20 Mar Customer POV: CLIMAX helps repair companies grow
“When I got there, I had my hands full.” A lot of CLIMAX customers have probably been in that position when they arrive on a job site and get ready to take on a problem.
CLIMAX customers are often themselves serving clients of their own. So rather than directly fixing a machining or welding dilemma, CLIMAX is helping such service companies win contracts, solve problems and grow their businesses. GAP Field Machining in Wyoming is one such company.
GAP’s Rex Graham has a long list of reasons he relies on CLIMAX, but they generally fall into two categories. “They take care of their customers,” says Rex, and “their machines are amazing.”
The customer-service part of the equation is top of mind for Rex. “Downtime is never an issue; if you have a problem, it’s fixed,” says Rex. “They stand behind their machines and keep them running.”
Even so, it was the capability of a CLIMAX machine that came into play recently for a job GAP took on at a North Dakota gas plant — the job where Rex “had my hands full.”
“The mounting blocks on a generator were crooked; they were at different heights,” reports Rex. “So when the motor torqued up, it put a lot of pressure on the main bearings and tore them up within six hours.”
“Others had told this new customer it couldn’t be fixed. But CLIMAX makes amazing machines — none better; we wouldn’t have taken the job without CLIMAX.”
GAP used a CLIMAX PM4000 portable milling machine. “To level the engine, we machined the 36 inches (0.91 meters) between the pads, flipped the machine over and repaired the other side.”
Rex says he’s been running CLIMAX tools for 13 years. “Their set-ups are the best, they are user-friendly and have less chatter. The dovetail system locks in for rigidity, and locating options are endless – bolting, tacking, etc.”
All this led to a happy new customer for Rex in North Dakota. The alternative to GAP’s solution would have cost more than six times what he was able to do the job for, and instead of being down for 30 days, GAP Field Machining and its CLIMAX portable milling machine had the job done in five days — including one day lost to inclement weather.
“This isn’t the only ‘it can’t be done’ job we’ve done with CLIMAX,” notes Rex. “I wouldn’t have this business without them.”