"Inspection and maintenance can only be carried out on systems that are not in operation. So why not use the time now instead of cutting back on production volumes later in the year, albeit avoidably?" says Markus Gensing, Sales Manager South at Torwegge. The company from Bielefeld in East Westphalia offers maintenance services in addition to the development and sale of wheels, castors, conveyor technology and components for handling technology. The intralogistics specialist's advice in the current crisis is that now is exactly the right time to have production facilities and material flow systems inspected and serviced.

As a rule, technical devices require regular maintenance. Prevention is the keyword here. The aim is to reduce the probability of malfunctions and guarantee occupational safety. Maintenance, inspection, repair and improvement therefore serve the economic efficiency of a company on the one hand and the availability of employees on the other. If this work is not carried out regularly as a preventative measure, but only when faults need to be rectified, it can be expensive.

Gensing reports on a case in which a company had to shut down production for several days because the recommended time for an inspection had been exceeded by seven months and three defective rollers were blocking a conveyor system. Torwegge found the fault and replaced the parts. "All in all, the breakdown was not a financial disaster, but it was still annoying. And above all, it could have been prevented," says Gensing.

Torwegge has components for systems and equipment for in-house transportation in stock. As a result, delivery times for spare parts and complete systems are short, as is the response time in an emergency. Many internal and external maintenance companies have been relying on Torwegge components for years. Among the items frequently ordered for these purposes are support rollers, guide rollers, rollers in roller rails and track rollers of various designs. Although direct sales at the Bielefeld headquarters are currently not possible due to the coronavirus, orders received in the online store or by telephone are processed on the same day. "In most cases, shipments reach customers within two to three working days," says Gensing. as