MASPRO has built a reputation as a problem-solver in the Australian mining industry, optimising parts to extend equipment life and minimise downtime.
Engineering and re-engineering critical parts to perform in the harsh conditions of the Australian mining industry demands painstaking design and high-precision manufacturing.
It also necessitates consistency in approach to ensure that each part is engineered consistently and delivers the outcomes expected of them.
Established in 2006, MASPRO has found its niche in improving underperforming components, helping mining machinery overcome challenges and continue operating without extended downtime.
While consistency is critical to MASPRO’s methodology, quality is the bedrock of its success, with the company’s engineering excellence compelling it to regularly develop first-of-its-kind proprietary solutions.
This is because MASPRO always strives to go one better and ensure its mining customers are looked after with products that don’t break down when the pressure is on.
MASPRO founder and chief executive officer Greg Kennard said the concept of ‘quality’ has become part of the company’s DNA.
“We try and foster a culture of quality, where it doesn’t matter where you fit in the business, in everything we do, we need to have that at the forefront of our minds: Have we put our best foot forward? Is this the best we can do for this customer,” Kennard told Australian Mining.
“It doesn’t matter whether you’re cleaning the floor, you’re speaking to a customer or you’re involved in the manufacture of a part, everything we do at MASPRO, we try and foster this culture where ‘quality’ has become the essence of who we are.”
Image: MASPRO
So what does quality look like in practice at MASPRO?
“We have inspection plans to ensure that each step of manufacturing includes quality checks, with every QA (quality assurance) check recorded in the system,” Kennard said.
“Being able to provide a high-quality product that’s trusted, reliable and fit for the hard-rock mining industry is on the back of our quality processes and having all of our employees living and breathing quality and demanding the highest level when it comes to our exacting QA standards.”
And the proof is in the pudding, with MASPRO consistently getting results with its re-engineered components, as was the case with a case study in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
“We had a situation where a Tier 1 mining client came to us with a reoccurring problem where a gearbox for a drill was failing after very low hours,” Kennard said. “The maximum they were getting was 1000 hours, and as low as 50 hours out of a unit.
“They ran that unit to 6000 hours – their scheduled change-out time – and were very happy with the product. They pushed the gearbox further to test its range limit and achieved an impressive 11,000 hours.”
MASPRO has now become this client’s preferred supplier for this component across all their sites.
The company not only partners with Tier 1 miners, but also Tier 1 contractors and original equipment manufacturers (OEM), with its proprietary solutions suitable for a wide range of mining applications.
If any miner or mining contractor has a quandary that needs solving, they can have confidence in MASPRO’s ability to find that solution.
Kennard said companies that can’t deliver a quality product that meets customer expectations “wouldn’t have a business” in today’s mining industry.
“That is the cut and thrust of the mining industry,” he said. “Manufacturing businesses that don’t have quality indoctrinated in their business will struggle to deliver consistently. That’s the key – to deliver quality consistently is what really sets us apart from the competition.
“Why there’s such a demand for high-quality products in the mining industry is not only the downtime and the cost of a machine breakdown, but also the safety – operators can’t afford to have someone injured.
“So customers need to trust the equipment that they’re using and the replacement parts they’re putting on that machine.”
Whether it’s the Bolting Series 2.0, a range of compatible parts for Sandvik’s SB60 booms, components for Epiroc’s development and production drills, or parts for Sandvik’s LH621 loader, MASPRO has engineered solutions to prolong equipment life.
This is the MASPRO way, and with mining technology rapidly evolving to keep up with the heightened need for productivity and performance, the company has a key role to play as miners and contractors adapt to novel machinery and new ways of operating.
This feature appeared in the October 2024 issue of Australian Mining.
