Working with products from the future. VFor Mohammed Zanzan, it is the daily reality. Zanzan is sales manager at Acal BFi, a multinational that helps companies and governments with advice and design, but also the delivery of electronic components and systems. “Our customers develop and designing applications that the public is often not yet familiar with,” says the Eindhoven resident. “That makes Test & Measurement so exciting. You work with products that will only be available on the market in months or sometimes years.”
“To get a good picture of our customers’ applications, my colleagues and I visit companies to find a suitable solution for their technical challenges,” Zanzan continues. “Sometimes the specifications of a measuring instrument do not fully meet the customer’s requirements or the device does not fit in the available test space. Then we sit down together to see what is possible.”
Surprisingly creative
The places that the sales manager visits on behalf of Acal BFi are as diverse as the customers themselves. “I recently received a call from a falconer. He had read an article about spectrum analyzers. These are instruments that measure the frequency spectrum of a signal. He wanted to analysisr to be able to locate his falcon during flights. Falconers communicate with their falcons via a whistle, he said. When a falcon flies out of range of the whistle signal, contact is no longer possible. In order to know where the animal is, he wanted to use a spectrum analyzer by attaching a transmitter to the leg of his falcon. That was a really special application. The analyzers are of course not designed for that purpose, but engineers sometimes use technology in surprisingly creative ways.”
Birds of prey and naval frigates
The work of a Test & Measurement specialist is extremely varied, says Zanzan. “One day I’m staring into the sky in search of a bird of prey. The next day I’m walking across the deck of a naval frigate with radar systems that are bigger than me. Or I’m visiting a satellite that will soon be launched into the sky. Technology is everywhere and that’s why the importance of testing and measuring will only increase. After all, all that equipment has to be measured.” The fact that technology is relevant to many parties is also evident from Acal BFi’s diverse customer base: from leading high tech companies and government institutions to research institutes and small start-ups. And all these parties have different needs and budgets.
Technical know-how
This requires great flexibility from the employees. “We are constantly adapting to the customer’s applications. Sometimes there is a ready-made solution available, but not always. Fortunately, we have the technical expertise and resources in-house to develop customized products together with our partners. That is a great advantage of our company: all employees are technically skilled and understand how the applications are put together. This technical know-how is indispensable within Test & Measurement. Ultimately, we want to provide the best technologically advanced solutions.”
accessories
The T&M tools are the tools of an electronics engineer, both during the design phase and afterwards. They provide insight into the signals of devices that are being tested so that an engineer can quickly solve any problems. T&M instrumentation is also indispensable during the production phase. After all, as soon as an application is put into production, it must be functionally tested. “We have all the measuring equipment in-house, including the accessories, to be able to achieve even the most advanced technical specifications. In this way, a generic product can be turned into an application-oriented solution by means of specifically written software,” Zanzan explains. “We work together with top experts from our field who combine application knowledge and technology into a suitable solution. This saves time and money in the long term.”
Service and support
“We have measuring equipment for the entire range. Of course we sell the well-known A-brands, including the American Keysight, but we also offer niche brands that are very suitable for specific customers. In addition to this high-quality equipment, it is also important that customers quality test accessories use. This way the measurement chain of the specifications guaranteed.” And it doesn’t stop there, because Acal BFi always tries to go one step further in customer support. “We offer an extensive service portfolio including technical support, calibration and repair. For example, we provide training and organize webinars to explain the application of the equipment. So also in the aftersales-trajectory, customers can come to us with their technical and business challenges.”
Durable
“Technology is constantly changing,” Zanzan continues his story. “That is why it is so important to be flexible and to move with your customer. But we do not only look at technology. Sustainability, for example, is an increasingly important theme within test & measurementThat is why we as a company also offer refurbished equipment. These are used devices that are still in good technical condition. Some customers consciously choose this for environmental reasons; others find the lower price tag attractive.”
In the context of sustainability and cost savings, it is also possible to rent equipment. “This is especially interesting for smaller companies that only need a device for a short time. It is a waste to buy a completely new one.”
Enthusiastic
Are you enthusiastic and would you like to get in touch with Acal BFi? You can do this in the following ways:
Visit the renovated website of Acal BFi
look at it profile of Acal BFi on the FHI website
Acal BFi is present during the Power Electronics & Energy Storage event on June 14 in Den Bosch.
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