In a pioneering development,
The move ushers in a new era in the crushing and screening industry where a 1-year/2,000-hour warranty is generally the norm on these mission critical assets. Francois Marais, director – Sales & Marketing at Pilot Crushtec International, says the move is informed by the supplier’s and its principal’s understanding that warranty is a valuable component to any capital equipment purchase, especially mission critical and big-ticket purchases such as crushers and screens.
Marais says the standard 5-year/10,000-hour warranty for southern African customers is a true indicator of Metso’s confidence in its product. It is also a sign of service commitment from Pilot Crushtec International as the exclusive distributor of Metso’s aggregates products and services, including static, tracked and wheeled crushers, scalpers and screens in the region.
“We have been offering this warranty for the past six months on a pilot basis to gauge the level of interest and feedback from our customers. Effective the 1st of January this year, we were able to broker a deal with our principal, Metso, to standardise the 5-year/10,000-hour warranty across the whole Metso product range we supply,” says Marais.
“The initiative is in the best interests of the consumer. A long product warranty gives customers some extra coverage for their big-ticket purchases, along with a little more peace of mind. From an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) perspective, it says a lot about the confidence in the brand. From a supplier point of view, it also means that we want to be there for our customers for the long haul, and be involved in their businesses with a vested interest,” explains Jorge Abelho, director – Technical and Customer Support at Pilot Crushtec International.
As part of the Metso Life Cycle Services for Aggregates, Metso has previously offered its Equipment Protection Services (EPS) as an optional extra. The comprehensive plan includes extended warranties and scheduled inspections with Metso-certified technicians. EPS is built on three core elements: extended warranty to 5 years or 10,000 hours; scheduled inspections with Metso-trained and certified technicians, coupled with OEM parts recommendations; and maintenance planning and reporting for mobile equipment through Metso Metrics Services.
In southern Africa, this has since become standard. This gives equipment owners much-needed confidence in their cost structure by anticipating and minimising unexpected equipment failures. The warranty covers the whole machine, excluding wear parts, for the first 4,000 hours, which is double the industry-wide 2,000 hours standard warranty. From 4,000 to 10,000 hours, the warranty only covers all the critical components.
“It made sense for us to package it as a standard offering. We believe in our quality and know that if customers prescribe to OEM servicing levels, their equipment will last longer and perform better. The extended warranty also assures our customers that the OEM and the supplier are ready to deliver on their promise,” says Marais.
“As part of the warranty, our Metso certified technicians will undertake field inspections every 1,000 operating hours. During these visits, they will identify preventative and/or correction actions and provide recommendations accordingly,” concludes Abelho.
