Construction Equipment Guide
470 Maryland Drive
Fort Washington, PA 19034
800-523-2200
Tue December 19, 2023 - National Edition #1
The icy grip of the winter season presents a unique set of challenges for wash plant operators, but with effective planning materials producers can protect their investment and ensure their operations are ready for an efficient return to production in spring.
When it comes to plant maintenance, it is essential that any potential complication is identified and remedied quickly to protect an operator's investment and ensure optimal performance, particularly during the coldest months of the year when washing and classifying equipment is especially susceptible to the elements.
"In this business, time is money," said Mike Matusik, a customer relationship manager at CDE.
"Implementing a robust maintenance program year-round will safeguard equipment from the taxing cold weather, helping to minimize downtime for unscheduled maintenance and maximize product output.
"With planning and preparedness, operators can ensure the safe and efficient shutdown of a wash plant in winter and facilitate an efficient restart of operations in the spring. While there is no one-size-fits-all approach, there are some basic steps operators can take to protect their investment."
Proactive and preventative approaches to plant maintenance during winter months are essential for long-term efficiency and profitability, but unforeseen challenges can still arise despite best laid plans, explained fellow CDE customer relationship manager Andrew Bunting.
"A responsive service is key when the unexpected occurs. For the CDE CustomCare team, the name of the game is minimizing and, where possible, wholly eliminating any unexpected downtime by supporting customers to get up, running and processing material again as fast as possible, whether that's during the normal production season or when starting up production again once winter is behind us."
In order to respond in a timely manner, CDE holds stock of parts locally, from screen media and cyclone parts to marsh mellow springs, motors, and gearboxes. These are all available for immediate dispatch to customers from CDE's North American headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas.
"Our CustomCare team holds a complete order history detailing critical plant components and spare parts for each of our customers' wash plants. This helps ensure straightforward re-ordering and allows our service engineers to maintain a comprehensive overview of how a plant is performing."
Prevention is always the number one focus, Bunting added.
"We work closely with our customers to deliver regular preventative maintenance inspections which are highly effective at identifying potential issues before they arise and adversely impact production. Our plant health checks are just one part of our commitment to providing a lifetime of care to customers and ensuring their long-term success."
As part of its free plant health check initiative, CDE's expert service engineers will analyze the plant's condition, highlight signs of wear or irregular noises, identify parts in need of replacing, schedule regular maintenance, support and advise operators, and recommend fast-moving parts ideal for storage on site.
For more information about CDE CustomCare and to order parts, contact: customcare@cdeusa.com.
This story also appears on Aggregate Equipment Guide.