On a Mission to Commission (and More): Wabtec Mining Field Services

Operating in some of the world’s most dangerous and extreme environments, this team literally goes the distance for the customer

With more than 5,000 mining trucks – many the size of a two-story house – in operation across six continents, hauling 200-400-ton payloads for 18 hours a day, Wabtec Mining Field Services has its hands full. Quite literally.

At 17 strong, this small but nimble team is the force behind commissioning and maintaining Wabtec’s leading drive systems on behalf of the mining-truck OEMs that purchase them (including Komatsu, BelAZ, XCMG, NHL, and BEML), their network of global dealers, and the hundreds of mining companies they serve.

And as global demand for coal, iron ore, silver, gold, diamonds, platinum, copper, lithium, rare earth minerals, and more continues to grow, so too does the mining industry itself and the need to support the big machines that make it run.

That’s the mission of Wabtec Mining Field Services, and one at which it excels.

On a mission to commission

With personnel strategically placed across the globe in proximity to some of mining’s most prolific sites, Wabtec’s Mining Field Services team is built for responsiveness and action. Split between an Americas (North and South America) and “Rest of the World” (Australia, China, India, Africa, Europe) reporting structure, the team is comprised of Account Service Managers (ASMs) and support staff, backed by an experienced leadership team and engineering and product quality support based in Erie, PA and Fort Worth, TX.

One key function the Mining Field Services team performs is commissioning, i.e., the act of physically testing and verifying the Wabtec drive system during truck assembly. This is a hands-on, in-person job, one handled with aplomb by the ASM.

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But before getting into a checklist of what that commissioning entails, it’s worth noting where this testing and verification process fits in a mining truck’s journey to a mining site.

First, a new truck (unassembled as a bare chassis) is sent by the OEM to an assembly facility near the mine, or sometimes directly to the mine itself. The truck is then fully assembled and tested, with the ASM commissioning the Wabtec drive system (the alternator, wheel motor, drive inverter & control electronics, and retarder) prior to the OEM starting the engine. Post-commissioning, the truck (if not already at the final destination) is disassembled for shipping to the mine, typically by truck or train, where it is once again reassembled by the OEM.

The actual commissioning the ASM performs typically takes two full days. It encompasses a number of inspections for defects (both above and below deck), software configuration, and gathering of serial numbers – all on day one – followed by a day of extensive testing of key components leading up to the starting of the engine. After the engine is started, the ASM conducts an additional series of performance tests, ultimately ensuring the truck will make horsepower before being delivered to the customer. Once commissioning is complete, a report is generated, capturing the results and storing them in Wabtec’s ServiceMax system to guide future customer interactions, including repairs, troubleshooting, and warranty management.

And this process happens nearly every day (2024 saw over 290 commissions) somewhere in the world, meaning as you read this an ASM is likely en route to the next job.

“The ASM role is a crucial one at Wabtec, because those individuals are the face of Wabtec to our mining customers all over the world,” says Anup Kolatkar, Senior Director, Mining – Global Product Quality and Field Services, Wabtec. “These commissioning jobs offer them an opportunity to work closely with the OEMs and distributors and get the relationship – one that will span the lifetime of the truck, and hopefully beyond – off on the right foot.”

Going the distance for the customer

Of course, once the drive system is commissioned and the truck reaches the mine, the rest of that vehicle’s service lifecycle unfolds, and that means enabling Wabtec’s OEM customers and distributors to help their mining clients get the most out of their investment.

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With those 5,000+ mining trucks in operation, and new ones commissioned almost daily, Wabtec’s Mining Field Services team is rarely sitting still.

“Let’s put it this way, between commissioning, planned maintenance, answering customer questions, and fielding unplanned service requests, the proverbial phone is always ringing – and that means our guys are either on their way to a site or preparing to,” notes Josh Hopkins, Mining Field Service Leader – Americas, Wabtec.

And let’s be clear, ‘preparing’ is no small feat. These aren’t just any sites. Mines are typically in remote locales and notoriously difficult to reach. And because they are inherently dangerous (think blasting zones, harsh chemicals, trucks with wheels the size of houses, and equipment with names like “crushers”), the safety regimens required to enter them are rigorous, while also varying from mine to mine.

So, getting a call to go to a mine in Mongolia, Peru, or Uzbekistan to service a drive system is not like traveling to New York on business. It can take two weeks to get ready, including health checks and vaccinations, induction training, getting security clearances – and then taking planes, trains, and automobiles to sites that often don’t have roads – or roads as we know them.

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“It takes a special breed to do this work,” offers Bassem Abouzeid, Wabtec’s Mining Field Services Leader – Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia. “The travel is constant, the conditions can be very rough, and the safety regimens quite exacting. But our team wouldn’t trade it for anything. It’s one thing to see mining equipment manufactured in the plant, it’s another to see it in its glory, operating on site in an intense, high-performance environment and knowing you play a role in making it happen.”  

That’s something to which each ASM on the Wabtec Mining Field Services Team can personally attest. Whether it’s Bob Fan on site at the Julong mine in China, needing to take an oxygen break every 20 minutes because of the altitude, or Herman Potgieter at the Foskor mine in South Africa, where work stoppages to avoid visiting elephants and lions can occur. And no one heads home or to a comfy hotel room when the end-of-shift whistle blows. It’s back to camp, because of the isolated location.

This doesn’t just happen in China and South Africa. Every mining geography poses its unique challenges, whether its minus 40°C in the oil sands of Alberta, or 4,000+ meters up in the mountains of Chile or Peru, a height equivalent to eight One World Trade Centers stacked on top of each other.

“We’re currently trying to get to a site in Chile, and the three people I have going there have 14 online courses they need to take first, and that’s all before getting to work on top of a mountain,” adds Hopkins.

More growth ahead

The ASMs and the team that supports them are used to these rigors. It’s all in a day’s work.
Which is a good thing, because the work is coming fast and furious. Mining is a growth industry, and the way it is evolving is putting more pressure on the machines that enable mining – and the people who keep those machines running.

“We’re seeing a lot of growth in Mining Field Services,” concludes Kolatkar. “On the one hand, we’re seeing new mining opportunities in countries such as Sweden and Guinea, as well as the broadening of existing opportunities in established locales like Alberta, Canada. On the other, we are seeing the expansion of existing mines, with mine operators digging deeper, which puts even more stress on the drive systems we support. Combined, all of these growth drivers place an added premium on the expert services needed to support them, which ultimately means more work for our team.”

Wherever that next call comes from, Wabtec Mining Field Services is ready.