
FleetWatch has always been a strong advocator of training and we are thus pleased to hear that leading oil analysis and condition monitoring specialist, WearCheck, has appointed a full-time training manager as a new position within the company.
Ashley Mayer, who holds a BSc in mechanical engineering and has worked at WearCheck for almost nine years as laboratory manager, diagnostician and senior technical consultant, is the man who has taken on the position and although based in Johannesburg, will travel anywhere to conduct WearCheck training courses.
According to Mayer, accurate oil analysis report interpretation, correct sample taking, pre-planned maintenance schedules and good lubricant management, among other skills, are what help boost the bottom line of companies that rely on an effective, cost-efficient preventive maintenance programme.
He reckons that one of the key role-players in preventing costly unplanned component failure is the analysis of used oil which enables the prediction of potential problems before they occur, thereby saving money and boosting the bottom line.
“The concept of analysing oil samples from a machine or component is similar to that of taking a blood sample from a person – the results determine the health status of the unit and the condition of the lubricant. WearCheck’s highly-skilled diagnostic team then analyses the results and recommends how to rectify any abnormal findings,” he says.
Another key element of a successful condition monitoring programme, Mayer believes, is that employees at each stage of the oil analysis process are equipped with the necessary skills. “Staff who have mastered the skills of the various components of a condition monitoring programme will help their companies gain the highest return on investment in the programme,” he says.
It is because of this that WearCheck is committed to helping its customers upskill their workers in the oil analysis field and has created several training courses aimed at different levels within the process, from basic understanding of oil analysis through to management of the condition monitoring programme.
The course material draws heavily on WearCheck’s database of sample diagnoses accumulated over the past 40 years, as well as on the 600 000 new samples processed each year. Add to this Wearcheck’s experience with a wide variety of makes and models of machinery as well as regional and global data on wear trends and you have some pretty mean expertise at hand.
Scheduled courses are run in many major centres or on-site at customers’ premises. In fact, anywhere it suits customers and FleetWatch encourages transport companies to make use of this training. It can only be to your good advantage.