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PRODUCT News
54
MODERN MINING
November 2015
In order to improve its competitiveness in
increasingly challenging economic condi
tions, SEW-EURODRIVE is placing greater
focus on enhancing its service offering,
while improving customer satisfaction.
Due to a gradual slowdown in new
investments, industrial operations are
opting to maintain and repair existing
equipment, as opposed to investing capi
tal in newmachinery. SEW-EURODRIVE MD
Raymond Obermeyer indicates that this
has prompted an increase in demand for
field service.
“A general industry trend is that opera
tions are reducing overhead costs by
diverting budgets towards maintenance
to extend the total life cycle of equipment.
As a result, we are upgrading our service
offering countrywide, by hiring more tech
nicians and improving on internal staff
training,” he states.
According to Obermeyer, SEW-EURO
DRIVE’s ultimate goal is to ensure that all
of its national branches are fully capable of
providing value-added after-sales service
and technical support on a 24/7 basis.
An example of this commitment to
improved customer support is the official
merging of SEW-EURODRIVE’s Variolution
and Maxolution business units to form the
Maxo-Variolution business unit inmid-2015.
Variolution is packaged selling whereby
80 per cent of the package is standard and
20 per cent is customisable. Maxolution,
alternatively, comprises a suite of fully-
customisable components and services
that can be tailored to project-specific
requirements from start to finish.
By combining the two business units,
SEW-EURODRIVE will focus on offering a
SEW-EURODRIVE enhances its service offering
Raymond Obermeyer, MD of SEW-EURODRIVE.
full suite of services, including pre-sales.
Another major benefit of the merger is that
additional training and upskilling will also
be implemented across the two units in a
bid to offer better integrated services.
“Maxo-Variolution represents our elec
tronic division, where we have already
hired three new mechatronic engineers to
bolster our service capabilities in this field.
With regards to our industrial gear (IG) and
geared motors division, we are actively
seeking qualified artisans to improve our
field service capabilities in these areas too,”
Obermeyer continues.
All local SEW-EURODRIVE IG units are
assembled at the company’s Nelspruit
facility, which features specialised 30-ton
assembly cranes, thereby reducing costs
associated with international shipping
fees. Obermeyer reveals that the units can
also be produced faster, which reduces
project lead times.
“Availability of spares and turnaround
time on repairs is also minimised to fur
ther ensure high levels of availability. Due
to SEW-EURODRIVE having the expertise to
assemble these units in South Africa, there
is a considerable cost advantage paying in
rand, as opposed to importing new parts,”
he adds.
Another area of customer improvement
has been through the implementation of
the new standardisation of logistics and
assembly processes (SLAP) system at SEW-
EURODRIVE Johannesburg earlier this year.
SLAP specifically focuses on the goods
receipt process, assembly and capacity
planning, commissioning assembly, and
packing and shipping.
The system is estimated to have already
improved operational efficiency by up to
40 per cent. As a result, a further four South
African branches will implement SLAP in
the near future, taking into consideration
the lessons learned during the rollout in
Johannesburg.
Despite a prolonged slump in the indus
trial sector, Obermeyer remains optimistic
of the future outlook for SEW-EURODRIVE.
“We remain in a good position, and have
been awarded a number of high-profile
projects ahead of our competitors. We are
pressing hard to grow our market share,
in spite of the economic downturn,” he
continues.
SEW-EURODRIVE, tel (+27 11) 248-7000
WearCheck now part of Torre Industries
Condition monitoring specialist WearCheck
and its Set Point Group sister companies
have been acquired by Torre Industries, a
JSE-listed industrial entity underpinned by
strong brands and products.
The scientific analysis of used oil from
mechanical and electrical systems is
WearCheck’s core condition monitoring
service, which is used by a range of indus
tries including mining. Additional services
include the analysis of fuels, transformer
oils, coolants, greases and filters.
WearCheck was founded nearly 40 years
ago in Pinetown, Durban, and has expanded
to operate a network of ten laboratories
across the African continent and beyond.
Today, WearCheck has evolved into a
‘one-stop shop’ for condition monitoring,
which is dedicated to the optimisation of
plant performance management, and offers
an additional range of monitoring tech
niques such as vibration monitoring, laser
alignment, thermal imaging, balancing, the
testing and control of the efficiency of com
bustion, heat transfer, and milling.
The integration with Torre Industries will
have no negative impact on WearCheck
customers, and the company will continue
with normal operations.
WearCheck MD Neil Robinson views the
merger in a positive light. “We are pleased
to be part of Torre – a solid, well-renowned
group in the industry, and one which shares
WearCheck’s high standards of customer
satisfaction, continued investment in tech
nology, and ongoing staff training and
education.
“The integration process will be phased
in over several months, and we will continue
to keep customers informed of any changes
or improvements. We would like to reassure
our customers that, as we are integrated
into the Torre family, we are excited at the
opportunities for development and growth
that will evolve.”
WearCheck, tel (+27 31) 700-5460