Metso has signed an 18-month services contract with Codelco’s Chuquicamata mine, covering the changing of components for 33 ball mills currently operating in the A0 and A1 plants. The work will involve changing the pinion-gear assembly as well as repairs to the shell. Metso will repair two mills per month and also take care of the continuous monitoring of the status of the equipment. “Codelco chose Metso due to our expertise in similar type of projects. Metso’s specialised, high-quality services are focused on optimisation and improved reliability of the mills. As a result, the customer will gain the desired return on their investment”, states Eduardo Nilo, Services Director for Metso’s Mining and Construction in Chile. In 2012, Metso supplied three large MP1250 cone crushers and an automatic control system to the Chuquicamata mine.

The agreement, which covers gear disassembly, new gear assembly, pinion assembly, gear alignment (slow rotation) and mantle repair, will take effect in April 2014. The contract will create 30 new Metso services jobs in the northern part of Chile. The order has been included in Metso Mining and Construction’s Q1 2014 orders received. Metso stated: “A services supplier’s safety performance is highly important for the global mining industry and an important factor behind Codelco’s decision to choose Metso as a services supplier for Chuquicamata.” Metso’s commitment to Health, Safety and Environment is framed through its global policy and the high standards implemented locally. As a consequence, Metso says it has been able to reduce lost time incidents significantly. Its 750 employees in Chile have operated more than two years without any lost time incidents. The Association of Major Suppliers for Mining in Chile awarded Metso for its safety results in 2013.