text.skipToContent
text.skipToNavigation
![]()
Headquartered in Sint-Truiden (Belgium), with production lines in Germany, Mexico, China and Romania, VCST is one of the world’s largest manufacturers and suppliers for the automotive industry. It is part of the Belgian BMT Group, with business in various industries, in all corners of the world.
VCST Automotive Production Alba is among the first customers in Romania that itsme ES Elektro provided, and still provides, a full package of services to: the supply of electrical and electrotechnical materials, training, consultancy and technical support for industrial automation.
Their collaboration started in 2012, the year in which the international group VCST started its operations in Romania. Following a short period in which it supplied electrical and electrotechnical equipment, itsme ES Elektro was requested to provide training for the maintenance team. In total, four courses were delivered over time by the itsme ES Elektro specialists, especially for the maintenance of Siemens components and equipment.
“I remember the first course. It was in 2012, at the request of engineer Ioan Lupu, maintenance manager at VCST. I conducted that course in a high school building in Alba Iulia and everything went very well. Things have evolved during subsequent courses and I delivered them in a very professional environment, either in the training room of ES Elektro, or in specially arranged conference rooms”, says Silviu Laslău, product specialist in the Industrial Automation department of ES Elektro.
“Starting from these courses, the partnership between the two companies has taken on new proportions. We find in VCST an open partner, willing to discuss various problems that their maintenance crews encounter. VCST engineers had many technical questions. They were looking for solutions to various problems related to their equipment, and we were there to help them. That’s how we began to provide them with technical support as well”, adds Silviu Laslău.
The Industrial Automation department of itsme ES Elektro provides technical support for automation, in particular PLC, HMI, convertors and collaborative robots, trying to address the questions related to software and hardware, coming from the customers through Technical Support.
The first technical problem VCST resolved with the help of ES Elektro, occurred in a machine controlled by a Siemens Simatic S7-300 PLC, configured on two racks: the central rack and an extension. The connection between the two was made through IM 360 interface modules. One of the sensors on the machine was activated physically, but its signal would not reach the PLC program. Eventually, the itsme ES Elektro engineers discovered that one of the IM360 interface modules had failed, and they replaced it.
Another problem was a machine that no longer operated correctly. The itsme ES Elektro specialists saved the situation. It concerned the communication via Profibus between a Siemens Simatic S7-300 PLC and a computer. The computer had an integrated Profibus communication board and that board had failed.
itsme ES Elektro helped with another problem as well. VCST had to replace a Simatic S7-1200 PLC with a new one and could not load the program. Why? An error had occurred in the firmware. The issue was successfully remedied.
At one point, VCST had problems with a Field PG and lost all Simatic licenses. Dangerous situation. Together with the specialists from the Industrial Automation Department of ES Elektro, following the specific procedures from Siemens – known in detail by them – the VCST team managed to recover them all in a timely manner.
“After that moment, considering that our factory benefits from the latest technologies, with the contribution of itsme ES Elektro we concluded a Software Update Service (SUS) agreement for Siemens licenses so that every time a new version of the Simatic software is released we receive it for free under this agreement”, explains Alin Stănilă, maintenance engineer at VCST.
“Our factory combines the recent past with the future in terms of technology and in this process we constantly need the support of ES Elektro. It’s been an efficient and beneficial collaboration from the beginning, on all levels. We discovered that itsme ES Elektro has the required level of professionalism to be an important partner for us, now and in the future”, adds the VCST representative.
Over the past years, VCST has commissioned several collaborative robots from Universal Robots. Therefore, a need for technical support for these emerged in the area of automation and engineering. itsme ES Elektro was and is there, ready to help.
In fact, ES Elektro’s support team is ready to approach and provide solutions for any technical problem raised by its partners from the industry or for any challenges related to the extensive automation process of many companies. In addition, itsme ES Elektro is pleased to train specialists from these companies who will then be able to operate the implemented technologies by themselves.
