Company Announcement - SKF’s ability to accommodate a key customer’s urgent requirement for customised bearing and lubrication training prior to a scheduled shutdown clearly demonstrated the company’s capabilities in delivering flexible training solutions.

In early March 2015, the customer, a leading player in the cement producing industry, enquired from SKF’s Training Solutions Manager, Steve Parkinson, whether it would be possible to conduct on-site refresher training on bearing maintenance by the following week. The customer wanted to make sure that its artisans were at an adequate skill level to ensure a smooth shutdown scheduled to take place within a few weeks’ time.

However, there was not sufficient time for the artisans to complete SKF’s standard three-day bearings maintenance course. “So, in order to determine whether we would be able to develop a customised two-day training solution it was imperative that we ascertain the exact needs of our customer in terms of both theoretical and practical requirements,” explains Parkinson. “We also had to establish if it was possible to present the practical components to the 40 artisans within the specified time period.”

SKF was able to develop and put together the required training package which involved preparing all the necessary training materials, arranging for a lecturer, including his transport and accommodation, and organising the transportation of the practical training equipment to site, all within only two days.

The training, customised to the customer’s exact needs, provided theory on bearing applications, bearing terminology, clearances, tolerances, mounting and dismounting as well as an introduction to bearing damage analysis. Specific practical training was also provided for mounting and dismounting of bearings utilising methods only required by the plant.

“We demonstrated the value of training and showed that we are prepared and able to customise standard courses to suit specific customer requirements,” says SKF Training Coordinator, Nadine Schroeter. “We are always willing to go out of our way to assist our customers and share the power of knowledge engineering.”

The ability to accommodate the customer’s needs bears testimony to the flexibility of SKF’s training solutions as well as the speed and efficiency in which the skilled training team is able to prepare the courses and execute bespoke solutions.