On March 1, 2006 alpha getriebebau GmbH broke new ground with the latest in an impressive line of low-backlash planetary gearheads backed up by Internet sales. alphira® is the name of the youngest - and altogether attractive - offspring in the popular alpha product family. Packaged in a lightweight aluminium case, exceptionally precise, power-dense and maintenance-free, alphira® coincided with the launch of a revolutionary new service: a direct, Internet based sales channel (www.shop.alphagetriebe.de).
Designers, engineering consultants, production plants and private individuals are able to retrieve information about, and place orders for, alphira® - available in four sizes with five reduction ratios - online at any time of the day or night, thus saving both time and money.
Unsurprisingly, a growing number of customer enquiries and requests have also been received by the new Internet shop in connection with simple servo applications. And although only orders from within Germany will be accepted until the end of the pilot phase, Internet Shop Product Manager Christine Gundermann has observed a sharp rise in the number of visits by interested shoppers from other European countries, such as Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Slovakia, France, the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Slovenia.
"We see this as clear confirmation that we are on the right road with alphira®. The decision to venture into Internet shopping with a new product was a good move for the company", says Dr. Michael Fiedler, Managing Director of alpha getriebebau GmbH, taking stock of events so far.
alpha's own booth at AUTOMATICA, the Munich fair for robotics and automation where the Internet shop was presented live for the first time, similarly attracted considerable attention. Both the product itself and the innovative sales channel were enthusiastically received by longstanding customers and potential new business partners alike.
The Internet presence and the ordering process are altogether convincing: unnecessary delays are eliminated and all important price information, terms and conditions can be called up online. A few simple mouse clicks are all it takes to generate configurations, track the progress of orders or show prices and availabilities.
Simplified ordering modalities reduce delivery periods to a minimum
alphira® customers greatly appreciate the convenient and intuitive navigation concept. After just four months, there is no denying alphira®'s illustrious alpha pedigree. Quality and power density are implicit. Beyond this, however, the gearhead boasts another strength that is new to the proven alpha service concept - a novel, Internet based sales channel. And incidentally, alphira® is delivered within just five working days.
alpha also has plans to offer the successful alphira® concept Europe-wide in the near future. Dr. Michael Fiedler: "As far as our Internet shop is concerned, the sky's the limit - after expanding it right across of Europe, we intend to successively broaden the range of alpha products and possibly complement them with our speedline® service package".
Technical characteristics in brief
alphira®, the low-backlash planetary gearhead, combines precision with high torques for simple servo applications. Thanks to its optimised design and the renowned alpha expertise in lightweight construction, alphira®'s power density is phenomenal. alphira® impresses with superior quality, total reliability and outstanding efficiency up to 97%. The low noise level and lifelong lubrication regardless of the installation position are truly compelling arguments.
- 4 sizes (40, 60, 80, 115)
- 5 reduction ratios (1-stage 5, 10 / 2-stage 25, 50, 100)
- Aluminium case, unvarnished
- Lightweight (approx. 2.5 3 kg)
- High efficiency up to 97%
- Low noise level
- Designed for cyclic and continuous operation
- Very simple motor mounting
- Service life: 20,000 h
- Lifelong lubrication