Alston points out that because each customer has different needs, the ability of the people at each branch to pinpoint the best solutions for each application is a vital asset. “Our people have determined that the pre- and after-sales service requirements of our customers are definitely a matter of individual choice, but there is a common element - being able to discern the optimal manner in which to increase productivity and reduce downtime in each specific application. This is an ability which stems from skills, commitment and experience gathered over many years of industry exposure.”

Derrick Alston, managing director, Multotec Manufacturing.

This flexibility in approach is evident in the structure of each Multotec branch and the variety of packages available to customers. “Although we offer the same basic elements to customers such as 24/7 service, preventative maintenance programmes, service teams, strategic parts availability and so forth, each customer liaises with the branch managers and the field service teams to determine the best fit for their particular operation,” Alston explains.

“It would therefore be true to say that while some of our branches are still in their infancy, all of the branches have the same work ethos and strive to find the cost effective and workable solutions to customers’ production and maintenance requirements,” Alston adds.

Alston points out that the company uses its in-house developed Hawkeye software programme to monitor screen maintenance processes. “This Web-based application, accessible anywhere in the world, offers both Multotec people and our customers an easy-to-use interface which allows accurate and efficient recording of maintenance activities.” These entries are stored in a database, and can be called up as required in a number of ways so as to zoom in on what is actually happening on the screen.

“This is important information for us to have from a costing perspective,” Alston says, “since it provides accurate data on average usage and the cost implications involved. In addition, the benefit to both the customer and our maintenance team is that Hawkeye provides us with accurate trends. For example, it may indicate an inferior chute design which is resulting in excessive wear and tear with associated downtime. This then allow us to make recommendations to customers to improve critical elements within their plants.”

This also allows maintenance teams to be directed to a specific problem area with the correct stock on hand. “Variance reporting records show why a specific panel has to be replaced after a shorter period than planned, for example. This means that underlying causes such as process problems can also be identified,” Alston adds.

The Hawkeye system is used for most Multotec Group products with the potential to roll it out for the entire basket of metallurgical processing equipment it supplies to the mining industry.

Screen panels being replaced.

Saving millions
Martin Jonck, branch manager of Multotec in Middelburg, has a maintenance staff of over twenty who run the gamut in what is known as the Eastern Area, from Delmas to Barberton. “Within this region we provide scheduled preventative maintenance for more than fifteen coal and gold mines. In each instance, we work around the schedules of our customers who inform us when our services are required on site.”

Jonck says this service goes beyond just maintaining equipment in working order. “Our enhanced offerings include the total management of product maintenance which entails stock ordering and stock keeping, transportation of stock and its installation.

“We closely monitor the consumption levels of, for example, magnetite, before the start of a replacement programme and we would also recommend a specific screen panel for an application with regard to sizing,” Jonck explains. “We also advise on process optimisation when the need arises or when the customer changes production specifications or products.”

Jonck cites an example where over a three year period Multotec, through a maintenance contract, was able to assist in reducing the downtime at the plant from 90 hours per annum to a mere 24 hours per annum. “Even in conservative terms this equates to a saving on lost production of between $14 million and $20 million.

“Because the supply of parts forms part of the maintenance contract, customers save money because they no longer need to carry their own stock. It also means that all maintenance expenses are accounted for in advance and the customer does not need to spend money on parts which may not be needed,” Jonck adds.

Jonck explains that his teams inspect each plant, and then take a decision in consultation with the customer on what needs to be repaired or replaced. “There is a regular day set aside once a week to do this and parts are drawn from our on-site pilot store and the necessary repairs done.”

Training is paramount at Multotec

Jonck emphasises that because of the intimate knowledge Multotec has of customers’ plants, they are able to anticipate wear life, probable failures and life expectancy of equipment and consequently plan ahead for replacement of parts before the event. “This not only saves the customer millions of Rands in lost production time, but also stands us in good stead for receiving repeat work when customers decide to upgrade a plant or replace existing equipment.”

Tobie Rudolph, field services manager at Multotec’s Rustenburg branch, has a team of over fifty technicians, artisans and installers servicing the maintenance needs of the company’s customers in the 150 km linear area between Rustenburg and Thabazimbi.

“We have provided a preventative maintenance service to customers in what is referred to as the Western Section for 10 years and in the Eastern Section the packages have been in place even longer, so we are well versed in this arena,” Rudolph says.

Rudolph explains that the branch charges some of its customers a flat rate whilst others are charged on a rate per hour per maintenance crew. “In all instances, we work according to the schedules provided by the mines and we supply the customer with pre-ordered stock, which is kept at the mine site or our nearby branch warehouse.”

Familiarity does not breed contempt
Multotec’s Secunda Branch inherited the maintenance contracts previously undertaken by Debex when this company was incorporated into Multotec in 1997.

“These contracts, with a major mining house and a petrochemical company, have been in existence for over 15 years and incorporate tailor-made procedural and billing solutions, with the mining customer electing for a costing currently based on the number of square metres of product maintained,” Cliff Snyman, Multotec branch manager in Secunda, says. “In essence, we sell the product and parts to the collieries, and then we send a team to undertake repair work.

Snyman says that the ideal scenario would be for customers to pay a fixed cost for a maintenance team who would remain on site, undertaking ongoing inspections and accurately predicting wear in specific areas which would then facilitate recommendations for future repairs and would ultimately result in minimised downtime.

