Page 17 - Energize November 2021

NEWS

Plant performance optimisation with to improvements made to the design of transfer
chutes that was replaced; a cable festoon was also
condition-based maintenance solutions replaced with an energy chain.
Although thyssenkrupp is the original
equipment manufacturer (OEM) of these two
hile there can be no argument against the crucial role that shiploaders, it does not mean the company’s
maintenance plays in optimizing your plant’s overall performance, expertise and capabilities are limited to its own
Wadopting the correct maintenance strategy is equally important. equipment. In fact, thyssenkrupp is close to
Although preventative and corrective maintenance can add value, they also have completing a condition-based refurbishment
limitations: Preventative maintenance favours your maintenance team by enabling project on a Stacker/Reclaimer that was
the advanced planning of maintenance activities. But it could also lead to over- manufactured by a third party.
maintenance, placing a burden on labour and maintenance costs. Corrective De Villiers attributes several factors to the
maintenance is not ideal in a high-performance production environment where success of thyssenkrupp’s condition-based
machine availability is crucial, more specifically where capital outlay for spares and refurbishments. “Firstly, our highly skilled
redundancy are restricted. team of design and field service engineers and
“The solution is therefore to extract the best of both through a condition- experienced project manager work alongside
based maintenance strategy that combines the advantages of preventative and our customers, combining all the findings and
corrective maintenance into a win-win solution,” says Francois de Villiers, Area reports in a working document. This forms the
Manager – Western Cape and Namibia, at thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions. “The backbone of our condition-based maintenance
implementation of a condition-based maintenance strategy will help to avoid strategy. Secondly, the end-user experience and
potential conflict between your Production and Maintenance Engineering teams practical, hands-on involvement must never be
by aligning the teams’ respective scope of work.” De Villiers also points out that a underestimated. Subsequently, we always liaise
condition-based maintenance approach will also help to cultivate a healthy culture with the customer’s maintenance team and
within your organisation. consult breakdown reports when the scope of
thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions, as a market leader and employer of choice for work is defined.”
materials handling equipment in the mining industry, has been expertly supporting “Also playing a key role in our successful
customers with condition-based maintenance solutions over the past decade. The deployment of our condition-based
company recently successfully completed a mid-life refurbishment on two 10 000 refurbishments is the expertise of our highly
ton/hour shiploaders operating at Saldanha Bay that has extended the life of these accomplished team and their in-depth pool of
almost 20-years-old machines by a further ten years. knowledge,” affirms De Villiers. “This enables us
According to De Villiers, owing to the extreme environmental conditions on to assist customers irrespective of the size of their
the quay where the shiploaders are in operation, extensive structural repairs were maintenance or refurbishment requirements.
done together with the application of a 3-coat corrosion protection. Unpacking Moreover, as many of our design engineers
the scope of work, De Villiers explains that all the mechanical drives on the shuttle have been involved in the initial design and
inside the boom, on the slew system and the travel bogies were replaced as well manufacture of our machines, they are equipped
as the respective Variable Speed Drives (VSDs) as these items were obsolete with with the necessary know-how and skill sets to
limited support from the manufacturers. The latest technology safety sensors implement new improvements and upgrades
were implemented to ensure a safe environment for personnel and equipment. No during refurbishments.
limitations were put to the scope or detail thyssenkrupp executed, from Software The involvement of thyssenkrupp’s field
upgrades to the machine’s control system to replacing the hydraulic luffing cylinders service engineers in the complete value chain
on the main boom and the cooling systems for the main conveyor belt gearboxes. of condition-based refurbishments ensures that
Consultation with the end-user maintenance team prior to the refurbishment lead realistic schedules as well as detailed method
statements are prepared to ease planning for site
activities and to mitigate risk during maintenance.
“And finally, we believe in strong teamwork
between customer and contractor, and we are
flexible to the structure- and responsibility-
split that the customer is comfortable with i.e.,
consultancy basis, turnkey solutions or on-the-job
skills training,” concludes De Villiers.

Contact Thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions South
Africa, Phone 011 236-1000,
info.tkissa@thyssenkrupp.com,
www.thyssenkrupp-industrial-solutions.co.za

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