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Help in times of need When plant operators reduce their scheduled summer and winter shutdown periods from four to approx. 1.5 weeks it means an enormous rise in availability, productivity and thus profitability. But, a lot needs to be taken into account before implementing such a change. The concept developed by SMS group for the service workshop in Mönchengladbach, Germany, provides a framework for this, allowing for significantly shorter downtimes. CONTACT: Filipe Martins Ferreira,
SMS group, Email: FilipeMartins. Ferreira@sms-group.com
Why size and flexibility do not contradict each other Filipe Martins Ferreira, head of Service Workshop Europe at SMS group explains that “customers often think that such a big company like SMS group is only strong when it comes to developing and supplying innovative technologies, however, in dealing with repairs and maintenance our size is associated with slowness and bureaucracy. But the opposite is true: we have positioned our service workshop to be flexible and fast.
Markets are changing digital transformation, new high-strength materials and increased competitive pressure require an increasingly higher level of specialization and focus on core competencies. Technologies and plant components have become too sophisticated for customers to do their maintenance and repairs completely inhouse. According to Ferreira, SMS Services customers’ also benefit from OEM product developments. “When, for example, new contours for straightening rolls become available through our research and development, we can introduce these during a service or repair job. So, while maintaining the functional capability of their plant, customers also enhance their productivity and quality through new technologies.”
Why intelligent use is also important for state-of-the-art equipment “In 2013, we launched a new concept for our service workshop. It was set up
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Training young people to maintain the know-how of the repairshops
based on various analyses, including customer requirements. While previously the workshops were in various locations, we have now integrated them into one powerful unit.” The service workshop in Mönchengladbach has been fully operational since 2016.
How key competences better support customers The SMS service workshop focuses on manufacturing plants of bright steel, wire rod, pipes and tubes, steel bars, the manufacture of sections and all forging plants and presses. The range of services includes three major areas: • Short-term repairs • Performance of scheduled maintenance shutdowns • Servicing within the scope of predictive maintenance Other tasks also include modernisations and the production of so-called highvalue spare parts, i.e. manufacturing demanding spare parts.
Maintenance shutdowns and predictive maintenance Maintenance shutdowns and predictive maintenance services are among the main tasks of the service workshop and are arranged together with the customer. Predictive maintenance measures allow plants to be serviced proactively, which significantly reduces downtimes. It is more targeted than regular maintenance during periods of scheduled downtime. “The more information is available beforehand, the more our maintenance work and any required parts can be prepared in advance. This is a prerequisite to making sure that downtimes are considerably shortened, and applies to predictive maintenance as well as scheduled maintenance shutdowns,” comments Ferreira. A second key factor for valuable time savings is overhauling complete assemblies. Thanks to a modulated machine structure, complete assemblies
March 2020 / MPT International
Photos: SMS group
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