Words: Antti Turunen, Head of Global Service, ZF Wind Power
The wind energy industry has grown up. Sophisticated technologies and a tough market call for more than just a professional repair of faulty equipment. Up to the medium power range it has become a commodity market where quality has become a given and where typical commodity linked drivers like timing and cost push the turbine manufacturers into continuous optimisation of the value chain.
In recent years, in the gearbox service market, we have seen a similar trend.
The general drive for lowest energy cost is gaining momentum and demanding solutions.
Historically the service business has been closely linked to the new gearbox business of the large OEMs. For years the business required only one solution for servicing a gearbox and that was to bring it back in the best possible state. In practice, due to the learning curve and related upgrade, this means that a repaired gearbox is now becoming even better than the original serial product.
The market is changing now and seeking significantly greater flexibility. This flexibility originates from the drive towards lowest cost of energy. Segmentation is taking place in the market and within every segment the customer has a different view about how he wants the gearbox to be repaired. Customers are asking for different repair levels. Depending on a number of parameters, including age, the required repair scope varies.
