Why You Should Consider ONExia...
Commonly Asked Questions

Why should we consider having ONExia do our project?
Most companies no longer have enough engineers to handle all of their projects "in house". It is also difficult to keep current on all of the current technologies associated with processes and manufacturing. ONExia has the staff and the expertise in motion control and machine automation to handle your project. You can consider us to be an "extension" of your own engineering staff, and take advantage of our knowledge and experiences.

What makes ONExia different from other System Integrators? Several things....

First is the quality of our people. Our engineers have a great deal of experience with motion control and machine automation. They are good at managing their projects, and communicating with the customers. They are also inventive, and often can help a customer find better and more efficient ways to solve application problems.Second, we specialize. Motion control (the control of stepping and servomotors) is at the heart of almost everything that we do. Most system integrators come from a PLC background, which is great for process control and general I/O control applications, but relatively poor for applications requiring the control of motion. By making the motion control of a machine the primary design criteria, we have a better chance of achieving the highest performance levels possible.Third, ONExia is also a distributor of many of the control products that we integrate. One might argue that being a distributor makes us biased in our selection of controls for a project. It does. Our strategy has been to represent the best products available. Most of the time, this means that we represent the right product for the job. If not, we will recommend and use products from other sources. There are several advantages to our integrating products that we distribute.

What can we expect?
This is an excellent question. The success of a project depends on how well we meet your expectations. To do this, we will do a couple of things. First, at the beginning of the project, we will work with you to define what the acceptance criteria for the project will be. This defines exactly what you will expect of the project when it is complete, and how it will be tested. This is an excellent exercise, as it often helps the customer to think through exactly what they want, especially where a detailed specification does not exist.The second thing that we do is to keep you involved. Projects are almost always special - often something that has never been done before. We will need your expertise and involvement to make sure that the project is a success.

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Why do your payment terms require advanced payment?
You should consider ONExia as an extension of your company's engineering department. By having us involved in your project, you have access to and the benefit of our extensive experience with automation projects. When you do projects "in house", you pay the costs of materials, overhead and labor as the project progresses. When you have ONExia involved with your project, our role is to contribute engineering and technical expertise - not financing. By funding the project as it progresses, you are also demonstrating your involvement in and commitment to the project. That is why we expect to have you provide funds during the course of the project.

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My project is relatively simple. Can we save money by not requiring drawings or by cutting other corners?
We believe that there is only one way to do a project: The right way! And that includes creating documentation, including drawing packages, users manuals, etc. It really comes down to a "pay me now or pay me later" situation. If a project is not documented properly, there may come a time when it can result in very costly downtime. Having proper documentation will make it possible for someone who is not familiar with the equipment to "come up to speed" relatively fast.We also do other things that we feel are important. For instance, we install ferrules on all wires that go to terminal blocks. Ferrules are thin-walled tubes which are mechanically crimped onto the ends of stranded wire. They prevent fraying and breaking of wire strands. This may seem like a small thing, but if you have ever had to make a wiring change in a panel and had to move a 24-gauge wire to another terminal, you will appreciate ferrules!

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Can I just purchase parts and have you write the software?
Yes, with a couple of caveats. If we design, assemble and test a control system for a customer, we take responsibility for the correct operation of the systems. That assurance is part of what the customer pays for when we do that work. In a case where the customer does the design and assembly, that responsibility is now the customer's. Very often in those cases we find that our task of writing software has to begin with the evaluation and trouble-shooting of the control system.Another issue is the specification for the software. If there is a clearly defined specification, including all operations, screen definitions, etc., then writing software can go relatively smoothly. If there is not a specification, then we expect that there will be several additions and changes made as the software is written.In these scenarios, we will probably quote the customer time and materials rates, and will not be able to provide a "fixed price" quote.

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We hope that we have the opportunity to work with you!
Please ask us anything anytime!