S E PA R AT O R S
26
F
ollowing a series of optimization measures at
its Center of Excellence (COE) in Oelde, GEA
has already began significantly reducing the
general repair times of its separators. Infrastructure
and organizational improvements, as well as the
appointment of an Assessment Coordinator, have
enabled numerous synergies, resulting in inspection
and repair times being reduced by up to 40%
worldwide. For particularly urgent cases, GEA is
now offering a Fast Lane Service, which enables
affected separators to be repaired in less than 10
days, depending on the requirements.
Even the short-term breakdown of a separator
can, in worst-case scenarios, halt the entire
production which can result in heavy economic
losses for companies. Such situations require quick
analysis and repair. In most instances, the separator
must be transported to a certified GEA workshop to
ensure authorized repair by the original
manufacturer, which includes the necessary safety
tests. Shipment, reporting, repair, inspection and
return require a certain time frame, which can be
bridged via bowl rentals or spare parts - however,
this is not always the optimal solution for customers.
GEA has therefore developed a Fast Lane Service
for particularly urgent repairs, which are handled
by a dedicated team who take care of these
prioritized requests. These employees work
alongside GEA's regular diagnostic and repair
service teams, but have the advantage of being
able to exclusively handle prioritized cases more
FOOD BUSINESS GULF & MIDDLE EAST
NEW FAST LANE
SERVICE FOR
GEA SEPARATORS
SHORTENS
REPAIR TIMES
quickly. The Fast Lane Service is offered for
separators in all application areas with a surcharge
based on bowl diameter.
The Fast Lane offer is currently limited due to
capacity and time considerations. For this
reason, a small steering team will decide on the
urgency of each repair based on diverse criteria.
Once a repair is prioritized, the operational
team takes over the order, managing the entire
process which includes cooperating with the
specialist departments as well as arranging for
the dispatch of parts and repaired machines -
reducing overall lead times by up to 80%.
JULY-SEPTEMBER 2019