INTERNATIONAL MINING PROFILES
Q & A with Andreas Evertz — Flender Group CEO
Headquartered in Bocholt , Germany , and active across 35 countries including Asia , Flender is a global leader in drive technology employing approximately 8,600 people and had sales of some € 2.2 billion in FY2020 . The company ’ s comprehensive product and service portfolio includes gearboxes , couplings , and generators for a wide variety of industries including mining .
IM took the opportunity to talk to Flender CEO Andreas Evertz , highlighting the company ’ s strengths and activities plus future potential in the mining sector :
Q How would you summarise the Flender offering to the mining industry ? A Flender offers a wide range of mechanical drive products for the mining industry . In particular , Flender offers solution for applications with stationary machines . Flender is an absolute specialist in mechanical drive technology , especially in the minerals and mining industry . We have solutions for almost all applications with a strong focus on mechanical drive solutions .
Q Are there particular drive sizes or applications in mining that Flender is most known for eg conveyors , ball mills etc ? A As mentioned before , Flender is the absolute specialist in mechanical drive technology with solutions for almost every application in the minerals and mining sector . Especially in applications such as conveyor belts , mining trucks , pumps , flotation , mixers & agitators , mills , roller presses , etc . we are very successful .
Q How important is the opening of the new facility in Australia in terms of Flender ' s strategy to grow in mining ?
Gearbox , coupling and sensor technology : Flender succeeds in digital transformation in mechanical drive technologies . In this way , efficiency , increased productivity , and Industry 4.0 can be optimally combined
Flender conveyor belt drive
A It is very important for the local market in Australia , especially in the western part . There is a large installed base in the western Australia mine sites and new projects are expected . So , an assembly and service facility is essential to secure the share of wallet , service the installed base and increase the Flender market share too . Western Australia is a key market globally in the minerals and mining space and this investment is a critical part of executing our independence strategy and investing in being
Underground mining
Roller press Crusher Conveyor belt Vertical mill Bucket elevator Tube mill
close to our customers . This also shows our long-term commitment to the mining industry .
Q How would you say Flender differentiates itself in the mining market in terms of technology , experience , quality etc versus major competitors like ABB and WEG ?
Q ABB and WEG are not competitors with Flender , they could be partners like Siemens for drive trains consisting of gearbox , coupling and motor . With regard to Flender ' s competitors in gearbox technology , we continuously aim to maintain our technological leadership and to extend our leading position . Above all , we try to be not only a gearbox specialist for our customers , but also an application specialist who knows the exact requirements of our product and translates them into the individual solution . Partnership-based cooperation with our customers and highest reliability of our products are our concept for success .
Q Is there a defined division in terms of rated power or equipment size above which gearless drives start to make more sense or are the two technologies competing in certain markets ? A Originally , we thought we saw a trend towards gearless drives in the
Andreas Evertz , very high-power range , but Flender Group CEO
the last few years have shown a different picture . The interest to work with gear solutions , also in the very high-power range , has increased very much . Due to continuous improvement of the gear technology , we are now able to offer our customers the highest performance and availability at affordable costs . We are convinced that geared solutions have more advantages in terms of CAPEX , flexibility as well as OPEX in minerals and mining applications compared to direct drive solutions .
Bucket wheel excavator
Haul truck Crane Apron feeder Crusher
Q When mining companies or EPCMs are specifying drives for major equipment types like mills and conveyors and crushers what are their main concerns - reliability , ease of maintenance , service support , or a combination of these ? A Yes , reliability of the products , ease of maintenance , service support and reliable project management of the supplier are the main Flender Roller Press Gearbox : concerns . For the
Planurex 3
EPCMs it ’ s important that they work with a company like Flender who not only understand their product but also understand the customers application which then makes for the best solution . flender . com / mining
Ship Railway vehicle
Flender applications in the mining industries : Flender is the absolute specialist in mechanical drive technology with solutions for almost every application
10 International Mining | JUNE 2020