A new shredder to transform waste into alternative fuels had been ordered and delivered, the facility’s retrofitting was in full swing – and then came the coronavirus lockdown. That was the problem facing the German waste management company Hündgen in Swisttal-Ollheim. But thanks to state-of-the-art communication software and remote service tools, the new Lindner Micromat 2500 is running smoothly and as scheduled.
Every single minute that delays the commissioning of a new facility comes with a price tag. This well-known truism poses a challenge to many a company even under normal circumstances. What it means in light of a global crisis is something that Christian Hündgen, CEO and Plant Manager of Hündgen Entsorgungs Gmbh & Co. KG, knows all too well: ‘Our new Lindner Micromat 2500 shredder was delivered in March, when the construction of our facility was well under way. When we were told that due to COVID-19 and the associated travel restrictions, no Lindner service technicians could start up the machine on-site, we were already expecting delays. We were faced with an enormous problem, since there’s material we need to be processing and we’re bound by contract to do so.’ To overcome this seemingly impossible situation, Lindner opted for an unorthodox but smart solution. The Lindner Service Centre helped with video analysis and online support to install the machine on-site. Account Manager Manfred Eßmann: ‘One of the fundamental values at Lindner is to be a reliable and trustworthy partner. Right now we are doing everything we can to support our customers with all available means and keep to agreements that have been made. Thanks to modern technology, our service team can do a great many things remotely and give instructions via video call for commissioning equipment on-site. It works amazingly well. I am sure that this installation method will be used even after the crisis is over.’
The Micromat shredder has now been up and running for 200 operating hours without any issues. And the facility is in full operation. Christian Hündgen is also relieved: ‘Despite all the adversities, the scheduled construction time was maintained and production is on time. We would like to thank Manfred Eßmann and the Lindner Recyclingtech team for their exemplary commitment to our project.’
