FiveYear Siwertell Service Contract with Masinloc

Siwertell, part of Cargotec, has commenced a five-year service contract with Masinloc Power Partners Co Ltd in the Philippines. The Level 1 Siwertell Support Care Agreement relates to two Siwertell ST-790D ship unloaders, installed in 1997 and used to discharge coal, initially at a rate of 800 t/h for each machine.

Masinloc Power Partners is part of the AES Corporation, a global power company providing energy to customers in 20 countries. Previously, Siwertell had a reactive service arrangement with Masinloc Power Partners, supported by proactive sales and recommended actions.

Operations and Sales Manager for Siwertell Services, Daniel Frostberg, says: "I am confident that this new service agreement will improve the unloaders' reliability and provide a cost-effective way to ensure that the owners benefit from years of continued efficient coal discharge.

"Siwertell unloaders and loaders are designed to deliver reliable operations over a long lifetime," he continues. "However, they work in exposed environments and naturally require an appropriate degree of care and maintenance. Regular inspections by our engineers - ideally as part of a Siwertell Care agreement - ensure that machine settings are optimal and the highest possible operating capacity is maintained."

Siwertell carried out major overhaul work on the unloaders in 2008 and 2009, resulting in reduced turnaround times for ships. "However, last summer, in the light of normal, progressive deterioration, we began discussions about an optimisation plan through a service agreement, with a planned schedule of maintenance, supply of parts, upgrade of the PLC/HMI (Programmable Logic Controller / Human Machine Interface) system, along with a capacity increase to 1,200t/h per unloader," Mr Frostberg notes.

Machine owners and operators differ widely in the levels of in-house technical expertise and resources available to them; so there can be no one-size-fits-all when it comes to service agreements. Siwertell provides its customers with all the advice necessary to put together the ideal package, incorporating elements of the following five modules:

•    Technical Services: technical services tailored to customer needs and in-house skills. Elements include periodic inspections; supervision of maintenance; scheduled and preventative maintenance; condition-based and preventative wear part maintenance; repairs and corrective maintenance.
•    Availability Management: a full range of professional management services with the overall aim of improving the efficiency levels of Siwertell equipment. Elements include online trouble-shooting 24/7; remote PLC support; and maintenance planning.
•    Training: Siwertell training programmes are designed to continuously improve competence levels, so that operators can maximise the return on equipment. Options in the module include operator training; unloading efficiency studies; maintenance training; and safety training.
•    Spare Parts: this module offers management and inventory services for spare parts.
•    Operations: Siwertell can manage an operator's entire maintenance process and handle the operation of the Siwertell equipment.

Customisation of the different Siwertell Care modules does not end here. Once a customer has chosen which elements to include from each module, the most suitable level of support is discussed:

•    Level 1: the most basic level; the customer runs their own installation with Siwertell support
•    Level 2: mid-range support, where the customer runs the installation, but with essential maintenance taken care of by Siwertell
•    Level 3: 'optimal care' agreement offering the most comprehensive support; Siwertell will take care of all maintenance and, if requested, take full responsibility for running the Siwertell installation

As standard, Siwertell includes three new service benefits with all Siwertell Care agreements, regardless of their make-up and level: 24-hour telephone support; regular inspections and dedicated personal contact.