SKF delivers plant reliability to sub-Sahara based copper mine company

SKF and Konkola Copper Mines Plc (KCM) in Zambia have signed a three-year, two million dollar contract covering a Predictive Maintenance (PdM) solution.

The solution is based on a system that provides early warnings of machinery and plant deterioration. By using the data to plan and implement the correct maintenance and operational actions, the plants total performance and reliability is improved.

- We continue to strengthen our establishment as a solution provider in this region, and help our customers to significantly reduce unplanned shutdowns through implementing these PdM methodologies, says Vartan Vartanian, President SKF Service Division.

For more than fourty years, SKF has supplied KCM and its previous owners with a large range of products, services and solutions. 

- We are very confident to make this investment knowing the competence and delivery potential of SKF. With this solution we expect to significantly reduce maintenance cost and failures and maximize overall reliability and availability in all our plants, says Ganapathy G, Vice President Engineering at KCM.

KCM is the main combined copper mining, concentrating and smelting operation in the Zambian copper industry.

The contract will be implemented on all KCM sites.

Gothenburg, 15 March 2011

Aktiebolaget SKF
(publ)

For further information, please contact:
PRESS: Ingalill Östman, SKF Group Communication, tel: +46 31-337 3260, mobile: +46 706-973260, e-mail: ingalill.ostman@skf.com
IR: Marita Björk, SKF Investor Relations, tel: +46 31-337 1994, mobile: +46 705-181994, e-mail: marita.bjork@skf.com 

SKF is a leading global supplier of bearings, seals, mechatronics, lubrication systems and services which include technical support, maintenance and reliability services, engineering consulting and training. SKF is represented in more than 130 countries and has 15,000 distributor locations worldwide. Annual sales in 2010 were SEK 61,029 million and the number of employees was 44,742. www.skf.com