april2021 - 18

18 GROUND SUPPORT WORLDWIDE

Each company is different and has its
own financial goals and metrics, Weitzel
adds, but the decision comes down to a
few basic factors. How much is this specific piece of equipment costing in maintenance each month? What are the forecasted
costs going to be? How much will refurbishment cost, and will refurbishment save
the required costs when completed?
" The answers to those questions would
then be compared to the cost of a new unit, "
Weitzel says. " From there, the company
would determine if its budget can support
the decision or does the company want to
spend Capex on GSE, which is the biggest
determining factor post-COVID. "

The Refurb Process
Bosserman says the first step of the refurbishment process is a complete initial
inspection. That is followed by an engineering review with drawings and a bill of
materials.

APRIL 2021

" Once this is complete, we work
through the process of purchasing,
production scheduling, stripping
down the equipment and refurbishing it, "
he says, adding the entire process can take
between two to six weeks depending on the
level of refurbishment and modifications
being performed.
" Once the refurbishment is complete, we
test and prep it for shipment. "
Weitzel says the initial inspection helps
determine what level of refurbishment is
necessary.
" Many times, a basic refreshment of
the unit is all that is required, particularly
for units with lower hours, " he notes. " If,
however, a more extensive refurbishment is
required, such as updating the power train
with a more efficient configuration, the process will be more in-depth. "
What's more, there are some shops that
specialize in zero-time kits containing all
necessary components to perform a refurbishment. These kits are designed to bolt
right in, but there can still be modifications

Photos courtesy of PrimeFlight Aviation Services

candidates for refurbishment as the cost of
a new unit far exceeds the cost of a rebuilt
one, " he says. " Specialty shops with the
experience and capabilities to rebuild/
refurbish most components offer 'like-new'
parts and components for a fraction of what
brand new would cost. "
At Mallaghan, drive trains of self-propelled GSE on equipment like the Bendibelt
cargo and baggage conveyor belt, passenger
stairs and medical lifts can be refurbished
most effectively.
" The more complex the equipment or
damage, the more complex the refurb or
repair. The majority of our GSE portfolio can be upgraded, modified and/or
refurbished, " Mallon and McElhone say,
adding anywhere from 3 to 15 years can
be added to the equipment's lifespan,
depending on the level of refurbishment.
With varying degrees of refurbishment available, including light, medium
and heavy refurbs, deciding when to
refurb GSE comes down to making the best
economical decision for a given operation.
" We evaluate the type of equipment,
parts availability and estimated cost to
refurbish, " explains Bosserman. " We like
to target about 60-75% of the cost of a new
piece of GSE as a guideline as to whether it
makes sense to refurbish or not. "
Mallaghan officials note if equipment is
more than 50% through its lifespan, and
the cost of one repair is more than 50%
of the cost of buying new, customers may
want to consider replacing the unit rather
than opting for refurbishment.
" Nevertheless, it depends very much on
the equipment type and customer need, "
Mallon and McElhone add. " Generally,
the viability of refurbishments jobs are
properly checked by the Mallaghan customer care team in cooperation with the
customer. "
Most refurbishments for headsets are
cost-effective, even in extreme cases where
headsets are run over or cords have severed.
" Less than 2% of equipment failures are
beyond economical repair, " says Donaldson,
basing this figure on what comes to Ramp
Communication's facility for repair. " Without the proper test equipment, it can be difficult for end-users to determine when a
headset is cost-effective to repair. "

Photos courtesy of Xced

COVER STORY

april2021

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