Metso has opened a renovated minerals processing laboratory in Pori, Finland, in the process significantly expanding its ore sample and process testing capability to allow for safe and efficient testing around the clock.

Elina Wiik, Manager, Minerals Processing Laboratories at Metso, said: “The number of minerals testing projects has increased steadily during recent years. The new facility enables us to better meet the needs of our customers, for example, by handling larger sample sizes, and boosts our capacity to serve also the expanding testing needs of the battery minerals sector.”

In the design of the laboratory, special emphasis was put on lean processes, a safe working environment and proper ventilation, Metso said.

The new setup enables optimised workflows; for instance, each Metso laboratory flotation cell is placed in a separate safety cabinet.

“This gives us the possibility to use a large number of flotation reagents and to perform complex separation tests for a wide range of samples and ore types,” Wiik says. “Our test work is enhanced by using state-of-the-art laboratory equipment. One of the unique features of the laboratory is the carefully designed facility for safe dry sample preparation, crushing, screening, and splitting.”

With its portfolio of advanced and reliable testing and process expertise as well as process simulation, Metso is a leading supplier in the industry. These capabilities not only help predict and gather test data to deliver optimised process flowsheets, they also support the mining operations to improve recovery, resource efficiency and sustainability with, for example, Metso’s Planet Positive solutions.