Invest in R&D, save costs across the lifecycle

We strive to keep the cost of our products as low as possible. However, it can pay off to invest a bit more at the start, so that savings can be made later in the lifecycle of a device or machine. Eltrex Motion demonstrates this with its custom PCBs in combination with drives.

During a musical production, autonomously moving stage elements are used. To make this possible, the production company developed its own vehicles. Eltrex Motion, part of the Eight Lakes Group, supplied the drives for these vehicles. Initially, these were standard versions, without any customization.

However, a problem soon emerged. The drive contains standard EtherCAT connectors for communication between the various drives in the vehicle. When the vehicle moves, vibrations occur. These vibrations cause unreliable connections, bringing the stage element to a halt in the middle of the stage. The solution: Eltrex Motion rapidly developed a customized PCB (printed circuit board) featuring metal M8 screw connectors. These cannot loosen due to vibration, and the stage elements no longer come to a standstill.

Investing to save

Naturally, such a fully customized solution does not come about without effort. Investment in R&D is required to develop a proprietary product.

The customer’s requirements are mapped out and communicated to Eltrex Motion. “The specification document is leading,” Loos confirms. “In the early phase, there is very intensive contact between our engineers and those of the customer.” A prototype of the custom drive and PCB is then developed, typically ready within three to four weeks. “Sometimes everything is right the first time, but often some adjustments are still needed. The customer is usually in a development process as well and may need to change specifications. In that case, we also need to go through another iteration.”

Nevertheless, such a custom product pays off in the long run, Loos emphasizes. “An off-the-shelf product with all features, a housing, and all connectors might cost the customer around one thousand euros. A stripped-down drive costs only 500 euros, and the PCB costs about 100 to 150 euros to produce. A PCB with a single drive therefore costs around 650 euros.” Naturally, the price increases when more drives are added to the PCB - but an off-the-shelf version with multiple drives would also be more expensive.

There are, of course, additional R&D costs involved in a custom project. However, especially for larger production volumes, a custom solution can result in significant savings. “We see that from around fifty units onwards, it already pays off to use a customer-specific PCB,” says Loos. Moreover, the product then fully meets the customer’s wishes and requirements.

* This article is written in cooperation with LINK Magazine, edition 6 2025.