Industrial gearbox manufacturer Flender has worked to develop a service-centric culture.
Flender has traditionally worked through business partners to provide support for its industrial gearboxes.
However, according to Flender’s of Australia and New Zealand Kareem Emara, the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) has developed a new business strategy.
“Flender’s gearboxes have a proven track record and are an industry benchmark,” he said.
“Our products have some of the largest install bases in Australia and are known for their reliability and quality, backed up with in-depth technical expertise.
“We have been involved with the industry for some time and knew we could further adapt our portfolio and products based on continuous improvements. Part of this was to improve our service and support offering and establishing a dedicated local presence in Australia.”
Flender invested heavily in growing its local operations, opening facilities in Rockhampton, Queensland, and Perth, Western Australia. It also acquired the Finnish wind turbine gearbox manufacturer Moventas in April, along with facilities in Melbourne.
In addition, the company aims to open its new Sydney facility by the end of the year to further support its New South Wales customers. The facility will be just over 1800m2 and has the structural capacity for a 50-tonne crane.
Emara said the new location will have all of the equipment required to deliver an OEM standard to its customers.
“It’s important to be close to your customers,” he said. “It allows you to be more agile and respond to their needs as quickly as possible.
“All of our facilities can operate 24 hours a day if needed, letting us turn things around quickly.
“We can also provide proactive support, using our OEM knowledge, vibration analysis and condition-monitoring expertise to help them avoid unplanned shutdowns.”
Flender’s facilities are set up to support the entire lifecycle of a product, with teams that can provide everything from installation to decommissioning. It can also leverage global support from its worldwide network – Flender has extensive research and development teams in China and Germany that provide experienced aid in even some of the most unique of cases.
Emara said there has been positive feedback from the industry, which appreciates the company’s customer-driven focus.
“Having the right people, with the right knowledge close at hand means our customers have everything they need to thrive,” he said.
“Flender equipment is built with reliability in mind, with some of our assets still in use since they were installed in the 1970s.
“We aim to continue serving our customers with the latest technologies and will support them with digitisation and condition monitoring to ensure they get the most out of their equipment.”
This feature appeared in the October issue of Australian Mining.