Flottweg has opened a new Customer Care Centre in Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada. The company develops and manufactures high-performance decanter centrifuges, separators, belt presses and plants for solid-liquid separation. The company says process reliability, comprehensive customer support and greater cost efficiency has made it a front runner for mechanical separation technology in a wide range of markets including mining where markets include hydrometallurgical processing and solvent extraction (SX).

The company also understands that the ability to prevent unplanned downtime extends the lifespan of machines and supports delivery schedules which could be delayed if processes are interrupted. “Equipment maintenance is the simplest way to prevent unwanted breakdowns,” says Flottweg Managing Director Frank Scriver. “Downtime is expensive because we’re not only talking about lost production hours but the costs associated with labour and parts or possibly the early replacement of equipment.”

Flottweg field technicians support manufacturers’ preventative maintenance programs by performing intermediate services such as consumable parts replacement on-site at customers’ facilities. The rotating portion of Flottweg’s centrifuge products are periodically shipped to its repair facility for reconditioning to original specifications. Service timeframes can range between three to seven years of operation depending on the centrifuge’s duty and application. Flottweg also performs critical tasks like balancing to ensure equipment maintains optimal performance throughout its useful life.

The new 15,000 ft2 customer care centre offers product sample analysis and field trial equipment and services to evaluate and tailor the right solution to a customer’s application. On-site service and repair, along with equipment start-up and training services is supported by a strong spare parts inventory. The facility is also equipped to provide shop repair, rebuild and reconditioning services. Flottweg’s service provider agreement with Centrifuges Unlimited Inc provides local repair, rebuild and reconditioning support to customers in Western Canada.

“Mechanical separation processes are used in nearly every industry. For more than 60 years, Flottweg has been designing and building high performance equipment for solid-liquid separation applications.” The company focuses its field experience, knowledge and development efforts on engineering and manufacturing decanter centrifuges, separators and belt presses for a range of diverse markets including mining. Flottweg produces its equipment under strict quality management methods at its headquarters facility in Vilsbiburg, Germany. The company has 12 branches and more than 50 service and support centres worldwide.