Sandvik Rock Processing says it is extending its footprint in West Africa in an effort to support the region’s growing mining sector with service offerings that include on-site engineering, parts warehousing, training and condition monitoring to support its range of stationary crushers, screens and feeders, mobile crushers and screens and rockbreakers.

The company says it continues to invest in local resources to ensure rapid response support for its crushing and screening solutions.

“We understand the pressure in the mining sector for increased operational uptime, safety and productivity,” says Sandvik Rock Processing West Africa service manager Michael Okunola. “As supply partners to the industry, this can only be achieved through our continued investment in human and material resources on the ground - close to customers for rapid response.”

Customers can select from a range of offerings, including the permanent on-site placement of  Sandvik Rock Processing engineers or monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly or annual visits by engineers.

“Our services are completely tailored to customers’ needs,” emphasises Okunola “but the primary focus is generally the same: to closely monitor the condition and operation of equipment on site and to ensure proactive maintenance and to optimise its performance.”

He explains that the company’s local service technicians are the first responders to customers’ needs providing on-site diagnostics and trouble-shooting, along with emergency work and routine maintenance. Sandvik Rock Processing also offers the services of after-market engineers who can commission equipment and conduct site visits.

Customised inventory management is another support service offered by the company. Under a parts management agreement, a team can visit a mine to assess which inventory items have been used and which need replenishment.

Okunola explains that Sandvik’s SAM digital service facilitates optimal operations by helping technical personnel and customers monitor the consumption of parts and facilitate procurement. “Our technical team use SAM to track the daily operation of our equipment, analysing data to diagnose issues before they become critical; we can then advise the customer what actions are required to ensure that machines are always running efficiently and at the lowest lifecycle costs.”

The company’s West African hub is based in Kumasi, Ghana and includes a warehouse and workshop facility that helps ensure parts availability. In addition, it has a facility with a warehouse in Bamako in Mali, and in Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso.

Sandvik says it invests in skills development and training initiatives as part of its commitment to the market in the region, boosting the number of skilled operators and technicians in West Africa.