Service success through knowledge and practical training

Liebherr Customer Service at the components site in Biberach offers a comprehensive and practical training programme for the service personnel of various Liebherr product segments, which is specifically tailored to the requirements in the field of drive technology. The team of trainers led by Helmut Motzet, which consists of Christoph Weitzmann, Sascha Schwarz and Nayil Kavak, familiarises the participants with everything they need to know and prepares them for targeted work in the field. The focus thereby lies on slewing drives and travel drives, planetary gearboxes, compact and heavy-duty rope winches, as well as special gearboxes such as drilling drives, exciter cells, milling wheel drives and slewing bearings. All these components are used for turning, driving and lifting. Specific topics such as the general overhaul of mining components, for example wheel drives, travel drives and splitter boxes, are also tackled on a regular basis.

The training courses are primarily aimed at service technicians of the international Liebherr Group, who are trained either at the components' own premises in Biberach or directly on site. Helmut Motzet explains: "Our aim is to get the participants out of their usual working environment, so that they can concentrate fully on the course content. At the same time, we try to simulate the customer environment as closely as possible and pay attention, for example, to the installation positions of the components and their maintenance status," says Motzet. "However, we can also take local conditions into account, when training takes place directly at the customer's premises."

The training courses are divided into different levels that build on each other - from the basics to advanced knowledge through to expert level, where complex fault analyses and general overhauls (Remanufacturing) can also be carried out. The programme also imparts knowledge on the use and procurement of Liebherr original parts, which ensures a high repair quality and a long service life of the components without quality risks.

Content and focus of the training programme

The training content aims at an in-depth technical understanding of the respective components. Participants learn how drawings, part lists and spare parts catalogues are structured, and how to use maintenance and repair instructions or service information correctly. Another focus is on analysing typical damage patterns and presenting possible repair procedures. The goal thereby is to increase technicians' skills in diagnosing and rectifying faults, so that they can solve problems faster and in a more targeted manner. This leads to greater efficiency, less downtime and ultimately increased customer satisfaction.

The practical part: targeted and skilful action

The practical part of the training is particularly important. Participants are actively involved in exercises, in which they can directly apply the theoretical knowledge they have acquired. Typical tasks include the professional replacement of safety-relevant components, such as brake discs, springs and seals. The ability to assess the condition of components both on site and in the workshop is an important basis for making informed decisions about repair or replacement. The practical training enables the technicians to carry out installations, commissioning, maintenance and repairs independently and safely in accordance with Liebherr standards. At the same time, they learn how to avoid potential risks of injury due to improper procedures during repair work.

The trainers give the participants plenty of scope to gain their own experience and work out solutions independently. They only intervene should a safety issue arise, or a task be completed incorrectly. "This approach encourages independent thinking and action. On top, it ensures a more sustainable learning effect than if the participants simply copy what the trainers show them or follow the instructions step by step," explains Helmut Motzet.

Added value for participants and companies

The training courses offer a clear added value to the participants: They gain confidence and expertise in handling the components and learn not only to recognise faults more quickly, but also to fix them. For Liebherr OEMs, this means that they benefit from optimally trained personnel who minimise downtimes, reduce costs and fully exploit the potential of the components and systems used. All of this, in turn, leads to greater customer satisfaction. Sascha Schwarz explains: "When a mining excavator is down, high costs for the contractor may arise. In approximate figures, this means that an excavator shovel generates up to 50,000 euros in raw material value in a gold mine. If the mining excavator breaks down, this also means that several mining trucks, which transport the shovelled material away for further processing, come to a standstill. In addition to the repair costs, there is also a considerable loss of revenue due to downtime." Kavak adds: "The situation is similar in other areas of application, such as heavy-duty ship cranes in the offshore sector. The daily costs of a heavy-lift crane HLC, for example, can quickly run into the six-digit euros region. Targeted maintenance, where every move is right, helps to quickly return the applications to productivity. The training costs themselves are very low as compared to the downtime costs of the application."

Building knowledge and more

The feedback of the participants to the trainers at the end of the courses is consistently positive, and the content is continuously further developed based on the feedback, in order to meet the high demands of service operations. Another aspect of the training courses here in Biberach should not be underestimated: Participants have the chance to expand their personal network. "From time to time, I receive calls with queries from service technicians directly from the field. Help can also be provided quickly and directly over the phone. Knowing who to contact when in doubt is a real advantage in situations where time is money," summarises Schwarz.