The Ports service team offers a comprehensive range of services from preventive maintenance and spare parts supply to crane technology upgrade. The remote support is managed from operations centers in Spain, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States, where ABB specialists support customers whenever and wherever it is needed.
According to Angel Merida, Head of Ports Service, ABB Marine & Ports, the cornerstone of his team’s approach is proactivity: “Over 800 experts make up the ABB Marine & Ports service business, of which around 100 belong to the Ports team delivering specialized services to cranes in terminals and ports. The aim of ABB’s Ports Service is not merely to replace components and recommission systems when issues arise, but to support our customers proactively, throughout the lifecycle of the crane systems and crane components such as drives, sensors, as well as electrical and control systems, to keep them operating effectively for a longer time.”
The key to extending crane service life and avoiding unexpected downtime, Merida adds, are preventive maintenance and reliable OEM spare-parts supply. These services, along with ad-hoc enhancements ranging from minor upgrades to significant improvements in performance and energy efficiency, are provided for both conventional and advanced cranes as part of ABB Ports service agreements.
Customers signed up to an ABB Ports service agreement benefit from predictable and more accurate budgeting, and can rely on worldwide, round-the-clock technical support. Across global offices, team members are available for customers 24/7 by phone or via the customer service tool.
To support crane operations, in addition to on-site maintenance and supply of hardware components, ABB’s Ports Service offers guidance on the most recent developments in software for control, automation and human–machine interface.
“Through regular software upgrades, customers benefit from enhanced crane efficiency and safety in line with the latest standards,” says Terezie Sivelova, Service Sales Specialist at Ports Service Sweden.
“On-site support, including the replacement and recommissioning of physical components and assets, is an important part of our offering, but our digitally enabled remote services are equally critical,” says Rajesh Pal, Ports Service Manager, Dubai. “From our offices, we can connect to assets to track their status and identify possible faults. We are constantly adopting new software programs to improve performance and monitoring, and to comply with emerging safety requirements.”
In line with ABB’s proactive and collaborative approach to support customers, Ports Service also provides training for personnel working at ports and terminals to ensure they have the knowledge to deploy assets and software effectively for optimized performance, efficiency, and safety. “Ports Service is a people-oriented business. We work closely with customers to find the right solutions to their needs, whatever they may be”, Angel Merida concludes.
