Cummins has introduced a new customised service initiative for its mining customers, but is warning against the trap of counterfeit parts.
Cummins knows that no two mines are the same, with each needing different levels and types of technical and digital support.
So in order to ensure its mining customers get the services they need to succeed, Cummins has created the PowerCare service kit program.
The program is designed to meet customers’ specific service strategies while saving time and money by bundling essential parts. It’s suitable for Cummins engines 19L and above.
The kits include key components for specific service events, including midlife maintenance, to ensure the engine performs at factory specification.
“Importantly, customers can customise the kits for their specific servicing and maintenance strategies and can have peace of mind knowing they will be getting genuine quality parts each and every time,” Cummins Asia Pacific mining aftermarket business development manager Kyle Miller said.
“The kits are available for both large and small requirements and are ordered through Cummins’ extensive branch network.”
Filtration service kits comprise Fleetguard filters as standard, although Cummins will source other original equipment manufacturer (OEM) brands to complete kit contents if require.
Genuine Cummins parts are a key feature of the kits and come with a standard one-year, unlimited hours and progressive damage warranty backed by Cummins’ branch network.
Several packaging options are available, including quality cardboard, plastic pallets, skids, metal cabinets and containers.
Counterfeit danger
The importance of using genuine parts in high horsepower (hp) diesel engines recently hit home at a mining operation in Western Australia, when an 1800hp Cummins K50 engine failed at only 6000 hours – after it was expected to clock up to 16,000 hours.
Engine teardown revealed total destruction inside one cylinder.
The reason for the damage was glaring: counterfeit parts, including the cylinder liners, had been used by a third-party repairer to rebuild the K50.
When the rocker cover was removed, the team found extensive metal debris. Valve spring pieces, bent push rods, a broken crosshead, fuel, oil and coolant were all floating around inside.
Some debris had fallen into the cylinder, hit the injector and snapped off the bolts inside the rocker box. The injector had come out and cracked the rocker cover.
“The real challenge is when third-party repairers import parts from outside Cummins’ channels,” Miller said.
“Some importers think they’re getting genuine Cummins parts and are telling customers the parts are genuine … but they’re not genuine, they’re counterfeit.
“Our reputation is obviously at stake because the end-user customer perceives they are buying genuine product.”
Tougher stance
Cummins started working with Australian Border Force earlier in 2024 to train officers to identify and stop shipments of counterfeit parts entering the country.
Globally, Cummins encounters and fights against counterfeiting every day, warning of the dangers of using cheap and unsafe parts.
“The magnitude of the problem in Australia is requiring Cummins to take a tougher stance against counterfeiters, and that means working closely with Australian Border Force,” Miller said.
“Counterfeiters are becoming so sophisticated that their parts look like the original, even down to their labelling, packaging, barcodes and QR codes, and many consumers are misled into thinking they are buying the genuine article.
“The risk to customers is that the counterfeit parts don’t meet Cummins’ design standards, so buying these parts can lead to rapid wear, poor reliability, high fuel and oil consumption and even engine failure.”
And it’s not only fake engine parts that have become the focus of counterfeiters; Cummins has also seen fake filtration products, generator sets and even Valvoline–Cummins oils making the rounds.
“Customers need to exercise caution when buying parts,” Miller said. “Using cheap bogus parts can cause extensive engine damage that isn’t covered by Cummins’ warranty.
“Cummins genuine parts sourced from the extensive network of Cummins branches and authorised Cummins dealers in Australia and New Zealand are the only parts approved and warranted by Cummins.”
This feature appeared in the October 2024 issue of Australian Mining.
