Chile is one of the most important mining countries in the world. Champion Door has delivered fabric fold-up doors for the mining industry in Chile for over a decade.
The doors are used primarily in maintenance halls, where heavy mining earthmoving equipment and mining equipment are maintained.
Mining in the highlands of Chile operates around the clock. Maintenance reliability is the most essential door feature – organizing maintenance in the middle of the desert can be tricky and take several days. When mining is one of the cornerstones of the country's economy, it has to stay running 24/7 without additional delays.
"It is impossible to take long breaks in the operation and wait for the door to be repaired. Operational reliability and the fact that they are virtually maintenance-free are the trump cards of our doors," says Tero Nummila, who is responsible for development projects in Spain, Portugal, and South America.
Maintenance-free and ease of maintenance have been considered at Champion Door when the doors are built. Champion Door's fabric fold-up doors consist of many separate fabric strips. If only one part of the fabric is damaged, the whole door doesn't need to be serviced; changing one strip is enough. In addition, Champion Door doors are lifted with metal cables instead of fabric straps, their replacement is simpler than changing straps.
Round-the-clock mining is sometimes carried out in harsh conditions - up to 4000 meters above sea level in the middle desert. At high altitudes, the winds are strong, and temperatures vary greatly. To guarantee good working conditions, the doors of the maintenance halls must withstand the changing Chilean weather conditions in the highlands and keep the wind and dust outside.
"Champion Door's doors are of uniform construction and have no joints or hinges, in which dust could collect. The doors must also be large, as huge equipment needs to move in and out of the hall."
Due to varying weather conditions, specific properties can also be required of the door fabric. For example, when the temperature falls below freezing, and the wind is strong, the door must be made of heat-insulated material. The customer can ask, for example, for fabric that allows daylight to pass through so that the need for lighting in the maintenance halls is reduced.
In Chile, Champion Door works together with its local partner Tecno Logistica. The Chilean partner knows local end customers and legislation and helps to create the most efficient delivery and maintenance network. Combining a local contact person and a Northern European quality product brings reliability to customers.
"I discuss with the retailer throughout the process. As a result, our cooperation works well, and we keep in continuous contact. We have built our network with care, which can be seen as a smooth service in the customer's eyes."
According to Nummila, practical local cooperation is one of the reasons for Champion Door's success in the South American mining industry. Other factors are the excellent reputation born of successful projects and maintenance-free and reliable products. It is also essential for customers that the door can be tailored with special features precisely to their own needs.
"The demand for our doors in the mining industry is constantly growing. The increasing demand for raw materials and metals tells us that investments made in mining are investments for the future."