Aug 9 2008
At a time when the economic downturn makes cutting costs and improving efficiency more vital than ever, customers up and down the country are benefiting from significant cost savings and increased efficiency of their surface preparation machinery, thanks to Wheelabrator Group’s specialist after market programme from Wheelabrator Plus.
Responding to the economic gloom is a major challenge facing the industry and organisations must look to new solutions in order to remain competitive and safeguard market share. Through Wheelabrator Plus, customers are able to extend the life of existing equipment via an extensive range of support services, including training, maintenance and modernisation programmes, deferring the need to spend money on new equipment, but still staying ahead of the game in terms of innovation, first class production efficiency, output and environmental responsibility.
The operating efficiency of a blast machine is key to achieving maximum output at the lowest cost. Machine downtime caused by poor upkeep, lack of maintenance and general neglect can be extremely disruptive, expensive and have a negative impact on output and production levels. This can be combatted by having a Wheelabrator Plus service contract in place where the cost of having equipment regularly quality-checked and maintained is rapidly recouped. On-site replacement of damaged or out-of-date parts reduces unnecessary waste, downtime and production costs, while providing customers with peace of mind knowing that they have a machine which complies with the latest health and safety regulations.
Ray Parsons, UK General Service Manager Air & Wheel Blast, Wheelabrator said: “Maintenance is more than just keeping a machine running. Maintaining an efficient machine helps to reduce waste, minimises downtime, cut costs and more importantly saves time and energy. Improving the finish on products promotes customer satisfaction and safe, clean equipment is definitely better for operators!
“At Wheelabrator Plus we can tailor support packages to meet the specific needs of the customer. We realise that every customer is different with different requirements and we pride ourselves on matching the right skills with the right job to give the customer the best service. Regular visits from your designated, specialist engineer can be scheduled and full machinery inspections planned, and there is also the option of a direct telephone line during working hours to provide immediate help and a talk through service between visits. The packages offer great flexibility, allowing our customers to get the most out of their machines and ultimately reap the benefits for their business.”
Flying High with Wheelabrator Plus
Blast equipment efficiency levels have taken off at a leading aircraft coatings company, after a new service contract with Wheelabrator Plus led to an 80 per cent increase in uptime.
The 12-month contract covered the entire portfolio of shot blast equipment at sites in Lincoln and Ripley, Derbyshire. Since taking out the contract, machine downtime has been reduced considerably, with equipment running approximately 90 per cent of the time, where previously this was just 50 per cent.
The company chose Wheelabrator Plus after a three-way tender, as it was able tailor the service contract to meet its individual needs. Prior to this no established maintenance routine was in place.
The contract included twice-monthly visits to both sites and routine services for every machine. During each visit a designated Wheelabrator Plus technician inspected each machine, recommended replacement of any worn or damaged components and provided a detailed analysis report.
Another leading company in the aerospace industry specialising in the manufacture of turbine blades and other aerospace components has renewed its annual contract with Wheelabrator Plus to service 16 Ventus air blast machines at its manufacturing site in Exeter.
The contract from Wheelabrator Plus replaced a previously time consuming in-house task, allowing staff to dedicate their time and resources to other core tasks.
During each monthly visit, Wheelabrator Group’s specialist engineer carried out a thorough inspection of each machine, abrasive analysis, minor refurbishments, blast gun adjustments and dust analysis, providing a detailed report of work carried out and modernisation recommendations.
Levels of service to suit all
Wheelabrator Plus offers varying levels of service packages, offering frequent visits from specialist designated engineers (weekly, monthly, bi monthly, quarterly or six monthly) with a number of additional options, as outlined below. Each service option is available across all shot blasting machine types (air, wheel, wet):
Standard – Bi monthly, quarterly or six monthly visits, full inspection of machinery, adjustment and parts fitting and detailed report offering greater insight into the condition of machinery.
Premium – Weekly, monthly, bi monthly or quarterly visits, full inspection of machinery, adjustment and same day parts fitting with a detailed follow up report.
Machine Health Check / Inspection – Flexible visits as and when necessary, full inspection of machinery and LEV checks followed by a detailed report and quotation for recommended maintenance work.
Service / Maintenance – Flexible visits as and when necessary, parts fitting, adjustment and resetting of machine as required.
Health and Environment Check – Flexible visits as and when necessary, to include LEV checks to ensure machinery complies with current legislation.
All Inclusive – Wheelabrator Plus engineers produce and review timetable of maintenance visits tailored to the individual company, with a fixed price contract inclusive of all parts and labour.
Emergency Call Out – Engineers on callout to minimise downtime in the event of breakdown and get machinery up and running as quickly as possible.