GEA, Düsseldorf, Germany – following a series of optimisation measures at its Centre of Excellence in Oelde – has already begun significantly reducing general repair times for its separators. Infrastructure and organisational improvements, as well as the appointment of an assessment coordinator, have helped bring into play numerous synergies, resulting in inspection and repair times being reduced by up to 40% worldwide. For particularly urgent cases, the company is now offering a ‘Fast Lane Service’, which enables separators to be repaired in less than 10 days, depending on requirements.

Even the short-term breakdown of a separator can, in worst-case scenarios, halt the entire production which can result in heavy economic losses for companies. Such situations require quick analysis and repair. In most instances, the separator must be transported to a certified GEA workshop to ensure authorised repair by the original manufacturer, which includes the necessary safety tests. Shipment, reporting, repair, inspection and return require a certain timeframe, which can be bridged via bowl rentals or spare parts. However, this is not always the best solution for customers. GEA has therefore developed its Fast Lane Service for particularly urgent repairs, which are handled by a dedicated team who take care of these prioritised requests. These employees work alongside GEA’s regular diagnostic and repair service teams, but have the advantage of being able to exclusively handle urgent cases more quickly.

The Fast Lane offer is currently subject to capacity and time constaints. For this reason, a small steering team will decide on the urgency of each repair based on diverse criteria. Once a repair has been approved for Fast Lane treatment, the operational team takes over the order, managing the entire process which includes cooperating with the specialist departments as well as arranging for the despatch of parts and repaired machines – reducing overall lead times by up to 80%. www.gea.com
 

With considerable reduction in repair times and optional Fast Lane offer, GEA has achieved significant improvement in its service to customers

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