International added value through localised support
How occasional training led to all-round technical partnership
Headquartered in Sint-Truiden (Belgium), with production lines in Germany, Mexico, China and Romania, VCST is one of the world’s largest manufacturers and suppliers for the automotive industry. It is part of the Belgian BMT Group, with business in various industries, in all corners of the world.VCST Automotive Production Alba is among the first customers in Romania that itsme ES Elektro provided, and still provides, a full package of services to: the supply of electrical and electrotechnical materials, training, consultancy and technical support for industrial automation.
Their collaboration started in 2012, the year in which the international group VCST started its operations in Romania. Following a short period in which it supplied electrical and electrotechnical equipment, itsme ES Elektro was requested to provide training for the maintenance team. In total, four courses were delivered over time by the itsme ES Elektro specialists, especially for the maintenance of Siemens components and equipment.
“I remember the first course. It was in 2012, at the request of engineer Ioan Lupu, maintenance manager at VCST. I conducted that course in a high school building in Alba Iulia and everything went very well. Things have evolved during subsequent courses and I delivered them in a very professional environment, either in the training room of ES Elektro, or in specially arranged conference rooms”, says Silviu Laslău, product specialist in the Industrial Automation department of ES Elektro.
“Starting from these courses, the partnership between the two companies has taken on new proportions. We find in VCST an open partner, willing to discuss various problems that their maintenance crews encounter. VCST engineers had many technical questions. They were looking for solutions to various problems related to their equipment, and we were there to help them. That’s how we began to provide them with technical support as well”, adds Silviu Laslău.
“Starting from these courses, the partnership between the two companies has taken on new proportions”
The Industrial Automation department of itsme ES Elektro provides technical support for automation, in particular PLC, HMI, convertors and collaborative robots, trying to address the questions related to software and hardware, coming from the customers through Technical Support.
No problem!
The first technical problem VCST resolved with the help of ES Elektro, occurred in a machine controlled by a Siemens Simatic S7-300 PLC, configured on two racks: the central rack and an extension. The connection between the two was made through IM 360 interface modules. One of the sensors on the machine was activated physically, but its signal would not reach the PLC program. Eventually, the itsme ES Elektro engineers discovered that one of the IM360 interface modules had failed, and they replaced it.Another problem was a machine that no longer operated correctly. The itsme ES Elektro specialists saved the situation. It concerned the communication via Profibus between a Siemens Simatic S7-300 PLC and a computer. The computer had an integrated Profibus communication board and that board had failed.
itsme ES Elektro helped with another problem as well. VCST had to replace a Simatic S7-1200 PLC with a new one and could not load the program. Why? An error had occurred in the firmware. The issue was successfully remedied.
Software Update Service agreement
At one point, VCST had problems with a Field PG and lost all Simatic licenses. Dangerous situation. Together with the specialists from the Industrial Automation Department of ES Elektro, following the specific procedures from Siemens – known in detail by them – the VCST team managed to recover them all in a timely manner.“After that moment, considering that our factory benefits from the latest technologies, with the contribution of itsme ES Elektro we concluded a Software Update Service (SUS) agreement for Siemens licenses so that every time a new version of the Simatic software is released we receive it for free under this agreement”, explains Alin Stănilă, maintenance engineer at VCST.
“Our factory combines the recent past with the future in terms of technology and in this process we constantly need the support of ES Elektro. It’s been an efficient and beneficial collaboration from the beginning, on all levels. We discovered that itsme ES Elektro has the required level of professionalism to be an important partner for us, now and in the future”, adds the VCST representative.
“Our factory combines the recent past with the future in terms of technology and in this process we constantly need the support of ES Elektro”
Over the past years, VCST has commissioned several collaborative robots from Universal Robots. Therefore, a need for technical support for these emerged in the area of automation and engineering. itsme ES Elektro was and is there, ready to help.
In fact, ES Elektro’s support team is ready to approach and provide solutions for any technical problem raised by its partners from the industry or for any challenges related to the extensive automation process of many companies. In addition, itsme ES Elektro is pleased to train specialists from these companies who will then be able to operate the implemented technologies by themselves.
Through the International Accounts department, the requests coming from customers from all over the world are centralised, and itsme ES Elektro provides them with precise solutions in a very short time.
