SKF has successfully delivered a powerful integrated solution to a leading metals industry customer in Cameroon, combining advanced condition monitoring (CoMo) and high-performance bearings, underpinned by professional, expert services.
Prior to implementing SKF’s holistic solution, the customer had been operating in a conventional, reactive maintenance mode. Subsequently, equipment such as fans and rolling mills were routinely run to failure, with premature failure a common occurrence. This would result in unplanned downtime and the need for systematic bearing replacements. Predictive maintenance practices were absent, with only global vibration measurement conducted, while static balancing was outsourced to third-party test benches. Additionally, over-greasing of critical assets was a recurring issue further compromising equipment performance, reliability and lifecycle- driving up costs and driving down production.
Following an assessment, SKF responded to these challenges by recommending an integrated approach that combines CoMo, bearings and service expertise to target operational gaps effectively. “This solution was designed not only to prevent premature failures but also to enable predictive maintenance, reduce over-greasing incidents and bring critical balancing processes in-house,” says Lionel Ndjee, SKF sales engineer for Central Africa. In addition to vibration analysis, balancing and alignment services, we also provided our customer with lubrication assistance. Furthermore, we organised a technical session, supported remotely by our team of metals industry experts, to better understand the customer’s challenges and tailor the most effective solution for their operations.”
This triple-impact approach is a collaboration between the local SKF team and their authorised distributor, Transmissions Manutention du Cameroun. The customer was able to take advantage of the distributor’s ‘duty free company in Cameroon’ status by delivering the goods ex works. This has boosted the customer’s operational efficiency and reliability. It is also delivering measurable cost savings and sustainability benefits such as extended service life of equipment, demonstrating the value of a holistic strategy that is tailored to meet the customer’s exact demands.
This successful collaboration underscores SKF’s ability to deliver not just individual components, but also fully integrated solutions that drive real operational value. “Our joint efforts have also earned the customer’s trust, resulting in a new agreement to source bearings through our distributor in future,” says Ndjee. “By combining deep application knowledge with cutting-edge technologies and service expertise, SKF continues to help customers reduce costs and improve asset performance, leading to more efficient and sustainable operations.”
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