Customer-Focused Reliability: Lessons from Liebherr Mining’s Todd Heindselman

Reliability in mining isn’t just about keeping equipment running—it’s about understanding how downtime impacts real operations and real people. Todd Heindselman, Supervisor of Customer Support Reliability at Liebherr Mining, shares how customer-focused reliability strategies are transforming the mining industry.

Drawing from years of experience supporting ultra-class mining trucks, Todd offers a practical look at how proactive reliability work creates value for both OEMs and mining operators.

Quick Overview (TL;DR)

• Todd Heindselman’s background spans U.S. Navy service, mechanical engineering, and mining reliability leadership.
• Customer-focused reliability means proactive maintenance, clear communication, and customization based on operating environments.
• Real-world challenges highlight the importance of RCA, including uncovering environmental issues like salt contamination.
• Key advice for reliability engineers: Always follow the data and resist assumptions.

Table of Contents

• Todd Heindselman’s Career Journey in Reliability
• Key Insights into Customer-Focused Reliability
• Real-World Challenges in Mining Reliability
• Advice for Future Reliability Engineers

Todd Heindselman’s Career Journey in Reliability

Todd’s career path reflects a deep commitment to mechanical excellence and customer service. After serving in the U.S. Navy as a machinist mate working on turbines, hydraulic systems, and steam plants, he pursued a mechanical engineering degree to deepen his technical understanding.

His journey led him to Liebherr Mining, where he first worked in remanufacturing and eventually moved into customer support reliability. Today, as a Supervisor, Todd leads efforts to improve equipment performance while strengthening customer relationships across mining operations globally.

Key Insights into Customer-Focused Reliability

At Liebherr Mining, reliability isn’t defined by internal metrics alone—it’s measured by customer outcomes. Todd emphasizes a few critical strategies that drive success:

1. Proactive Maintenance

Using Weibull analysis, data exploitation, and field inspections to predict component failures before they happen.

2. Transparent Communication

Providing customers with clear maintenance reports, failure analyses, and collaborative RCA sessions.

3. Customization for Context

Tailoring reliability strategies to the unique operating environments, from high-altitude mines to deep pits.

By focusing on the customer’s real-world challenges, Todd’s team builds reliability programs that genuinely support operational goals.

Real-World Challenges in Mining Reliability

Maintaining ultra-class mining trucks is no small task. Todd shares how working conditions—such as rough terrain, weather extremes, and operator variability—create complex reliability challenges.

One standout example involved investigating electrical ground fault issues that only occurred during periods of heavy rain. Through persistent root cause analysis, Todd’s team discovered salt contamination from water ingress was the culprit—an insight that led to improved sealing and maintenance practices across multiple sites.

Such examples show why proactive RCA and in-depth environmental understanding are critical for success in the mining sector.

Advice for Future Reliability Engineers

When asked what advice he would give his younger self, Todd’s answer is simple but powerful: “Follow the data.”

Rather than jumping to conclusions, Todd stresses the importance of digging into the evidence, asking deeper questions, and resisting assumptions. Whether troubleshooting a $5 million truck or fine-tuning a maintenance plan, trusting the data ensures smarter, more effective decisions.

Ready to Advance Your Reliability Initiatives?

At Reliability.com, true reliability success comes from blending technical expertise with customer-driven problem solving. If you’re looking to make root cause analysis faster, smarter, and easier for your team, learn more about EasyRCA here.

To watch the full podcast episode with Todd, click here: YouTube

Further Reading:

• Customer-Centric Reliability: How Google SRE Manager Yuri Grinshteyn Transforms Incident Triage and RCA
• Reliability in Silicon Carbide: Insights from Wolfspeed’s Senior Reliability Manager Satyaki Ganguly