Bühler has reinforced its commitment to customers in Southern Africa with the installation of a new die refurbishment machine at its Johannesburg workshop. The investment enhances Bühler’s regional service offering by improving precision, shortening turnaround times, and supporting sustainability goals.
Daniela Supra, Head of Customer Service Operations at Bühler, says: “We are continuously investing in our local capabilities to ensure our customers receive world-class service with local speed and responsiveness. The addition of the new die refurbishment machine at our Johannesburg workshop is part of our ongoing commitment to offering reliable, high-quality, and cost-effective services right here in the region, for the region.”
The new equipment increases capacity, ensures improved quality assurance, and reduces the risk of downtime for customers provided the refurbished die is kept on site. It also offers a one-stop solution to optimise die life, reduce energy consumption, and improve product quality. Daniela notes that technical assistance from experienced service engineers ensures customers get the most out of their plant.
Bühler operates three workshops across Southern Africa, all aligned with Bühler’s global quality standards. Both Johannesburg and Cape Town are ISO 9001 certified. Johannesburg offers a full suite of refurbishment services, including milling, oil and brewing rolls, die refurbishment, and mechanical repairs. Cape Town specialises in mechanical servicing, roll and die reconditioning, and is expanding its machine refurbishment capabilities. Our Lusaka, Zambia, workshop provides on-site mechanical services, roll refurbishment, and logistics support to reduce lead times and import dependency, with the goal of achieving ISO 9001 certification before the end of 2026.
“All workshops are strategically positioned and equipped to meet the specific needs of their regional markets and are capable of full-scale retrofits,” explains Daniela. Bühler also offers service agreements designed to give customers peace of mind and predictable maintenance planning. Inspect Care offers regular inspections to detect issues early while Maintain Care comprises scheduled maintenance, component replacement, and performance checks at a fixed cost.
“Both options help customers extend equipment lifetime and reduce the total cost of ownership,” says Daniela. “We see service not as an add-on, but as a key part of how we build trust and long-term partnerships.”
Another critical input is customer feedback, which is at the heart of the service development. “Whether it is through structured surveys, face-to-face discussions, or post-service reviews, we actively listen and act. Many of our service innovations, including expanded regional coverage and contract offerings are directly structured by customer input,” notes Daniela.
Field service engineers are strategically located across Southern Africa and trained in both mechanical and electrical disciplines. They provide installation support, breakdown repairs, maintenance services, plant audits, and training. This ensures rapid on-site support and strong customer engagement wherever it is needed.
Remote support is also becoming increasingly important. With BühlerVision, an augmented reality-based support solution, customers can connect to Bühler experts worldwide through Smart Glasses. “The expert sees what the technician sees in real-time, guiding them step-by-step through diagnostics or repairs. It saves time, reduces travel costs, and ensures expert-level service instantly,” comments Daniela.
Daniela stresses the importance of investing in local capacity. “Our ISO-certified workshops ensure global quality with local relevance. This also supports local job creation and skills development, reinforcing our long-term commitment to the region.”
Bühler plans to expand its regional footprint, upskill more technicians, and continue investing in smart technologies such as Bühler Vision and condition monitoring systems. “Our goal is to make service more predictive, responsive, and accessible for every customer across the region,” concludes Daniela.
Media contacts:
Taryn Browne, Head of Marketing, Southern Africa
Bühler (Pty) Ltd.
Bühler Southern Africa
Phone: +27 11 801 3500
Mobile: +27 66 307 4618
E-mail: taryn.browne@buhlergroup.com
Burkhard Böndel, Head of Corporate Communications
Bühler AG, 9240 Uzwil, Switzerland
Phone: +41 71 955 33 99
Mobile: +41 79 515 91 57
E-mail: burkhard.boendel@buhlergroup.com
Dalen Jacomino Panto, Media Relations Manager
Bühler AG, 9240 Uzwil, Switzerland
Phone: +41 71 955 37 57
Mobile: +41 79 900 53 88
E-mail: dalen.jacomino_panto@buhlergroup.com
Katja Hartmann, Media Relations Manager
Bühler AG, 9240 Uzwil, Schweiz
Mobile: +41 79 483 68 07
E-mail: katja.hartmann@buhlergroup.com
About Bühler
Bühler is driven by its purpose of creating innovations for a better world, balancing the needs of economy, humanity, and nature in all its decision-making processes. Billions of people come into contact with Bühler technologies as they cover their basic needs for food and mobility every day. Two billion people each day enjoy foods produced on Bühler equipment; and one billion people travel in vehicles manufactured using parts produced with Bühler solutions. Countless people wear eyeglasses, use smart phones, and read newspapers and magazines – all of which depend on Bühler process technologies and solutions. Having this global relevance, Bühler is in a unique position to turn today’s global challenges into sustainable business.
As a technology partner for the food, feed, and mobility industries, Bühler has committed to having solutions ready to multiply by 2025 that reduce energy, waste, and water by 50% in the value chains of its customers. It also proactively collaborates with suppliers to reduce climate impacts throughout the value chain. In its own operations, Bühler has developed a pathway to achieve a 60% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 (Greenhouse Gas Protocol Scopes 1 & 2, against a 2019 baseline).
Bühler spends up to 5% of turnover on research and development annually to improve both the commercial and sustainability performance of its solutions, products, and services. In 2024, some 12,350 employees generated a turnover of CHF 3.0 billion. As a Swiss family-owned company with a history spanning 165 years, Bühler is active in over 140 countries around the world and operates a global network of 105 service stations, 31 manufacturing sites, and research and training centers in 26 locations.
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Bühler Southern Africa, Die refurbishment.-min
Bühler Southern Africa, Roll refurbishment.
Daniela Supra, Head of Customer Service Operations at Bühler Southern Africa.-min
With BühlerVision, an augmented reality-based support solution. - Bühler Johannesburg adds new die refurbishment machine to boost its service offering_approved
Bühler Johannesburg adds new die refurbishment machine to boost its service offering_approved
