Pictured above: Phil Inman, KUKA's new customer services supervisor

Automation specialist KUKA has promoted one of its most senior technical support engineers to a new role in a bid to further develop its range of after-sales services.

Phil Inman has been appointed as the Halesowen-based robot supplier's new customer services supervisor, a position that also involves planning and overseeing the work of a six-strong engineering team.

Phil joined the company in 1999 as a service engineer and was promoted to senior technical support engineer in 2002. He has been involved in many different types of automation projects from single robot cells to complete body-in-white systems for automotive and aerospace customers in Europe, Asia and South America.

Phil's new role also means he will be responsible for scheduling product training for KUKA's engineering team, assisting in the development of programming software and preparation of service work quotations.

KUKA provides a wide range of after-sales services for its customers including maintenance and on-site servicing, hardware and software upgrades, 24-hour telephone hotline and remote diagnosis, spare parts and training.

The company, part of KUKA AG, Europe's largest robot manufacturer, supplies robots and automated production systems for a wide range of industries such as aerospace, automotive, food and drink processing, metalworking and nuclear.