⎪ Minerals processing and materials handling ⎪ Sandvik Rock Processing strengthens footprint In support of West Africa’s growing mining sector and Sandvik Rock Processing’s equipment offering, the company is strengthening its footprint with a robust multi-tiered service offering that includes on-site engineering, parts warehousing, training and condition monitoring.
W ith a strong focus on uptime, safety and productivity, Sandvik Rock Processing continues to in- vest in local resources to ensure rapid responsive support for its crushing, feeding, screening and rock-breaking solutions. West Africa has long established itself as one of the continent’s most exciting regions for exploration and mining, and Sandvik Rock Processing continues to build on a strong tech- nical support footprint for its product offering, which includes stationary crushers, screens and feeders, mobile crushers and screens and rockbreakers. From on-site engineering services to parts warehousing, training and condition monitoring, the company has built a responsive multi-tiered support system designed to ensure smooth, reliable operations for its customers. “We understand the pressure in the mining sector for increased operational uptime, safety and productivity,” says Michael Okunola, Service Manager for Sandvik Rock Processing West Africa. “As supply partners to the industry, this can only be achieved through our continued investment in human and material resources on the ground: close to customers for rapid response.” As part of the company’s suite of support services, Okunola highlights the various levels of its on-site engineering support programme. Customers can select from a range of offer- ings, including having Sandvik Rock Processing engineers on-site at the mine 365 days a year. Dependingonhowremotethemine’slocationis, management may prefer an engineer to visit the site monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly or annually. “Our services are completely tailored to cus- tomers’ needs,” he emphasises, “but the primary focus is generally the same: to closely monitor the condition and operation of equipment on site, to ensure proactive maintenance and to optimise performance.” He explains that the company’s local service technicians are the first responders to custom - ers’ needs, providing on-site diagnostics and troubleshooting, as well as emergency work and routine maintenance. Sandvik Rock Processing also has after-market engineers who can com- mission equipment and conduct visits in line with customer preferences. Parts availability Effective maintenance means having the nec- essary parts available when needed, he points out. Sandvik Rock Processing therefore offers
Service support for Sandvik Rock Processing’s mobile crushing and screening equipment forms a key component of the company’s comprehensive localised support offering for rock processing operations across West Africa.
ment services for key equipment, component rebuilds and routine preventive maintenance. He highlights that the company’s presence in these locations enables rapid response times, reduces delivery lead times, and generally en- hances customers’ operational uptime. Building local capacity Recognising the importance of skilled operators and technicians in West Africa, Sandvik Rock Processing invests heavily in skills development and training initiatives. These can be conducted on-site or remotely and include tailored mod- ules based on specific types of equipment, as well as technical refresher training to keep customers up to date with the latest technolo- gies and best practices. Among the most critical capacity-building offerings is operator maintenance training, which is most useful when conducted in a real- life, practical environment. When customised for specific mines, this training can focus on the actual equipment installed on the site. “We also run ‘train-the-trainer’ programmes which empower supervisors to share knowl- edge internally,” he says. “Trainees receive certificates of competence, strengthening their career development and enhancing local skills in the process.” Sandvik Rock Processing also supports apprenticeships as part of its local talent devel- opment initiatives. This includes internships and partnerships with technical schools. The company’s e-learning platform further expands its reach, allowing customers to access training on topics such as equipment operation, pre- ventative maintenance and safety procedures. “Our local technicians are well-trained, and benefit from continuous upskilling through regular visits to the company’s facilities,” says Okunola. “Our growth plans in West Africa are a clear signal of our commitment to the market in the region, ensuring that technical support is close at hand and fully resourced,” he concludes. https://www.rockprocessing.sandvik
support to mines through customised inven- tory management. Under a parts management agreement, the company’s team even visit mines to assess which inventory items have been used and which need replenishment. “Under our vendor-managed inventory (VMI) system, for instance, we monitor stock levels on behalf of the customer and ensure timely replenishment,” he explains. “We try as far as possible to help the customer to avoid running out of parts, which can lead to delays and downtime.” This may require moving critical spares onto customer sites as consignment stock so that they can be stored for immediate access. Okunola highlights that Sandvik’s SAM digital service plays a valuable role in facilitating op- erational excellence in the region’s crushing and screening plants. “Our SAM platform helps our technical personnel. and even the customer, to monitor the consumption of parts and facilitate procure- ment,” he explains. “Our technical teams use SAM to track the daily operation of our equip- ment, analysing data to diagnose issues before they become critical. We can then advise the customer what actions are required to ensure that machines are always running efficiently and at the lowest lifecycle costs.” Regional presence Underpinning its commitment to parts avail - ability is Sandvik Rock Processing’s strategi- cally located regional facilities, with a West African hub in Kumasi, Ghana. This includes a warehouse and workshop facility to support customers throughout the region. “We also have a facility with a warehouse in Bamako in Mali, and in Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso,” he says. “A recent addition to our footprint in the region is our warehouse in Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire. Each of these sites has its own team to provide technical support and logistical coordi- nation to customers.” The workshop facilities provide refurbish-
January-February 2025 • MechChem Africa ¦ 11
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker