INTERVIEW WITH NEIL ROBINSON, MANAGING DIRECTOR AT WEARCHECK

INTERVIEW WITH NEIL ROBINSON, MANAGING DIRECTOR AT WEARCHECK

Q. PLEASE DESCRIBE THE SERVICES THAT WEARCHECK PROVIDES.

The scientific analysis of used oil, fuel and other fluids from electrical and mechanical systems is WearCheck’s core business — testing samples for trace elements to discover which component is suffering unusual wear patterns.

This information is analysed by a team of specialised diagnosticians, who make recommendations on the required remedial action. Additional predictive maintenance techniques, offered by WearCheck, include reliability solutions (RS) services, transformer chemistry services, water analysis and advanced field services (AFS) — non-destructive testing, technical compliance and rope condition assessment.

Q. WHAT EXCITES YOU ABOUT YOUR ROLE AS MANAGING DIRECTOR?

I’ve always enjoyed the fact that science and technology can be used to boost productivity and save money and time for our customers. It is wonderful to lead a company which is genuinely committed to constantly evolving our services to remain at the forefront of the condition monitoring field by embracing the latest global technological innovations. Another key area about which I am passionate, is staff development. We offer our staff the opportunity to study and advance themselves, wherever possible. Thanks to this programme, we have an extremely low staff turnover, and our longest-serving worker has been with the company for over 45 years!

Q. WITH NEARLY 25 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AT WEARCHECK, WHAT CHANGES HAVE YOU SEEN TAKING PLACE IN YOUR INDUSTRY?

While many of the chemical tests we conduct at WearCheck are essentially still the same and probably will always be, the most radical changes have been in the advancement of technology and laboratory instruments which allows us to perform those tests far faster, and with extremely high accuracy and efficiency.

We have also seen great advancements in other CM techniques, many of which we have added to our portfolio — expanding from oil analysis to include thermography, vibration monitoring, laser alignment, balancing and motor current analysis, to name a few.

Q. WHAT ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY CHECKS AND BALANCES DOES WEARCHECK PRACTICE?

We’ve embraced the green revolution with both arms, implementing earth-friendly best practice wherever possible. We redirect our waste from the landfill sites and recycle items such as plastic oil sample bottles, caps, cores, all plastic courier packets and office paper. Oil samples are also recycled - after the oil and water are separated, the oil is processed and re-used in other applications. The oily tissue is converted to refuse-derived fuel and is used, for example, as a fuel for cement kilns. We continue to look for more ways to reduce WearCheck’s footprint on our planet.

Q. WHAT PLANS DO YOU HAVE FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR?

We are integrating Set Point Water Labs into WearCheck and will shortly be opening a new oil analysis laboratory in Kathu. Our Cape Town labs and offices all moved into a single purpose-built venue on 13 December, and our Tete (Mozambique) laboratory is set to move to a new location soon. In 2022, we look forward to attending many of the industry exhibitions and conferences that have been on hold due to covid.

We will also be providing wind turbine oil analysis training in 2022.

Company Details

Address: No. 4 The Terrace, Westway Office Park, Westville, 3629, KZN, South Africa

Tel: +27 31 700 5460