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The right solution for every bearing's lifetimeElmar Borgmeier and the thyssenkrupp rothe erde service team
Whether in a wind turbine, crane, or tunnel boring machine, large-diameter bearings play a crucial role in some of the world’s largest machines. To ensure reliable operation, they require not only high-quality technology but also comprehensive service. That is exactly what Elmar Borgmeier and the After-Sales team at thyssenkrupp rothe erde provide.
Service for maximum system availability
As Head of Customer Service, Borgmeier knows exactly what is required to ensure the smooth operation of the plants. His team advises customers individually. The appropriate service packages for bearing installation, maintenance during operation and spare parts management are defined with the customer. Borgmeier's work is therefore linked to the major issues facing the industry: Efficiency, downtime, sustainability.
More than just maintenance: the 'bearing life cycle'.
Because thyssenkrupp rothe erde's service doesn't just start when something is defective. With the concept of the 'Bearing Life Cycle', Borgmeier and his team accompany every slewing bearing throughout its entire life cycle – from initial installation through maintenance and repair to replacement.
The service includes support during installation, continuous monitoring during operation, spare parts management, advice on optimal lubrication and targeted repairs in the event of wear and tear. The goal is clear: avoid downtime, extend service life, reduce costs – and do so worldwide with a dense service network. Elmar Borgmeier's team also conducts training courses for maintenance companies, which in turn are confronted with slewing bearings in their work. Here too, the training content is developed on a customer-specific basis.
The aftermarket team at thyssenkrupp rothe erde is particularly flexible when it comes to responding to individual customer requests. This is what makes the service so special.
"We develop complete logistics solutions or modules with add-on parts that are precisely tailored to the place of use."
This close support is what makes Elmar Borgmeier's work so special. After all, close communication creates trust and enables the team to identify and rectify problems at an early stage before expensive breakdowns occur.
Service expertise that makes the difference
Elmar Borgmeier's passion for technical topics is clearly noticeable. Since joining thyssenkrupp rothe erde as a graduate trainee in 2011, he has gained a wide range of experience. Before taking over responsibility for the service department in 2019, he worked as a project manager in engineering, where he was also responsible for finding technical solutions for the requirements specified by the customer. Borgmeier: “Our slewing bearings can be found in many machines – from 800-ton mini excavators to oil transfer stations (FPSO) with an 18-metre slewing bearing.”
Professionalizing the after-sales service is a task the expert pursues with great passion, as thyssenkrupp rothe erde has significantly expanded this area in recent years.
“The fact that we are continuously working on exciting topics, such as aligning our organization with the aftermarket, is particularly fun.”
“Because with the focus on operator and service providers, our customer relationships and our service offering are changing fundamentally in order to ensure maximum availability and efficiency, and I really enjoy being a part of this.”
Strategic spare parts management
The spare parts business is also a central pillar of the after-sales strategy. After all, a slewing bearing is not easy to find on the warehouse shelf. “If no suitable spare part is available, this can mean weeks or even months of downtime,” emphasizes Borgmeier. “That's why we rely on strategic spare parts management.” For particularly critical applications, such as in wind energy, bearings are specifically pre-produced and stored worldwide.
For Elmar Borgmeier, good spare parts management also means keeping a close eye on the condition of the installed slewing bearings. Borgmeier: "This can be determined using integrated sensors or by our service inspector. While the sensors have a clear focus on the raceway, the inspector looks at the entire system, such as the condition of the screw connection or the gearing." thyssenkrupp rothe erde can therefore offer specific bearing monitoring solutions depending on customer requirements. "And this allows us to estimate the condition of the bearing and the expected remaining service life. This is a good basis for our work," says the expert.
The future of service: sustainability and digitalization
A glance at the future? According to Elmar Borgmeier, the service business for slewing bearings is characterized by two key trends: sustainability and digitalization. "The topic of sustainability is becoming increasingly important – for example through the repair and reuse of existing slewing bearings. This not only saves costs, but also conserves valuable resources," emphasizes Borgmeier.
At the same time, digitalization is advancing. “There is a trend towards digital, continuous condition monitoring,” observes Borgmeier. thyssenkrupp rothe erde has already responded to this development and developed Integrated Condition Monitoring, or ICM® for short – a cloud-based solution that enables customers to monitor the condition of their slewing bearings in real time.
Sustainability and digital innovation go hand in hand at thyssenkrupp rothe erde – as the after-sales service impressively demonstrates. Because even though slewing bearings usually work behind the scenes, their failures are clearly noticeable. It's a good thing that there are people like Elmar Borgmeier and the experts in his team who use their specialist knowledge and foresight to ensure that everything runs smoothly – today and tomorrow.