Opencast mining and minerals processing equipment specialist Tenova Takraf Africa offers maintenance and refurbishment services through its Tenova client support services business unit, currently operating from the company’s headquarters in Kempton Park, Gauteng.

The unit comprises 1 800 m2 of customer-focused stores and is equipped with a SAP inventory system, which is a laboratory where Tenova Takraf testwork is conducted with office space for 120 people.

“Clients are focused on maintaining and extending the life of their installed equipment, rather than incurring the often massive capital cost of buying new equipment,” says Tenova client support services GM Paul Davies.

He adds that, over the past ten years, demand for Tenova Takraf Africa’s client support services has more than tripled.

“Client support services ensure that clients receive the complete package, upgrades to meet the ever-demanding production needs, refurbishments when and where required, replacements, maintenance, training, 24-hour support by equipment specialists, as well as in-house sales and maintenance crews.”

Davies says clients have the option of “valuable service” routine field inspections, which extends to the identification of machines that are in poor condition, assistance in the identification of critical spares, and auditing and replacing components.

“There are field-service teams to ensure that equipment continues operating as required. The teams carry out a number of services, such as routine servicing and replacing worn parts, as well as precautionary remedial action such as the realignment of components to prevent serious damage to major on-site overhauls.

Davies boasts that features such as fast turnaround times and a comprehensive suite of services, as well as the technical ability and experience to handle a range of equipment supplied by Tenova Takraf and the use of original spares produced to the original design criteria, are what sets the business unit apart from competitors.

“We meet exceptionally tight deadlines to attend to the needs of clients,” he says.

According to Davies, the refurbishment of a Redler chain elevator at brewing and bottling company South African Breweries’ Alrode plant, in Johannesburg, required installation to be completed within two weeks.

“The casings for the Redler chain elevator project were replaced and significantly extended the life of the machine at a fraction of the cost of installing a new system,” he notes.

Meanwhile, a project that involved intricate on-site repairs to a Bradford breaker for a colliery in Mpumalanga had to be completed against what Davies describes as a “tight” three-day deadline.

“A tyre had to be replaced within three days to minimise any downtime. The procedure normally takes place in a controlled workshop environment and can typically take months,” he says, adding that the replacement procedure was carried out on site.

Tenova client support services has upgraded several Bradford breakers, with improvements, which Davies says has included thicker square-grid-type screen plates that provide increased wear life and 40% more open area for the same aperture size than that of a conventional drum.

In addition, Davies reflects on the refurbishment of a rapid train load-out system for an Mpumalanga coal producer that was completed in four months. “The contract, which covered the design, construction and commissioning of a new control system, and the recertification of a weigh flask system, was completed without incurring any production loss.”

Meanwhile, he adds that the longevity and stability of the business unit gives clients the assurance that Tenova Takraf Africa can support its products over the complete product life cycle.

“The business unit has received orders for major refurbishment work for the remainder of the year, comprising the refurbishment of an ultrasep high rate thickener in Rustenburg, in the North West, and an upgrade of a circular reclaimer harrow drive unit in Witbank, Mpumalanga,” he mentions.

Tenova has regional offices in Mpumalanga, the Northern Cape and the Western Cape.

“We are right at the doorstep of our customer base and able to respond quickly. Based on a unique understanding of our clients’ needs and the local operating conditions under which the machines function, this network of close customer relations is a definite value-add,” Davies concludes.