SEW-EURODRIVE appoints Paul Clark to head up its Repair Service Centre
Effective and efficient repairs are an integral part of the OEM’s Zero Defects drive, with Clark also having given significant input on the assembly line at the Johannesburg manufacturing facility.
He explains that all units that can be repaired are passed onto the Repair Service Centre, or the Sales Department if a quotation is required for a new replacement unit. In addition, any equipment that breaks down or requires attention on-site is attended to by the Field Service Department.
“It is important to find a balance between repair and maintenance on the one hand, and capital equipment on the other,” Clark highlights. Whereas major customers such as mines tend to opt for new equipment, smaller companies often do not have similar budgets, and therefore favour repair as the most viable option.
“While a unit can be restored to its original condition, it is important to weigh up this cost against that of a new unit. Our aim in the Repair Service Centre is to restore units as completely as possible to their original mechanical and electrical condition,” Clark elaborates.
The Repair Service Centre is flexible enough in that it can turn a repair around in a single afternoon, if required. “We have to be very responsive, especially if you take into account an important client such as a brewery or manufacturing plant, where any downtime has a major impact on total production and the bottom line.”
The Repair Service Centre also operates a Standby Service to cater for any unforeseen contingencies. In addition, SEW-EURODRIVE has a range of preassembled products precisely for such emergencies.
Commenting on common problems or issues encountered by the Repair Service Centre, Clark says that equipment parameters are sometimes exceeded, in addition to minimal operator training and a lack of basic maintenance being a major cause of concern.”
However, some companies do engage in proactive maintenance, sending units in to be checked in order to prevent any potential problems or future breakdowns. “SEW-EURODRIVE plays a major role in training customers about the importance of maintenance through its Drive Academy, in addition to full training on our entire product range,” Clark adds.
The Repair Service Centre has a fully-automated system in place, whereby repairs are logged in. “We open a parts list in conjunction with an assessment sheet. The unit is stripped, cleaned, and then inspected. A full quotation is submitted to the customer. The necessary repairs are then processed upon receipt of an order number. The unit is tested according to full German specifications, and a warranty issued in terms of the repairs that have been carried out,” Clark concludes.
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