Cost Reduction Applications

Do you have an existing motor and controller or motor control solution but are looking to reduce cost?

Perhaps you’ve purchased an existing Zikodrive stock motor controller or a controller from another manufacturer? You’ve got the performance you need, but the cost is higher than you would like for your particular project?

We can help

Custom design motor controllers for cost reduction

One of the most common enquiries we receive involves a customer that has found a controller and/or motor and controller combination that works well for them, however the price of the total package is higher than they would like. These higher costs can have a significant impact on the overall project. Maybe they push the cost of the finished product to a level that makes sales harder to achieve. Perhaps, it makes the final product uncompetitive in the wider market. 

We know from experience that often one of the most expensive parts in any product can be the motor and control solution. This therefore provides significant scope for cost reduction which can then be passed on to the final product in the form of a more competitive price, higher margins for your product, or both.

This sounds interesting, but how does it work in practice?

In practice, these projects are often some of the simplest we work on. 

In part, this is because there is already a clear performance benchmark which can be measured and understood. This enables accurate information to be made in the specification which then enable parts to be specified as close to their functional requirement as possible. 

Whereas many stock controllers (our own included) are specified to cover certain performance brackets (for example 48V / 20A) – it may be that you have a requirement that peaks at 14A. This then means we are able to work directly to this specification, reducing the power handling of the board in line with your actual requirements. Generally speaking, lower power handling means lower costs and this therefore enables us to deliver cost reductions.

Understand

We work with you to understand your requirements, technically and commercially.

Measure

We work with you to ensure accurate performance measurements from your existing solution.

Specify

Based on the measurements and the requirements, we specify the new controller design.

Design

We design the controller based around our pre-existing modules and using components we know work.

Produce

Once you're happy, we manufacture the new controller for you and deliver it pre-programmed and ready to go

An opportunity to do more than reduce hardware cost...

When embarking on a cost reduction project, there are often ways that we can support you to further reduce cost, beyond the fundamental hardware.

Perhaps you’re using a controller that requires each individual unit to be specifically setup? We can work with you to develop a solution which ships to you with pre-installed hardware, ready to go?

Perhaps you have complex manufacturing processes as a result of having to use several connectors, all of which have to be placed exactly for the unit to function? We can reduce production risk and opportunities for variation by ensuring a single, polarised connector to prevent errors in production.

Got a question? Ask away...