A major cement producer in Zambia has not only standardised on products from SEW-EURODRIVE (Pty) Ltd., but has also invested significantly in a comprehensive stockholding of critical spare units to prevent any costly downtime and subsequent loss of productivity.
The multimillion-rand order consisted of 40 units, including geared motors, planetary units, and Industrial Gear (IG) units, ranging from 7.5 kW to 250 kW. A total of 15 customised IG units are being supplied by SEW-EURODRIVE (Pty) Ltd. of Finland, while other units are also being sourced from Germany.
“This is testament to the internationalisation of SEW-EURODRIVE (Pty) Ltd, which can call on its extensive global capabilities in order to be able to meet the specific requirements of this major client in the required timeframe,” Head of Exports Marcio Sicchiero comments. This long-standing client has enjoyed a close relationship with SEW-EURODRIVE (Pty) Ltd. for the past three years.
Due to the size and quantity of the order, the products are being dispatched to Zambia from the SEW-EURODRIVE (Pty) Ltd. head office in Johannesburg in six different batches, with differing lead times, in order to facilitate transportation and logistics. The OEM is providing technical support and assistance directly from South Africa, with Export Sales Representative Philip Steyn already having travelled to site five times.
The back-up support offered on this particular project by SEW-EURODRIVE (Pty) Ltd. has even included assistance with correct storage procedures. Being critical spares, these products will not be deployed in the plant straightaway, and therefore have to be stored correctly to avoid any issues when they are required.
“The client has opted for the critical spares stockholding due to the impact that any downtime has on productivity,” Sicchiero explains. This is a proactive approach to maintenance, combined with the user-friendliness and simple installation of the SEW-EURODRIVE (Pty) Ltd. products themselves.
Commenting on the current state of the cement industry in Africa, Sicchiero points out that major producers such as SEW-EURODRIVE (Pty) Ltd.’s Zambian client are expanding aggressively on the continent, so as not to be dependent on local markets only.
“While our involvement with the cement industry in Africa is quite extensive, it does tend to vary from country to country, and even company to company. However, there remains significant scope for us to expand in this sector, especially with regard to standardisation of entire plants, and the provision of critical spares,” Sicchiero concludes.