Installing non-genuine, counterfeit or fake parts in crushing and screening equipment is a sure-fire way of introducing unacceptable financial and performance risks to a business that relies on these machines for its success.
This is according to Francois Marais, Sales and Marketing Director at local Metso distributor Pilot Crushtec. Marais highlights the value that customers gain – in terms of reliability and certainty – from Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).
“Decades of technological development are imbedded in OEM offerings, allowing customers to accurately plan their capital and operating expenditure against future production and earnings,” he explains. “The performance and reliability of this high-tech equipment is based on its proven design and precision engineering – which of course includes the various components and wear parts that must be replaced from time to time.”
He says that OEMs like Metso design and manufacture all their own spare parts to ensure that customers achieve optimal results – as they expect when they made their initial capital purchase. The same results cannot be expected when using parts that have not been produced with the Metso’s well-known precision, quality systems, material and technological heritage, he points out.
“With our focus on strong and long-term customer relationships, Pilot Crushtec understands what our equipment must deliver in every application,” Marais says. “This means a detailed focus on every technical aspect of our machines – including the performance and longevity of spares.”
Merja Tyyni, Vice President Aftermarket Distribution Management Metso, notes that the copying of products, components and spares is a widespread global phenomenon – tempting procurement personnel to make purchasing decisions based purely on the pricing of individual parts.
“In our relationships with customers, we focus on the whole process through which we deliver value to their operations,” says Tyyni. “It is about the end-product value, where we can supply not only the appropriate capital equipment, but also the follow-up trouble-shooting, repairs and overall technical advice. This all helps to improve the customer’s production efficiency, and creates a strong foundation for their commercial success.”
By contrast, the supplier of non-OEM parts does not have the necessary level of expertise and institutional capability to stand behind and support their product in the way that an OEM does. The result, therefore, is that considerable risk is introduced into the process – with little recourse.
“The responsible OEM approach that we adopt is to always maintain the necessary high level of technical infrastructure to deliver on our promise to customers, and to always be there when they need us,” she explains. “This is built into our pricing as a sustainable and long-term business partner, so that customers know we will always be there for them. In this context, it makes little sense for customers to try and make minor savings on non-genuine parts that could compromise their whole operation.”
Karima Dargaud, Head of Aftermarket Europe, Middle East, Africa and Central Asia Metso, points out that reputable OEMs have built – over decades and even centuries – a comprehensive overview of how their products work and how they create value for customers. This knowledge is then applied to each customer’s specific application to achieve results which are both optimal and predictable.
“For instance, we are able to optimise every application by balancing the performance demands with the life expectancy of parts and components,” says Dargaud. “This will vary according to factors like abrasiveness of different minerals, but we have insights from our global experience that will help the customer to achieve production targets while keeping maintenance downtime to a minimum.”
Another important factor to consider is the safety implications of using non-genuine parts, not only in the operation of equipment but during the installation and maintenance tasks. With the number of personnel in close proximity to the crushing and screening equipment, there is always a safety risk that OEMs continuously address in their designs.
Marais points to basic features like the mounting brackets or fastening holes on wear parts, where the design and material composition have been fine-tuned by Metso to ensure safe installation and operation.
“There are extreme forces and speeds at play in crushing equipment, which can raise the risk to operators if the wear parts are not completely fit for purpose,” he says. “If the procurement decision is based only on a final purchase price, then safety issues will not be front-of-mind as they should be. I would even argue that a business that buys and fits pirate parts runs the risk of sending a negative message to its operators – that saving money is more important than the safety of crews on site.”
Tyyni highlights the many years of research, development and testing that Metso has invested in each aspect of every product range.
“We closely monitor the performance of our products in the field, so that we can continuously mitigate risk and optimise performance through technical improvements in design and manufacturing,” she explains. “From every repair, we can learn something about how to raise the standard of our solutions – and our customers benefit directly from this. However, this whole approach is dangerously undermined when a non-OEM part without clear provenance is placed into a machine.”
She emphasises that fake or counterfeit parts are more likely to need frequent replacement, which adds to the intrinsic risk to maintenance personnel. Perhaps more importantly, the safety risk is raised further by any imperfection in the pirate part that makes it difficult to fit or remove from the equipment.
“When the fit and function of a non-genuine part is not ideal, the technician may try to employ unusual or non-standard methods to fix the problem,” she says. “This is where safety can be seriously compromised, not to mention the detrimental impacts on the machine itself.”
By ensuring reliability, genuine parts underpin the financial success of projects and the long-term reputation of contractors, argues Dargaud.
“These parts are an essential aspect of the support and advice that we provide to our customers, so that they can efficiently meet the deliverables in their contracts,” she explains. “It allows contractors to avoid expensive penalties, for instance, if production targets are not met.”
Efficient production includes ensuring the quality of a contractor’s crusher output, so that there is no come-back from the end-customer at a later stage. Failure to meet quality standards could undermine the profitability of a project or the business as a whole – with financial consequences that far outweigh the price differential on pirate parts.
