Leading supplier Bearings International (BI) is establishing a field service and engineering division to be able to offer its large mining and industrial customer base a structured, tailor-made value proposition for all of their service and repair requirements, explains GM Christian Chipamaunga.

The division affords BI the opportunity to offer complete bundled solutions that go beyond the traditional commodity sell. “We will be able to interact with our customers on a daily basis, thereby gaining a better understanding of their requirements and preventing potential failures in critical applications. As a result, BI stands to become an integral part of a customer’s operations,” comments Chipamaunga.

In terms of bearing inspections, services offered include bearing removal and inspection, alignment (pumps, gearboxes and motors), balancing, sheave wheel and critical plant inspection, coupling removal and installation, lubrication system evaluation and optimisation, oil and grease analysis, vibration analysis and fault detection, thermal imaging and fault identification and gearbox repairs and servicing.

The main driver behind the division is to improve the value offering of the bearings and power transmission business lines, offering bundled solutions to customers that link service and bearings. Features include being able to supply the correct equipment with the latest technology, specialist and qualified competence being available in-house, professional and focused service, an industry-specific value proposition and localised support that is also cost-competitive.

The division will be locally based, according to the demand from the extensive BI branch network. This will optimise costs and ensure a speedy response, allowing BI to get as close to its end customers as possible. The division will be handled administratively from the BI head office in Parkhaven, Johannesburg.

“Field service and engineering are all about reliability and optimising uptime. Having qualified technicians and leading-edge technological interventions such as sensors, data collection and analytical capabilities will continue to give BI an edge in the market. Importantly, we become a part of our end customers’ DNA,” highlights Chipamaunga.

BI will enhance its existing skills internally, as well as partner with competent, qualified and outsourced field service partners to increase the local presence and facilities of the division, thereby building a critical mass of technical support personnel to fully service its end-customer base. “Our vision is to make ‘service’ a key factor and driver of our core business. This will drive ongoing innovation in tailored offerings, service delivery excellence and 4IR technological solutions,” concludes Chipamaunga.