EUROPTEN (European Trans Energy GmbH) is one of the major players in overhead line construction in Europe. With around 140 technicians, it carries out projects in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Plasser & Theurer machines are used for many of the works performed. At the Purkersdorf location, fifteen machines and ten freight wagons have been maintained according to the ECM standard since 2013. Markus Straka, Head of Overhead Line Projects, EUROPTEN, shares his experiences with us:
Why does your company place importance on maintenance according to ECM standard?
Straka: The safety authorities increasingly delegate responsibility to the contractors. Therefore, legal certainty is important for us to be protected in case problems occur.
Why did you select Plasser & Theurer for the maintenance of your machines?
Straka: When the EU regulation 445/2011 was published, we realised that it would involve too much effort to have EUROPTEN certified according to the ECM criteria. To ensure the legal certainty required, we had to find a partner who could maintain our machines according to the ECM standard. We have known Plasser & Theurer for many years as manufacturer of our machines and maintenance service provider.
Has it been the right decision?
Straka: Absolutely. I would even say that Plasser & Theurer is the perfect partner for this task as the company has the manufacturer's expertise and knows the machines better than anybody else. It produces spare parts in-house. Therefore, the timely supply is always ensured. This is also true for old or rarely needed parts. At the Purkersdorf location, Plasser & Theurer has the infrastructure and the staff required to perform maintenance works according to ECM standard.
Has maintenance changed since the introduction of ECM?
Straka: Yes. Its quality has clearly increased. The documentation has improved significantly. All processes have become more transparent for us as a customer. Traceability has definitely increased.
What is the greatest advantage in outsourcing maintenance?
Straka: There was no need for us to obtain the ECM certificate. In addition, we appreciate that maintenance is taken care of for us. If we had to maintain the machines in-house, it would be necessary to always stay up-to-date on laws and technical developments. Plasser & Theurer is taking care of this on our behalf so that we can fully focus on our core business.
Thank you for your time.