Capital Equipment News July 2021

EQUIPMENT REBUILDS

A vibrating screen before refurbishment by Haver & Boecker Niagara.

Giving capital equipment a new lease of life A growing trend in industry at present is to turn to equipment rebuilds to extend the useful lifetime of mission-critical assets. We approached Haver & Boecker Niagara and the Catkom Group of Companies for their take on the advantages of rebuilt equipment, the selection of rebuild service providers and for a closer look at some of the rebuild programmes available in this market. By Mark Botha .

machines, built to zero-hour specifications? He says another contributing factor to this trend relates to turn-around time as having refurbished components in hand to swap with worn parts reduces downtime drastically while increasing the availability of the machine. Why rebuild? The primary benefit of rebuilding equipment, says Britz, are potentially huge cost savings. “A rebuild may cost only a fraction of what it would take to replace the equipment outright,” he says. “In addition, choosing a rebuild generally means less downtime and, therefore, a reduction in lost production. For example, a standard vibrating screen rebuild may take some four weeks to complete, compared to the up to 16 weeks required when buying new equipment and having it delivered and installed.” Catkom Group of Companies director Phillip Venter says his company’s rebuild programme includes a complete strip- down to the bare frame; non-destructive crack testing; the repair of components to OEM specifications using OEM parts; replacement of electrical harnesses and hoses; testing; sign-off prior to delivery; on-site commissioning and a specialist on

“W e are living in strange times and customers are looking for options to save money in their operations,” says Haver & Boecker Niagara sales manager Ricco Britz. He says equipment rebuilds can result in significant savings – of up to 40% in some cases – by giving equipment a new life rather than replacing it entirely. “When rebuilds are completed on a

periodic and planned basis, they can be an extremely beneficial business decision for equipment owners.” Hendrik Jacobs, a director at the Catkom Group of Companies, agrees: “Budgetary constraints may be the single biggest reason for this growing trend in the market to rebuild equipment.” He says manufacturers often apply excessive pricing structures and under- deliver on services. “Why pay more for new plant equipment when you can expect huge savings for refurbished components and

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