At the Yaouré Gold Mine in central Ivory Coast, a Grove GMK5150L all-terrain crane is essential for maintenance and urgent repairs across the expansive site.
With limited technical support and challenging site conditions, the mine sought support from Manitowoc's West Africa distributor, Paterson Simons, to upskill its maintenance team on-site.
Paterson Simons collaborated with Manitowoc's training team in Wilhelmshaven, Germany, to arrange for freelance instructor Mirco Minoccheri to conduct on-site training. Minoccheri is an engineer with nearly 20 years of experience working with Manitowoc cranes. He began his crane career in 2006 with Italian Manitowoc dealer Imola Gru, before moving to Ghana in 2012 to join Paterson Simons, and then returning to Italy in 2017 to deliver independent training on behalf of Manitowoc as needed.
Over his two weeks at the Yaouré Gold Mine, Minoccheri improved the team's technical skills and delivered classes on critical crane issues, including faults in the braking system and intermittent telescope failures.
Minoccheri's training program focused on the GMK5150L's pneumatic, hydraulic and electrical systems, delivering a holistic understanding of how the crane operates. This approach empowered the nine maintenance team members to move away from relying only on error codes to diagnosing and resolving issues more intuitively. Hands-on exercises included solving onsite challenges like the moisture-induced telescope system failures and humidity-related braking system warnings.
"The crane is crucial for the mine, particularly during plant shutdowns, as it allows staff to perform repairs across the facilities," Minoccheri said. "Each period of downtime can affect production, so reducing these interruptions is critical. Given the mine's location, personnel face particular challenges from the local environment like high temperatures and dust, which can add strain to heavy equipment, so effective maintenance is vital."
The training program improved the technicians' fault analysis and troubleshooting skills and enhanced their teamwork and problem-solving capabilities. By fostering self-reliance, the training ensures the mine's operations are less dependent on external support, reducing any potential future downtime.
"This hands-on approach provided practical learning in authentic scenarios," Minoccheri said. "It was a collaborative effort, and I'm thrilled with the team's progress."
With a deeper understanding of the crane's systems, the maintenance crew at Yaouré Gold Mine is now better equipped to keep operations running smoothly, ensuring the mine continues to thrive.
