Remanufacturing on the Rise

Mines and contractors using Atlas Copco equipment now have the possibility to renew their equipment by remanufacturing components or entire machines ? with a level of quality that makes them almost as good as new.

To meet a fast growing demand from customers, Atlas Copco is establishing
so-calle­d ?Reman Centers? across the globe, the latest of which are located in China and soon in Mexico.

Collaboration in Kunming

In China, the newly opened Reman Center  in Kunming is a multimillion dollar facility covering an area of 1?500 m². All divisions within Atlas Copco?s Mining and Rock Excavation organization across the globe, as well as staff from the Atlas Copco hub in Nanjing, collaborated with the Kunming team, completing the facility in just five months.

Jesus Retuerto, Service Operation Business Manager, Atlas Copco Service, says the Kunming facililty is a testimony to Atlas Copco?s willingness to invest in increased customer satisfaction.

?As a global leader in the mining and construction industries, Atlas Copco has not only put its energies into designing and producing excellent equipment, it is also working towards becoming the best service provider in the industry,? he adds. ?I believe Kunming can be the benchmark within Atlas Copco and even in the industry.?

The Kunming Reman Center consists of a state-of-the-art workshop with three bays designed for complete machine overhauls. There are also separate lines for component disassembly, inspection, cleaning, repair, assembly and function testing.

Atlas Copco?s high technology industrial tools and compressed air solutions are used to ensure a smooth workflow, and the use of Atlas Copco fluids and fluid management solutions ensure that Kunming is not only  efficient but also environmentally friendly.

The facility also includes a world-class parts washing and cleaning room for rock drills and hydraulic components. These modern work flow solutions aim to guarantee that an increasing number of high quality, key component rebuilds will be available ?off the shelf?. The aim here is to shorten lead times and further lower customers? operating costs.

The organization, and experience of the  Atlas Copco engineers, also enables the center to provide customized modifications, overhaul plans, technical consulting, and
in-time quotations.

Jiahong Song, Business Line Manager, Atlas Copco Service, Greater China, adds: ?Kunming is an environment friendly solution which aims to extend the life of our equipment and upgrade its performance.?

The first product, a Boomer 281 underground face drilling rig, was recently moved into the new workshop where it was given  a complete overhaul.

The concept of remanufacturing is now being introduced to customers across China and it will be extended in the near future to Central and South East Asia.

Gearing up in Zacatecas

A similar reman center is now also being developed to serve Atlas Copco customers in Mexico. The foundation stone was laid in September this year, construction is well underway, and the project is expected to be completed during 2014.

Located in the state of Zacatecas, close to the many mining companies in this region, the center is designed to meet the  highest expectations from customers and the increased interest in remanufacturing services in the country. At the same time, it is intended to strengthen Atlas Copco?s service ?footprint? in relation to competitors.

Global economic turbulence and lower metals prices, has increased demands for alternative service solutions in the mining industry as companies seek lower cost options for changing machine components such as cylinders, rotary heads, airends and drives.

Atlas Copco is well known in Mexico for its strong focus on customer needs, and operates a remanufacturing/component exchange program based on multiple options and a portfolio of products with a wide variety of applications.

At present, the program is run in conjunction with Atlas Copco?s Reman Center in Garland, USA, which has proven to be highly successful. A good example of this is the Minera Peñasquito mining operation, owned by Goldcorp Mining, which has a fleet of seven Pit Viper 351 rotary drill rigs, plus one DM45 rig and a DML.

Miguel Padilla, Maintenance Planner, Drilling Equipment at Minera Peñasquito,  says: ?This program enables us to obtain vital components for our rig fleet which  keeps the mechanical and operational availability at a lower cost.

?In addition, it gives us constant access to expert  advice, service, parts and quality products.?

Randy Rodriguez, Warehouse Manager at the mine, sees the choice of equipment supplier as a priority. ?It is important to have suppliers who understand and comply with the safety standards that we require and who can  also deliver a high volume of components and parts.?

Referring to the new remanufacturing facility now in progress, he adds: ?We are convinced that Atlas Copco knows how to handle this kind of operation.?

In recent months, Atlas Copco Mexico has delivered remanufactured Pit Viper cylinders, rotary head and airends to the Minera Peñasquito mine.

When such components arrive, Atlas Copco?s Juan Sanchez, Parts Specialist, Rotary Drills, carries out an inspection together with the mine personnel.

Sanchez says the exchange components program goes a long way to helping the mine to secure long term, sustainable growth.