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Detail-Driven Engineering for Low Maintenance, Durable Machines

Fabio Marroni - Haver & Boecker Mexicana
General Manager

STORY INLINE POST

Thu, 10/17/2019 - 10:39

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Miners are starting to see the value in more expensive products that last longer. In this context, low maintenance and high durability are crucial aspects to consider when choosing an equipment provider, says Fabio Marroni, General Manager of Haver & Boecker. “Our goal is to develop machinery requiring the least maintenance possible while lasting longer,” he says. “Our best measurement is our clients’ feedback.”
To remain ahead of a rapidly gaining pack, innovation is crucial for the company. “Our products are constantly improved,” says Marroni. As the company’s equipment is mostly large steel machines, most enhancements are based on attention to detail and client feedback. “The goal is to understand where the equipment’s design can be reinforced to guarantee low maintenance and high durability. We invest in design innovation and in the details,” he adds.
Haver & Boecker’s main clients in the country are mine operators that demand specialized products, such as Grupo Calidra, Grupo México, Peñoles, Fresnillo and Minera Frisco. The company also offers a variety of products for steel and metallurgy plants, like Arcelor Mittal and Ternium. “Our vibrating screens, for example, are not prefabricated but designed for each type of application,” Marroni says. In ore processing, the company’s solutions best serve the screening, washing and pelletizing of minerals.
Taking its business offering a step beyond equipment, Haver & Boecker provides a simulation software for all kinds of mineral processing applications. The latter’s intuitive graphical interface can model and calculate entire plants. NIAflow supports dry and wet crushing, screening and sorting processes, making it easier to design processes and optimize profits. Its graphical interface allows the creation of processes in a simple and intuitive way.
“We offer engineered solutions for applications demanding large tonnages in combination with high reliability. The application’s specific body design, supported by Finite Element Analysis (FEA), technically optimizes design according to customer requirements, while the bridge-mounted exciter drive system maximizes machine reliability with extended maintenance intervals,” says Marroni.
Haver & Boecker also manufactures its own spare parts. As mines are often in remote locations and given that any minute of downtime while waiting for a spare part is extremely costly for miners, the company leaves these on consignment. “The client only pays for what it uses,” he says. “I think this is our key strategy as it enables us to ensure that the client has all the parts it needs to keep its plant running without spending unnecessarily.”
The company offers a premium product and is content to remain in that niche. “We do not plan to diversify to other market niches because our brand serves high-capacity vibrating screens,” Marroni says. “Developing specialized large mining equipment is our business. There are many other companies providing smaller, standard screens.”
This specialization has led Haver & Boecker to segment its manufacturing. Big and robust machines are made in Brazil, and medium-sized equipment in Canada. At the current market demand, it is not yet profitable for the company to manufacture in Mexico but the possibility is open because logistics and shipping expenses can increase the end-user’s costs between 10 and 15 percent. “Having a manufacturing facility in Mexico would be more profitable for our clients but it has to be done at the right time because it represents a significant investment for us and hence depends on demand,” Marroni explains.
Marroni says that miners are waiting for market uncertainty to blow over before ramping up investment. While the company is not planning to open any new offices in the country, it will maintain its current operations. “Our guidance for the future is to expand our operations in Mexico.” He adds that the company intends to grow significantly in the next few years, expanding annually by around 15-20 percent.

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