TOMRA Sorting Food, Austria, launched TOMRA Care, a modular service portfolio designed to keep machines running at the highest performance level at all times.

One part of this offer is “Preventive Maintenance,” which includes a high level checkup, maintenance and optimization executed by a TOMRA machine expert, up to 12 times a year.

“Service has changed over the last 20 years, for large and small companies alike. In the past, service was focused on reacting to technical issues, while today the focus has shifted toward proactive customer care and their equipment over the whole lifecycle, while also meeting customers’ specific service requirements,” says Andreas Reddemann, global service director. “TOMRA’s service offering is now just like choosing from a menu – whether your preference is to have complete flexibility, or a more structured approach, customers can select from three levels—basic, plus and premium depending on their needs.

“Our objective is to achieve complete customer satisfaction, and since there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all after-care approach, we offer a tailored service to all of our customers. This minimizes the risk of expensive downtime during peak production season and avoids the high cost of emergency service visits.”

“With the new agreements, we want to share our expertise and know-how with all of our customers,” Andreas adds. “Maintenance contracts are nothing new—what is new, however, is putting our collective experience together, taking trends into account and offering these service packages to all of our customers.”

During the lifetime of a sorting machine, customers identify additional sorting needs such as the inclusion of glass detection in the sorting line. It is at this point that customers notice they need an upgrade, but not everyone can afford a new sorting machine. That’s why it is important to balance the cost of investment against the need for an upgrade.

“By partnering with your original equipment manufacturer (OEM), customers gain full access to the machines’ capabilities, highly qualified application experts, a reliable supply of spare and original parts, high-level training courses and greatest service,” says Andreas says. “I believe that builds trust and puts our customers’ minds at ease. In addition, the customer can now choose from different levels of preventive maintenance instead of pure reactive troubleshooting.”

The new service portfolio is available for the entire installed base and is also offered in the newest generation of sorting machines, such as the TOMRA 5A and TOMRA 5B.