Swiss company opens up turbine workshop here

Swiss company opens up turbine workshop here

CIKAMPEK, West Java (JP): PT Hickham Indonesia, a subsidiary
of Sulzer Turbo Ltd. of Switzerland, opened a turbine repair and
reconditioning center in Cikampek, West Java yesterday.

Hickham Indonesia is 80 percent owned by Sulzer Turbo and 20
percent by Indonesian businessman Bambang Muliawan.

Minister of Industry Tunky Ariwibowo said in his written
speech at the workshop's opening ceremony that the workshop will
help improve the country's industrial activities.

The workshop can provide repair and reconditioning services
for high technology machinery, including large diesel engines of
up to 10,000 horsepower.

Director General of Machinery, Metal and Electronic Industries
Effendi Sudarsono officiated the opening of the workshop, which
is located in the Bukit Indah City Industrial Estate, some 70 km
east of Jakarta.

The company's president, Hans W. Stickler, said the turbine
repair center is under supervision of the Sulzer Turbo Research
Center of Switzerland and is employing experts from Hickham
Industries Ltd. of the United States.

Hanging cranes

He said the workshop has hanging cranes which can lift
machines of up to 25.5 tons.

"By opening the first turbine repair and reconditioning center
here, Indonesia can save up to $50 million in foreign exchange
for machine reparations," he said.

He said the cost for repairing turbine machines in neighboring
countries will be equivalent to about 75 percent of the price of
new machines, but it will be only about half in Indonesia.

Hickam Indonesia was set up with an investment of $9.8
million.

The company also provides after-sales services for a wide
range of steam and gas turbines, centrifugal, axial and screw
compressors, expanders pumps and related equipment.(kod)