Support of materials handling equipment in the field is poised to become a major focus for Sandvik. Service Support Manager, Blanche van Heerden, says although Sandvik has been doing this for some time on an ad hoc basis, an increasing necessity to reduce the total cost of ownership has led to it being rolled out as a full service capability. “This means that as we put greater focus on the customer services, more options will become available to our customers including customised maintenance packages which incorporate preventative maintenance,” van Heerden says.
“Our aim is to ensure optimised, reliable and safe operation of our equipment at customer sites. This aligns perfectly with our commitment to provide lifecycle support for the equipment we sell – to ensure maximum availability and productivity of equipment and plant throughout their planned lifetimes.
“Support to customer services is something that is often touted as an important aspect of any business, yet there are few businesses that proactively walk the talk and deliver this service.”
She explains that customer services support for the materials handling sector includes access to all parts and components. The customer’s involvement from the beginning of a project ensures that the most appropriate parts and components inventory is maintained, thereby ensuring optimum uptime of the equipment once in operation.
“Customer services should not be regarded as an add-on or a separate service to customers – it forms an integral part of our market offering,” van Heerden stresses. “Mining and stockyard equipment generally operates in harsh conditions, yet ambitious throughput targets often keep machines running to the limit of their design and availability. It is very tempting to run a machine until it fails, but this is a shortsighted approach that could lead to unnecessary expense.
“Supporting our equipment in the field will be a standard service from now on in all new projects. In terms of existing equipment out there already, our data enables us to ensure stockholdings and access to the required parts and components. So, in
all aspects of our customer service, Sandvik is committed to helping companies reduce their total cost of ownership. Our customers will benefit from active technical support, less downtime improved service and parts forecasting and extended equipment lifetime.”
Components are generally divided into two categories – critical components and wear parts. Van Heerden says Sandvik provides customers with quick and easy access to critical components and, in terms of wear parts, the company maintains close communication with both its technical field service personnel and the customer to track the condition of parts. This enables Sandvik to predict replacement cycles accurately and allows for appropriate stockholdings and access to the wear parts on all its materials handling equipment.
