Crane and hoist manufacturer Condra is enhancing its maintenance and support offering by introducing hands-on training programmes for customer maintenance teams and developing remote diagnostic capabilities aimed at improving equipment reliability at mining and industrial operations.

The company plans to roll out its remote diagnostics platform across installations in Saudi Arabia, Mauritius, Bulgaria, Peru and Chile, as well as throughout Africa where it maintains an operational presence.

The new initiative will eventually enable customers to access real-time technical support and fault diagnosis through internet-connected systems, allowing specialists to assist maintenance teams remotely, particularly at isolated and remote sites.

According to Condra Managing Director Marc Kleiner, the company is working to expand the use of diagnostic technology beyond frequency drives, where monitoring chips are already installed during crane manufacturing, to include a wider range of crane components.

The long-term objective is to provide on-screen technical assistance to any installation with internet connectivity, enabling faster fault identification and more efficient maintenance.

Previously, Condra’s maintenance programme primarily supported selected agents and technicians from its own facilities. Under the expanded model, customers with in-house maintenance teams will be empowered to undertake more servicing work themselves, supported either by visiting Condra specialists or remotely by experts based at the company’s technical centre in Johannesburg.

Emergency breakdown support will continue to be provided by Condra technicians deployed directly to site when required.

Kleiner said the programme is designed to reduce service costs for customers while improving equipment uptime and productivity.

“We want to strengthen the capabilities of our customers’ maintenance personnel. By working alongside them, we can help identify issues early and provide the knowledge needed to maintain equipment to original manufacturer standards,” he said.

Under the programme, Condra’s support teams will assist customers in identifying wear patterns, planning maintenance requirements and sourcing spare parts before failures occur. Once approved by the customer, the company will prepare and dispatch the necessary components, including long-term replacement items, based on predicted wear and operating conditions.

Where possible, Condra specialists will supervise repairs carried out by mine maintenance teams, providing practical training while ensuring work is completed correctly.

Kleiner noted that many operations continue to run equipment until failure, often resulting in costly downtime and premature replacement of machinery.

“What we are trying to overcome is the common practice of operating a machine until it breaks down and then replacing it. Proper maintenance significantly extends equipment life and improves return on investment,” he explained.

He added that proactive maintenance reduces production interruptions by ensuring spare parts are available and potential problems are addressed before they impact operations.

“With a little support from our side, equipment can operate more reliably for much longer, allowing production to continue without unnecessary disruption,” Kleiner said.

As part of its ongoing customer support programme, Condra will conduct maintenance visits to Côte d’Ivoire and Angola during July and August, followed by operations in Zambia, Namibia and Sierra Leone.

Additional countries scheduled for support visits include Liberia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mauritania, Ghana, Mali and Senegal.

The company has expanded its field service capability significantly, growing from two service teams five years ago to twelve teams today. Each team includes either an electrical specialist or a mechanical technician.

Looking ahead, Condra also plans to collaborate with technical specialists in England and Australia to provide remote support across multiple time zones. This will combine telephone assistance with real-time visual diagnostics displayed to technicians at customer sites.

The company is further developing a library of instructional repair videos to support the remote diagnostics platform.

“Our long-term vision is for Condra teams to be required only for critical interventions. Through proactive maintenance, remote diagnostics and instructional support tools, customers will be able to manage routine repairs more effectively while maximising equipment performance,” Kleiner concluded.