Know-how not only for giants
Blumenbecker service technicians ensure smooth operation in MIBRAG opencast mines
They are called 'Vereinigtes Schleenhain' and 'Profen'. They are located in the south of Leipzig. They belong to MIBRAG GmbH. The two open-cast mines are also places where Blumenbecker works every day.
Dusty grey, coal brown and green power
Steffen Wiedemann, a Blumenbecker service technician in Zeitz, drives his pick-up truck through the barrier at the 'Vereinigtes Schleenhain' opencast mine. He is on his way to the 1119 skip loader, his place of work today. At first the road is still asphalted. After a few kilometres, the road becomes bumpier and finally ends in mud. It had rained the day before, as can be easily seen.
Time to switch on the all-wheel drive function. On we go. Past kilometre-long conveyor belts for overburden and lignite, past bucket-wheel excavators and drive stations. But the dominant colour of the surroundings is not just dusty grey and coal brown. Birch trees and bushes grow here. Once the lignite has been mined in one place, the area is planted with vegetation.
That helps against the dust. Even green electricity is produced here through solar energy. In 2023, the photovoltaic plant will go into operation. At the beginning of August, the construction of 15 wind turbines was also approved by the district of Leipzig. The Breunsdorf wind farm will soon be built on a recultivation area.
High up for the service technicians
The stacker 1119 juts out of the pit like a giant with oversized arms. The colossus is over 200 metres long, 50 metres high and weighs 2,500 tonnes. Destination reached. Steffen Wiedemann parks his pick-up, gets out and sinks centimetres deep into the mud. Equipped with a helmet and safety goggles, he is going high up today. At about 40 metres, crane systems are waiting to be checked. ‘You have to be fit to drive and fit for heights for this job,’ Wiedemann smiles.
5,400 objects for inspection, maintenance and repair
Since 2018, he has been working for the customer MIBRAG in various opencast mines, not only here in Schleenhain. He always starts work at 5:45 am. Together with two colleagues, he sets off after the work meeting to inspect and repair the facilities - and there are quite a few. The three fitters check around 5,400 objects for MIBRAG at the various opencast mines. These include over 150 crane systems and as many gate systems. Blumenbecker also inspects and repairs the 'small' equipment, such as 200 small hoists and over 1,400 load handling devices. ‘The tasks are many and varied. We have to work conscientiously and very precisely to ensure that all the equipment does its job reliably,’ explains Wiedemann.
Denny Mai, a machine technology foreman who has been with MIBRAG since 2012, can also confirm that Wiedemann and his two colleagues work conscientiously and accurately: ‘Blumenbecker has been a partner for many years. I particularly appreciate the high level of quality work and the expertise in all matters relating to lifting and slinging equipment.’
Customer portal is a real relief
One challenge is the weather. If it is dry, the work is dusty. If it is wet, the equipment sometimes becomes clogged with mud. If it's too cold, the equipment freezes. And if it is hot, it is hot.
Recently, Blumenbecker service technician Frank Oeser had to repair a crane system in the production plant. The cable on the coal conveyor had broken. The call from Mai came at 8 pm in the evening. Oeser came, dismantled, repaired and within a few hours the fault was fixed - including a load test. ‘The Blumenbecker service technicians do excellent work that you can rely on,’ says Mai.
The steward also praises Blumenbecker's customer portal for maintenance. In the past, there were endless Excel lists in which the systems were listed. Inspection records were made of paper and had to be archived. ‘Now I have the history of every object digitally available everywhere - a real relief,’ says Mai happily.
‘I particularly appreciate the high level of quality work and the know-how in all aspects of lifting and slinging equipment.’
Denny Mai, Steiger Maschinentechnik, MIBRAG GmbH
