When it comes to servicing potash equipment radiators, it typically becomes an “all hands on deck” type of job for the team at West End Radiators.
Though they’re experts in heavy-duty cooling systems, they say these potash radiators require careful attention and care in order to properly deal with the debris and corrosion potash mining causes; something few other shops can provide.
But by specially designing their three shops in Winnipeg, Estevan, and Saskatoon to be able to easily manage radiators of any size, a potash job becomes smooth and painless.
This was the case for a recent radiator West End Radiators did for a haul truck belonging to a potash mine in Saskatchewan. The customer brought in their existing radiator that required a complete rebuild with new tubes and seals.
This radiator had reached the end of its service life. The haul truck in which the radiator came out of was due for a complete rebuild, which happens approximately every two years if it’s being used 24/7 and in extreme conditions, says Justin Feeleus, owner and director of plant operations.
As a preventative measure, West End Radiators’ shop technicians identified that the radiator needed to be completely rebuilt to withstand the next extreme tour of duty. By providing a quick turnaround time for this job, West End Radiators was able to reduce their customer’s potash equipment’s downtime by up to 70 per cent, saving them thousands of dollars of lost revenue.
Their quick turnaround isn’t the only thing that sets West End Radiators apart from its competitors.
They are also the only copper-brass and aluminum-core manufacturer in Canada, manufacturing a range of heavy-duty cooling system parts at their production plants in Winnipeg, Man.
“Manufacturing parts in-house allows us to provide customers with a faster turnaround than if they were to purchase new from the OEM, and it allows us to manufacture a heavier-duty product built for extreme conditions like potash mines,” says Feeleus.
Plus, West End Radiators is one of the only shops in the Canadian Prairies that coats all potash equipment radiators with a Heresite coating — a corrosion-preventative sealing that improves radiator performance and extends its service life.
And for those mines with older models of radiators, West End Radiators can custom engineer a replacement in just a few hours.
“We are fully equipped to do on-site repairs for our potash mine customers, meaning we can come to you with the components needed to service your radiator directly at the mine in just a few hours,” Feeleus adds.
This is exactly what the team recently did for an underground mine in Northern Manitoba. The equipment this radiator was in was critical to daily operations, so their team of technicians headed on-site and were able to turn the radiator around in just four hours, which allowed the piece of equipment to be back in service in less than 12 hours of downtime.
With West End Radiators’ growing presence across Saskatchewan, the company has built strong relationships with key players who have been using the team’s DPF cleaning services.
If there’s one message their team preaches, it’s that no heat exchanger is too big or too small for their team to tackle.
West End Radiators has locations in Winnipeg, Estevan, and Saskatoon with full abilities to service potash mines across Western Canada.
