass forces on the swivel arms of the structure cycle by cycle. The particular challenge lay on the one hand in the selection of stainless surfaces and resistant seals. And secondly, the main task was to carry out a series of tests to determine the settings for the industrial shock absorbers that had to slow down the brush rollers of different weights on swivel arms moving at different speeds, depending on the washing process and amount of water. ACE's field service managed this balancing act on a living object by first testing conventional, adjustable industrial shock absorbers until the exact values for continuous operation of the system were determined. "We accepted the risk of rust and possible damage to the seal pack due to water and washing chemicals in order to transfer the determined values to our self-adjusting industrial shock absorbers made of stainless steel at the end of the tests. In the end, MC3350EUM shock absorbers were determined to be the most suitable for the task, we adapted them precisely to the conditions on site and then installed them in a stainless steel version for the customer," recalls Christopher Berning. The decisive factor for the customer in this case was that, in the market leader in industrial shock absorption technology, they found a partner who not only dealt with the specific situation in the test plant very quickly, but who was also able to manufacture and deliver special models in a short space of time.


Free training and demonstrations

The speed of response and customer-specific solutions described in the two exemplary cases also characterize ACE's sales department in the provision of other services. These include free product demonstrations and training courses that interested parties and customers can arrange with the company's technical field service. For example, it is possible for small groups of up to eight people to experience the benefits of the service live with competent, personal advice and support as part of a visit to ACE's demonstration vehicle (www.ace-ace.de/de/vertrieb-kontakt/vorfuehrwagen.html) on site. On the one hand, an ACE representative will present exemplary solutions from the product range (www.ace-ace.de/de/produkte.html) of the four company divisions to the participants. On the other hand, certain facets of damping or vibration control technology can also be highlighted or components for speed control or the safety of structures can be demonstrated, depending on customer requirements. "The best thing is to be able to convince engineers who are still pondering the right solution to a damping problem of our wide range of solutions," explains Jörg Brinkmann, ACE's training manager. He also points out that all that is needed for the visit is a parking space and a 230-volt power connection and that a training session with ACE lasts 45 to 60 minutes on average. "In addition to these types of demonstrations, we also give free talks and lectures at technical colleges and universities," he adds and asks lecturers who are interested in giving a talk to discuss the topic with him in advance at j-brinkmann@ace-int.eu (www.ace-ace.de/en/service-downloads/universitaeten-und-hochschulen.html).






Valve technology, VibroChecker and much more
When asked about the keyword "on site", Ralf Küppers points out a further added value for ACE customers: "As part of our field service activities, it also happens that we are asked during customer visits to check components supplied by us and, if necessary, to adapt them even better to the respective design." This is possible, for example, if industrial gas pressure or gas tension springs have been installed. Thanks to the valve technology used by ACE, the technicians can either use the special DE-GAS tool (www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vf23LnIQnkE) to allow the nitrogen to escape from the cylindrical components to the nearest Newton meter or add it using the filling case provided, so that the required extension or traction forces are precisely matched to the desired conditions. ACE technicians also use the VibroChecker mobile app to measure vibrations on their customers' systems and machines if required (www.ace-ace.de/de/service-downloads/mobile-apps.html). The software developed by ACE for use with iPhones or iPads is available to anyone interested to download free of charge from the Apple AppStore and provides valuable services to prevent vibrations and shocks, particularly in mobile use for testing vibration-sensitive constructions (https://apps.apple.com/de/app/vibrochecker/id819293915). It also symbolizes the synthesis of interpersonal consulting services in the work of the technical field service with customers and the mutual facilitation of work through digitalization and freely available online solutions. Thus, ACE Stoßdämpfer GmbH scores points from the customer's point of view both through presence and competence. Thanks to its membership of the MDAX-listed Stabilus Group, these two advantages are constantly being expanded. This is demonstrated, for example, by the fact that the world's leading supplier of gas springs, dampers and electromechanical actuators in the automotive sector has also geared its sales structure specifically to the needs of industrial customers, including those in the mechanical engineering sector. The newly formed sales team can now also offer solutions from the Stabilus Industrial division, resulting in an even wider range of suitable machine elements for virtually any requirement. For engineers and designers, this means that they can now select and install the right solutions for future-oriented designs from a single source, either on-site in a consultation or online.