ABB Turbocharger: Renewed Focus On Quality, Customer Service

ABB Turbocharger Co. has earned a reputation of providing quality products and services, a reputation built on many years experience and much acquired technical knowledge. But the North Brunswick, N.J.- based company is not resting on its laurels.

To remain competitive in the tough world economy which has marked the 1990's, ABB Turbocharger is increasingly stressing its modern, computerized, customer database; its highly trained engineering staff and pending certification to ISO 9000 quality assurance standards; its client relationships; and its worldwide network of service stations.

ABB Turbocharger (and formerly BBCtm)activities started in 1955 in the U.S.

Among the first customers were prominent engine manufacturers, including Nordberg, Worthington and Enterprise, to whom a large number of turbochargers were sold. Today ABB's OEM group supplies numerous new turbochargers and application engineering to many top engine manufacturers, including Caterpillar, Inc., Coltec Industries Inc. and Waukesha Engine Division. ABB Turbocharger Co. was established in North Brunswick in 1988, the same year that Brown Boveri and Asea merged to form one company, ABB Asea Brown Boveri, Ltd.

ABB Turbocharger presently has more than 800 customers. The company's modern shop is equipped for metallizing, balancing and repairing all turbochargers and rotors manufactured by ABB as well as the reconditioning of blades, bearings and pumps. Additionally, the warehouse is stocked with thousands of spare parts fitting various turbocharger models, ready to be shipped on a moments' notice.

"We try to do the right thing right the first time," said Mark Rothmann, president, summing up the company's philosophy. To live up to this standard, Mr. Rothmann and company have focused on total customer satisfaction, an effort which starts with the company's unique ship database.

Database Saves Time, Money According to Mr. Rothmann, the company has a computerized database of approximately 150,000 BBCtm turbochargers in use worldwide. This database equates to a savings in time and money for a ship operator. For example, if a ship is coming to port with a suspected turbocharger problem, ABB Turbocharger can, in most instances, access its database to ascertain the exact technical specification of the respective unit onboard, so when the ship is docked, proper parts and services can be provided.

The ABB database can not only be used to save time and money, but also to keep turbochargers running at peak efficiency. Whenever a repair is performed by ABB's factorytrained engineers, a comprehensive forled to the company's worldwide lquarters in Baden, Switzerland, i repair information could be Liable to the 76 ABB service stas worldwide.

)ther service shops have no acs to ABB's latest service and rer specifications and requireats, nor the benefit of the exten- 5 service network, said Stephen rak, manager, technical services, lere are certain intricacies of data ich ABB has and competitors do :, which we have gained through aerience and testing." Whether it's an overhaul, a reir or a recondition of existing parts, r. Rothmann contends ABB Turcharger can offer customers subantial savings due to its developed rvice network.