Snyman reiterates Jonck’s sentiments: “Being close to our customers gives us the necessary insight to assist in plant optimisation, and we have a high success rate in being awarded repeat business.”

Pinpointing potential problem areas
Success breed success, especially when the service offered to customers is of such a level that downtime is consistently minimised.

“We provide preventative maintenance services to a number of mines in the Northern Cape region including iron ore and diamonds,” Mark Mannel of Multotec’s Sishen Branch says.

The branch supplies maintenance packages dependent on the application demands, and offers a high degree of flexibility to the customer. “For instance, a fixed rate (a permanent team on site) and a variable rate (tonnage of product passing over the panels) are both viable options. In the former case, a predetermined portion of the plant is shut down on a daily basis to allow inspection and replacement of screen panels, sideliners and nozzles to ensure the seamless running of the process. The other option is to dovetail maintenance requirements with the customer’s shutdown schedule, again minimising plant disruption or shutdown,” Mannel explains.

“Where the rate is based on tonnage over the panels, the mine’s PLC system provides us with an accurate calculation on daily tonnages. This is a good example of an open and trusting relationship that Multotec has with its customers. In order to ensure rapid response to any repairs or replacements that are required we keep adequate stockholding of requisite parts on-site,” he adds.

“With diamond mines it is important to ensure that the apertures on the screens are not allowed to become too large, so as to eliminate any loss of products as the kimberlite passes over the panels,” Mannel says. “Our maintenance efforts for these plants are, therefore, concentrated not only on unwanted breakage of panels but also on less obvious wear and tear.”

Customers in the 750 km2 area covered by Multotec’s Sishen branch have all experienced a positive spin-off from the introduction of the preventative maintenance programmes.

“On one of the plants, downtime costs have been reduced by 50% and on another diamond mine where we are responsible for inspecting the trommels and screens in order to pick up any faults timeously, this resulted in a reduction in downtime from 200 hours per annum, to the current 11.5 hours (recorded in 2005).

“Something I must emphasise is that without trained and competent maintenance personnel, everything else is worthless,” Mannel says. “At Multotec we believe in investing in the ongoing upskilling and training of our people in order to provide customers with the benefits of the invaluable knowledge sharing realised through our mentorship programme.”

Shipshape
Unlike its counterparts who deal with land-based customers, Multotec’s Cape Town branch is actively involved in maintaining the screens, mills, cyclone, magnetic separators and other process related equipment such as chutes on vessel-based diamond processing plants.

“Our maintenance periods are also governed by statutory regulations of maritime law and very specific wear patterns related to mining at sea. In other words, we often wait until we are informed by our customer that a ship is coming into port and then we encamp ourselves on the ship for the duration of the running repairs and replacements,” Vivian Rocher, Multotec’s Cape Town branch manager, says. “In other instances, a ship may be forced into port because it has lost an anchor or some similar mishap has occurred and then we seize the opportunity to conduct required maintenance. In cooperation with the customer, breakdown and other emergencies are also dealt with at sea.

“In essence, optimisation on these processing vessels is based on having the plant running uninterrupted for as long as possible, so we would typically confer with the land-based offices of the diamond processor, visit the ship at the oceanic mining site, conduct inspections and monitor wear and tear, and then plan maintenance activities for when the ship is due in port,” Rocher explains.

In addition to the practical support of our own products, we also assist the customer by advising on general process and conducting information sessions to improve skills levels. This is an added value service for our customers and sets us apart from many other companies who focus only on the product line,” Rocher says.

Good historical and predictive records ensure that Multotec is always one step ahead of plant failure. “However, due to the corrosive nature of the environment in which these plants operate, as well as the necessity to maintain high operational levels while at sea, the entire processing plant is generally replaced after a period of three to four years,” Rocher says.

In addition to its offshore operating customers, Multotec’s Cape Town branch also services the needs of the food and wine industry, Namibian zinc and uranium mining industries, iron ore handling and steel production plant at Saldanha, land-based diamond mines in Northwest Cape, quarries, OEM’s and Project Houses around Cape Town. “We have seen a drop-off in the diamond side of our business since the economic crisis dampened diamond sales,” Rocher says, “so it’s important for us to remain flexible and accommodating to a wider market.”

Building on a concept
Such has been the success of Multotec’s philosophy of providing a total support solution through the establishment of branch offices in close proximity to its customers that new locations are constantly being investigated and developed.

Dawie van Eeden, who was responsible for setting up and developing the Sishen and Kimberley branches, is now in the process of establishing an office in the Lephalale area (previously known as Ellisras). At present this self-contained operation provides a complete pre- and after-sales service to customers in the area.

“In addition to Lephalale, this area extends from Thabazimbi into Botswana and northern Limpopo where we currently provide a full time maintenance programme to one of the largest diamond mines in South Africa as well as an ad hoc maintenance service to other mines in the area. The aim is to develop this service offering and, as the branch develops, to extend the full preventative maintenance package to other customers in the surrounding areas,” van Eeden says.

“Multotec places major emphasis on investing in superior research and development to provide cost effective and high quality products. We have the capacity to customise products to customer specifications which means that the product is the best fit from the outset, resulting in both increased productivity and decreased downtime,” Alston says.

“What is apparent throughout our branches is a credo of reducing production costs for our customers through analysing their specific needs, monitoring their operations to proactively pinpoint future hotspots, planning for maintenance that will have the least negative effect on the production process, and retaining adequate and appropriate stock levels in order to facilitate maximised uptime for our customers’ operations,” Alston concludes.
 

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