A repair and maintenance company in West Virginia says that its customers in the local coal mining industry have recorded major savings following a decision to upgrade to AESSEAL® LabTecta®FS.
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By Pat Coyne
How long have you been dealing with Warwood?
We've been dealing with Warwood Armature for over 15 years. They specialize in the repair of motors and gearboxes, and around 70% of their business is in the mining sector. We teamed up with them because Warwood was looking for a company that could provide the products and expertise to assist them with their customers.
They were dealing with motor and gearbox companies that were supplying lip seals and labyrinth seals with no in-person support. This gave myself and AESSEAL the opportunity to present our products and to compete for business, and it also meant that, with AESSEAL, Warwood had a local source able to come on-site to look at the equipment and make recommendations. In this way, over time, AESSEAL became a trusted, reliable source for bearing protection on numerous pieces of equipment.
Does Warwood stock a range of AESSEAL products?
They don't stock a range of products, although they do usually carry a couple of LabTecta sets. Most of the time they need to tear down the equipment to determine what is needed, since much of it can be quite old. That has been a huge advantage for AESSEAL since it means that I can go on-site and make recommendations. I can give them a quote and get an order, in most cases, on the same day.
Is it an advantage to work with the Warwood sales reps rather than dealing with the mining companies directly?
Yes, because the Warwood sales representatives have a very strong relationship with the mining company managers. They gather information on unreliable equipment, and share it with Warwood management to see what can be done to increase MTBR. That's when I get involved. I either go to the mines with the Warwood rep to present our solutions, or they come to Warwood to discuss the upgrade. Going with the sales rep to the mining offices gives me the opportunity to introduce the mine management to the LabTecta FS, since in some cases they are not aware of the product. In this way, we are able to take advantage of the close relationship between Warwood and the mining company management. We don't deal directly with the mining companies themselves, except maybe in rare cases where they're not tied in with a repair house.
How big a part does Warwood play in persuading the companies to upgrade to the Labtecta system?
They play a huge part. But first we needed to convince Warwood that it was in their best interest to upgrade to the LabTecta FS, which would increase the MTBR from months to years. That in turn reduces the number of gearboxes they repair, and with the cost of repairs ranging from $25,000 to $45,000 per gearbox, any reduction will affect their annual sales figures and have an impact on the bottom line.
However, Warwood was aware that the mining companies were looking to improve the MTBR. The companies wanted to reduce the cost of repairs, cut the downtime associated with gearbox failure, and minimize the potential for oil leakage, which is a safety issue and can result in a hefty fine. So Warwood presented the LabTecta FS, and even though it's a much more expensive option than lip seals, the companies agreed to try one or two sets and monitor their progress. There was some reluctance at first, but the relationship they have with Warwood provided them with the assurance that it was worth making the change.
Has the success of the Labtecta led to more business with these companies (or with others)?
Yes. There are several other large repair shops in the southern part of West Virginia that I am going to approach and which are not in competition with Warwood. Now that I have numerous LabTecta FS systems installed, I am very confident of a successful outcome when presented with other opportunities in the future
