VIDEO: Testimonials from Coal Prep 2014: Chester Connor

World Coal, Thursday, 03 July 2014 15:15

At the 31st International Coal Preparation Conference & Expo, Chester Connor, of IMI Sensors, discussed a number of trends in the global coal preparation industry in one of a series of video testimonials from the show.

IMI industrial sensors are used to spot imbalance, bearing faults and misalignment by measuring machine vibration, providing early fault diagnosis thus reducing downtime. Connor explained that by attending the conferences at Coal Prep, he was able to understand more about the field that his customers are working in: “I’m more valuable to my customers if I know about their processes.”

As the global coal preparation industry feels the knock on effect of downward trends in the coal industry – particularly in the US, Connor suggested that companies in the industry would likely “hold their ground for the remainder of 2014.”

Looking ahead to 2015, Connor was unsure if the outlook was much better than this year. However, he said that he expected it to “at least be stable and steady: I don’t see [the market] getting much worse. Unfortunately though, it’s not going to gain a whole lot very quickly.”

“We’re all going to have to hang in there for the long run,” Connor added.

For those companies wondering how to whether the current storm, Connor listed a couple of factors that industry professionals should look to adhere to:

Pay attention to expenses: Make capital expenditures only when necessary.
Improve maintenance programmes: and place emphasis on rebuilds rather than new purchases.

Connor stressed that companies needed to “look for the best value for their dollar.”

Fashion sense

Moving away from the serious business of industry and market outlooks, Connor gave opinions on various aspects of Coal Prep fashion; including cowboy hats and wooden ties. “They certainly give you personality,” Connor said.

You can watch the full video below.