The Service Contract

On the basis of the individual modules we draw up a comprehensive, customized service concept. We assume responsibility for a specific area of activity right through to providing a comprehensive in-plant seal service. The many service agreements with major international companies are proof of the trust placed in our competence.


Experience Example

An example of how a concept of this type evolves is our service agreement with the Mider Refinery in Leuna/Germany. As early as in the facility's project phase, the operator pursued a rigorous strategy of outsourcing for all operational areas, but especially where services were concerned. As regards mechanical seals, the refinery operator was looking for a manufacturer not only capable of supplying and repairing them but also of offering further advantages for the facility's operation by raising service life, assuming inventory management, and engineering tasks involving what are known as "bad actors". In 1997, having supplied just 39 per cent of the refinery's seal units at the time, Burgmann took over the servicing of the facility's entire complement of installed seals, and to this end opened an on-site service center. By way of this forward-looking fixed-cost concept, Burgmann guarantees Mider annually reduced costs for the maintenance and repair of mechanical seals. This in turn provides a secure and reliable basis for cost planning and additional savings over the entire contractual period.


The outcome

Since the service agreement came into effect the refinery's overall expenditure for mechanical seals has been cut by 47 per cent, repairs by 20 per cent and the costs for the 20 most costly "bad actors" by 44 per cent. Repair times in the service center have been halved from 10 to 5 days. This success is down to close cooperation with the refinery operator, the pump manufacturers, and our competitors in the seal sector as well. In addition, customized software has proven itself in enabling Burgmann to log and analyze all repairs and costs relating to the refinery's mechanical seals.