About VCSTVCST company specialises in the production of high-precision components, such as gears, sprockets, spare parts, ABS braking systems, but also deals with design or prototypes. Its customer portfolio includes names like Audi, Caterpillar, Continental, Cummins, DAF, General Motors, Punch Powertrain and Volkswagen.Alba Iulia (Romania) subsidiary VCST Automotive Production Alba, holds a top position as a supplier of high-precision components. It was established in 2012 and currently has over 300 employees and over €30 million in revenues. |
Check out our other success stories:
-
TR Service - Future-proof low-voltage panelRead moreTR-Service provides industrial maintenance using all disciplines, from electrical and mechanical to hydraulic and pneumatic. With support from Breemes, the company installed a large low-voltage panel. ‘After discussing my summary plan with them, I decided to just do it,’ says director-owner Raoul Tielens. At Breemes' suggestion, the panel was future-proofed by preparing it for power monitoring.
-
Peeters - Young Company, New EquipmentRead moreSince its founding a few years ago, Peeters Robotic Solutions has been rapidly developing, working on projects both domestically and internationally and providing standard solutions for industrial palletizing. The company stays up to date with the latest technology, including Festo’s electrical and pneumatic drives. To achieve this, it relies on itsme. “Thanks to their expertise and skills, we can bring innovation to the forefront for our customers.”
-
Kusters - Putting weight behind itRead moreKusters was looking for a weighing solution for its banknote devaluation machines that was easy to integrate into the Siemens control system. Through itsme, they came into contact with the right knowledge carriers at Siemens. ‘For us as Kusters, itsme is not only a supplier but also a source of knowledge, with which we co-engineer certain components and process steps, such as this weighing system.’
-
Eneco - Green light for green electricity and steamRead moreEneco Bio Golden Raand, located in the port area of Delfzijl, converts biomass into green electricity and green steam. Each year, the plant processes approximately 300,000 tons of waste wood from the Netherlands and neighboring countries. As part of Eneco’s climate ambitions, a project began in 2022 to replace the existing fluorescent lighting in and around the boiler room. The project was carried out under the supervision of itsme. “Two factors were important in this process: the cost, of course, but also the level of service.”
Stay up to date with the latest news:
-
Eaton - PSG and PSL power suppliesRead moreEaton is launching its next-generation PSG and PSL power supplies, specially designed to serve a wide range of industrial applications. The new PSG and PSL power supplies are flexible, reliable and economical. Thanks to their compact housing, you save valuable space in your control cabinet.
-
Festo - Save energy, increase productivityRead moreBecause pneumatics has a high power density, pneumatic components are widely used in machine lines. Smaller components are gaining popularity due to ease of use, energy savings and productivity gains.
-
Siemens - Scalable and Flexible Safety ConceptsRead moreSiemens offers a digital workflow that helps with every step of safe machine design. Through an integrated tool chain-from risk assessment and safety evaluation to hardware selection, engineering and validation-the process is streamlined and documentation efforts are minimised.
-
Schneider Electric - Modicon Edge I/O NTSRead moreModicon Edge I/O NTS, Schneider Electric’s latest IP20 distributed I/O system, is more than just an input/output system. It is designed to equip machine builders, system integrators, and industrial end-users with the tools they need to thrive in an increasingly data-driven digital world. The system's ability to aggregate and securely share data enables smarter decision-making and improved operational performance. With open Ethernet protocols for connectivity with a wide variety of devices and architectures, OPC UA technology for secure communication and interoperability, and built-in hardware cybersecurity, Modicon Edge I/O NTS helps ensure connectivity, performance, availability, and enhanced network security. Furthermore, the system complies with current cybersecurity regulations, enabling end-users to safely access and fully leverage their data — boosting industrial efficiency, flexibility, sustainability, and profitability.
Take a look at these promotions:
Why not take a look at these trainings we offer:
-
PROFINET CPNERead moreavailable in Dutch
-
PROFIBUS CPERead moreavailable in Dutch
-
WinCC-SCADA2Read moreavailable in Dutch
-
PCS7-SAFE V9Read moreavailable in Dutch