The guys who make the wheels go round

The mechanical workshop at Oslo Airport rarely steals the top headlines, but it is still one of the main players in keeping the airport running.

Airport Services at Oslo Airport, of which the mechanical workshop is part, is best known for its snow plough trains in the winter. Thanks to these huge precision-operated machines that keep the airport free of snow, Oslo Airport has become known for how well it handles winter conditions. Given the amounts of snow that are handled, wear and tear on the equipment is inevitable. The vehicles are then sent to the workshop, where 10 men stand ready to repair the equipment at short notice.

“As long as things work, and we do our job, we are invisible. That’s also the way it should be. We’re measured by whether the machinery is operational or not. We’re proud to say that there haven’t been any runway closures in the last two years as a result of the equipment,” says Tommy Kjelbergvik, section head at the mechanical workshop.

Good routines prevent shutdown
The key to smooth-running operations is good routines. There are requirements for how many vehicles must be available at any given time, which puts additional pressure on working efficiently and accurately.

“We deal with things at an early stage to avoid the greatest damage. The drivers are good about cleaning their equipment frequently and discover malfunctions as soon as they occur. We also perform full maintenance on all winter equipment in the summer. Winter can hit on 15 October for our part, because the equipment is ready for a new season,” says Kjelbergvik.

In addition to snow ploughs in all shapes and sizes, they are responsible for fire trucks, small vehicles, marking vehicles and lawn mowers, to name a few. Many kinds of vehicles are needed to keep a major airport in operation, and no job is too hard for these fellows. They work with a network of expertise to perform repairs and certifications they do not perform themselves to ensure that everything is done according to the regulations.

“We work mainly during the daytime, but we have a home on-call system that works very well. When there is a need for repairs at short notice, we are called out, and the guys are good about putting in extra time when needed,” he says.

Clean workshop
The workshop hall is bright and cheerful with large lamps, windows in the doors and painted white floors. It’s so clean here you can almost eat off the floor.

“We have a long-established culture of keeping things neat and clean. If you are used to a mess, then you will make a mess, so that’s why we have a habit of cleaning tools and the floor after each repair. We see that new employees quickly adopt the culture. We have strict HSE requirements, but also keep it clean to provide a pleasant working environment,” says Kjelbergvik with a smile.

In addition to tidiness, the guys are good at maintenance. They are a team of skilled mechanics with versatile skills that complement each other well. Much of the equipment lacks documentation, so the mechanics have acquired their knowledge through many years of repairs and troubleshooting. They take good care of the fleet to extend its life and some of the machines still look almost new after 10-15 years of use. Professional pride is also evident in the work they do. They have large stocks of parts to meet operational stability requirements in case something breaks. All services and repairs are performed with quality in mind, and in addition to replacing parts and repairs, the mechanics also have an opportunity to weld where needed on the equipment and make their own hydraulic hoses. They have many jobs and the range of tasks is diverse.

“The equipment is used at maximum capacity because of lots of heavy, wet snow, and even though the equipment is designed for harsh conditions, it often has to be reinforced or rebuilt for it to withstand the pounding workdays here at Oslo Airport. We have a saying: "If it rotates, it will break," says Kjelbergvik in his ringing Svolvær dialect.

Today, a special vehicle is in for service. Dubbed the "Golden Sow", it’s the only deep cleaning machine in Scandinavia. It got its nickname because it was so expensive when it was purchased. The machine, however, is worth its weight in gold. It removes rubber on the runway and old marking paint with a washing pressure of 750 bar, or 765 kg when it hits the pavement with an operating width of 2.5 metres. This means that you can work quickly and efficiently, keeping the work on the runway to a minimum.

In comparison, a conventional pressure washer for private use is around 110 to 140 bar.

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