Features, Maintenance, Maintenance Products, Other Products

Going straight to the source

Machines parts are expensive. Going to a private supplier may seem like the cheaper option, but what if the OEM is the cheaper option?

Machines are expensive, and so are parts. Naturally, people want to lower costs by going to a private supplier, but what if the OEM is the cheaper option in the first place?

Building on its longstanding relationship with Metso Outotec, Tutt Bryant recently expanded its offering to include after-sales support for its fixed-plant equipment.

The fixed-plant spares, wears and service business is an addition to its previous work with Metso Outotec. Still, Tutt Bryant Equipment technical sales representative, (Metso Outotec Aftesales) Wayne Kruger is confident and ambitious with where this will take the company by further building on its customer relationships.

“We are confident that we can support our customers using our large national distribution network,” Kruger said.

Valuing comprehensive and reliable support in its parts and services, Tutt Bryant’s fixed-plant after-sales support for Metso Outotec equipment allows customers to feel assured in purchasing sustainable and warranted parts.

It is a common misconception is that original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts and private parts are one and the same. But this is far from the truth.

“OEM parts are designed to work in a specific way; Metso Outotec designs the machines and the parts. Although they look the same as all the other parts out there, you get different results,” Kruger said.

“If you compare OEM to competitor parts, the latter don’t always perform as planned, leading to additional downtime, increasing costs. The risks could be that they are of inferior quality, possibly made with lower-quality materials, so they may not last as long as OEM parts do.”

Kruger explained several areas in which OEM parts differ from other parts. Firstly, how well the part fits.

“You don’t always get a competitor part that fits. Sometimes they don’t, and then you’ve got to rework the part to make it fit, which takes additional time,” Kruger said.

The material used in the manufacturing process is also a key differentiator that may impact how long a part lasts.

Likewise, design is a factor. Kruger explained that Metso Outotec had a focus on reliability and safety of its OEM parts, with continuous product updates based on feedback and testing.

“Sometimes parts might not work as well as they were intended to work;.Metso Outotec would continuously improve part designs,” Kruger said.

Therefore, a competitor may be supplying later versions of the same part that won’t have the same updates. This can compromise the overall quality and reliability of the part and the equipment in which it is used.

“And then the warranty. We provide warranty coverage on OEM parts and the equipment our parts fit onto, which our competitors cannot do; they only warrant their parts and not related or affected components,” Kruger said.

“They’ll cover the warranty of their supplied part that fits onto the machine if that fails, but they’re not going to cover the full extent of the failure. If the failure is catastrophic, they will not cover the costs of any components affected.”

Reputable equipment manufacturers like Metso Outotec will thoroughly investigate any significant failures as to the reasoning behind their occurrence. Tutt Bryant and Metso Outotec will quickly identify sub-standard parts during the investigation process, often invalidating equipment warranties.

Keeping equipment from failing is also in the best interest of workers.

“It’s failures that put all workers’ safety at risk. It’s not just about the equipment’s failure; it’s about your worker’s safety and how that failure could affect them,” he said.

Keeping equipment working as long as possible is also in the best interest of the environment. By investing in high-quality parts that last longer, sites are preventing their equipment from ending up as scrap or having to increase carbon production.

“You buy Metso Outotec equipment because you’re buying the brand reliability, and Metso Outotec is known globally for its reliability,” Kruger said.

“So you’re buying, spending the money because you want something that’s reliable. And now, how do you keep that machine reliable? It’s by buying reliable parts from the OEM.

“Some customers don’t; they buy parts because they’re cheaper, but you’re risking not getting the same life or value out of these parts.

“We invest in your business. Our customers not only buy Metso Outotec crushing and screening equipment from us, but also the spares and wears.

“In addition, we can provide service support and cover the equipment and parts warranty. So it’s a whole package.”

This model forms part of Metso Outotec’s commitment to sustainability, which is now being fulfilled in larger areas through Tutt Bryant.

Parts designed with the requisite knowledge and intention to last as long as possible are part of Metso Outotec’s commitment to the wellbeing of people and the environment.

Does a competitor part supplier have a program to measure its sustainability? Does it also have a plan to take corrective actions and measure improvements?

It’s important to understand what a supplier is doing to make production more sustainable and whether it can prove that its parts and equipment are manufactured sustainably.

“For us, sustainability is about supporting organisations trying to be sustainable in measuring health, safety, environment, product safety, labour and human rights and supply chain practices,” Kruger said.

The after-sales support provided by Tutt Bryant is integral in providing the lowest sustainable cost per tonne, through ensuring the OEM parts are operating for as long as possible and the machines they service are warranted while fitted with OEM parts.

“It’s a partnership, and we are here to help our customers by not only supplying new parts but also to assist in the failure investigation to prevent future occurrences,” Kruger said.

“There’s much more we can offer than after-market competitor suppliers.”

This venture isn’t new to Tutt Bryant. The company already has extensive experience in supplying support for the mobile crushing and screening business of Mesto Outotec. Moving to the fixed-plant business, Tutt Bryant has the expertise to service the machines bought by customers to keep operations running as smoothly as possible, for as long as possible, something that can’t be achieved with inferior parts.

“You want value in your machines because they produce your sellable crusher material. That’s the core of your business, so your equipment must be reliable,” Kruger said.

“You want your machines to crush around the clock. That’s what we offer. It’s not just parts designed specifically for your machine by the people that built your machine, but also the service to be able to support your machine.”

Visit tuttbryant.com.au for more information.

This feature first appeared in the June issue of Quarry.

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