Linde Service Center: Interview with Fraser and Lloyd

Tomas: Regarding our Linde service center, what goes into servicing Linde units, and how are we specifically equipped to service Linde products?

Fraser: Three things: the special tools required for servicing Linde, Linde factory training, and experience.

Tomas: What kind of training have some of our mechanics received from Linde? I know Lloyd has mentioned it in a few videos.

Fraser: Linde has sent their techs to Lifco to conduct week-long, hands-on service training.

Tomas: How many Linde units does Lifco repair in a year?

Fraser: It’s very likely that not a day goes by that half of the Lifco mechanics aren’t hands-on with a Linde unit. Some of our test equipment uses Linde units too, so they are operating them continuously.

Tomas: Are there any jobs that we can do on Linde units that other places can’t?

Lloyd: 99% of all repairs on Linde units require special training. To switch out the cradle or swashplate, you need to be able to do lube tube shimming, which requires special training. Most repairs, even changing out the housing, require special tooling. If you want to do it right, you’ve got to have the training and the tooling.

Fraser: What happens if you don’t, and you attempt a repair anyway?

Lloyd: If you don’t build it to spec, say your lube tube shims are out by a couple of thou, the pump will not hold pressure and it will fail prematurely. If piston clearance is off by a couple of thou, it will fail prematurely. Same with shaft preload being too loose or too tight: that would cause catastrophic failure.

Tomas: How does being such a large stocking distributor as well as a service center for Linde benefit the customer? What are the advantages of having both under one roof?

Fraser: Lindes are made in Germany, so if you don’t have the parts in stock you could face long lead times. The same goes if parts get ordered wrong, come in mislabelled, or if something that needed replacing wasn’t caught the first time.

Tomas: Do we use genuine Linde parts for replacement parts?

Fraser: Yes. All genuine, all the time. Just like Parker.

Tomas: Have you ever had an instance where you had to contact Linde themselves, or send a unit to them for a repair?

Fraser: We are in constant contact with Linde. We share information daily. We would not send a unit to them to repair; as a Service Center, we are expected to be competent enough to handle everything. But sometimes we need the information they have about special parts, settings, and configurations.