Modern Quarrying Q4 2024

TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP

Achieving the best return on their plant investment is a primary goal for mines, and partnering with OEMs like Weir is a strategic way to enhance equipment performance while reducing the total cost of ownership. The company is at the forefront of helping mines transition from reactive to prescriptive maintenance approaches, ensuring sustainable and safe operations through the optimisation of technology and equipment. LOWER TCO FROM OEM MAINTENANCE

“W e have an extensive footprint of equipment around Africa and focus on adding further value to these assets through the correct maintenance strategy,” says Grant Potgieter, Strategic Services Manager at Weir. “This means a constant monitoring process, where we can track performance while looking for opportunities to raise our customers’ plant availability for greater productivity.” Plant monitoring will invariably include a regular wear analysis of components, to monitor whether such wear is in line with expectations, explains Potgieter, as well as to predict future wear and component life. Analysing this wear, however, involves a considerable amount of data from the plant operation itself, such as ore characteristics

and throughput. “Here is it important to remember that each site will have its own variables, so it is not possible to apply a standard template without understanding the specific plant,” he says. “Operating conditions may also change over time, so the assessment requires close collab oration between our team and the plant personnel on the mine.” This allows a foundation of data to be established, on which to base the relevant corrective action, whether this is through technology, training or other interventions. Such action may be initially prompted by data that Weir picks up in its procurement process. “Our years of experience in this market, and our careful documentation of component wear life, includ ing historical and process information, allows us to

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