In underground mining, hoists are among the most significant investments a company can make. These complex, heavy-duty machines are expected to perform under the most demanding conditions and, with the right maintenance, can remain productive for decades. However, without consistent and expert care, the consequences can be severe, from unexpected breakdowns to costly downtime and prolonged repairs.
ABB understands this reality better than most. That is why it has developed ABB Care for Hoisting, a service framework grounded in customer insight, operational data, and a deep understanding of industry needs. This innovative programme is designed to help mining companies transition from reactive or even preventative maintenance approaches to a truly predictive model, maximising hoist performance, extending asset life, and safeguarding operational continuity.
Henk Weideman, Hoisting Service Manager at ABB, explains: “We have developed ABB Care for Hoisting in close partnership with customers who understand that effective hoist maintenance is not a cost, it is an investment in safety, uptime, and long-term asset performance. This programme is about setting a new industry benchmark and helping our customers move from preventative to predictive maintenance strategies.”
To develop this service offering, ABB undertook a benchmark study of hoist maintenance practices across leading global mining companies. It was the first initiative of its kind, aiming to understand how the most successful operations manage the upkeep of their hoisting systems. The insights drawn from this global study revealed a direct link between proactive maintenance and hoist availability. Operations that employed proactive strategies achieved, on average, 15% greater equipment availability than those relying mainly on reactive maintenance.
The study went further to define a world-class maintenance standard for hoisting equipment. According to the findings, over 90% of maintenance activities in top-performing operations were scheduled, not reactive. Despite the potential of predictive technologies, the use of continuous assessment techniques remained rare. To address this gap, ABB developed a roadmap for implementing predictive maintenance practices within mining operations, practices now embedded within the ABB Care for Hoisting framework.
ABB Care for Hoisting offers a flexible, tiered approach, allowing mining companies to choose the level of support best suited to their specific requirements. The entry-level plan, Hoist Care SOLO, provides essential maintenance coverage and support services, such as 24/7 remote telephone assistance, annual OEM inspections, spare parts recommendations, and lifecycle reporting. This plan serves as the foundation for all subsequent tiers.
Building on SOLO, the Hoist Care PROTECT plan introduces structured preventative maintenance, which includes scheduled servicing of electrical powertrain components, mechanical parts, and control and brake systems. It also provides a dedicated contract manager, ensuring a single point of contact for the customer.
For operations aiming to take a more technologically advanced approach, the Hoist Care SMART plan adds condition monitoring capabilities to the preventative maintenance services already in place. This includes the integration of ABB Ability™ Smart Hoisting software, which collects and analyses data on key performance indicators to provide actionable insights into hoist performance and health.
The most comprehensive package, Hoist Care TOTAL, delivers the full suite of predictive digital services. It helps customers future-proof their hoisting systems by offering access to cutting-edge diagnostic tools, technology integration, and strategic services such as availability-based contracts and obsolescence management. For those seeking even more, the optional TOTAL+ extension offers integrated rope availability and upgrade services, along with priority access to new rope technologies developed in collaboration with ABB.
The ABB Care for Hoisting framework is not just a product offering, it is a central pillar of ABB’s service offering to our customers. Through innovation, customer collaboration, and operational excellence, ABB aims to lead the industry in transforming maintenance from a reactive necessity to a proactive advantage for our customers.
Ultimately, hoist systems are far too valuable to neglect. The cost of unplanned downtime or premature replacement is simply too high. ABB Care for Hoisting provides a structured, strategic approach to hoist maintenance, designed not just to maintain performance, but to optimise it for the long term. “In today’s mining environment, where efficiency, safety, and sustainability are paramount, the question is no longer whether you can afford to invest in proactive maintenance, it is whether you can afford not to,” concludes W.
