Metso says it is enhancing its mill lining recycling offering by signing an agreement to acquire TL Solution’s recycling operations and induction heating technology development capabilities.
TL Solution, a privately owned company based in Oulu, Finland, has previously worked with Metso to develop recycling technology.
Metso is the first company in the market to introduce Poly-Met™ mill liner recycling services using induction heating technology, which was launched in 2022.
Martin Karlsson, Senior Vice President, Mill Lining business line, Metso, said: “Metso started mill lining recycling development already more than 10 years ago. The acquired technology will strengthen our recycling technology development capabilities based on induction heating. The technology is a first-of-its-kind service, and we are proud to take the next step in this journey.
“Following our successful collaboration with TL Solution, we are now adopting this unique separation technology and operations in-house. This move reinforces our commitment to sustainable innovation and circularity in mining.”
Metso’s ownership of this technology, combined with its know-how and expertise, enables the company to consistently deliver exceptional service and support to its customers, it says. The recycling service using the separation line is available to mill lining service contract customers.
“By having complete control over the development and implementation of mill liner recycling solutions, we can ensure that our services are consistently high-quality, scalable and tailored to the unique needs of each customer,” Karlsson continues.
The acquisition is estimated to be finalised next month.
The mill liner recycling service is a part of the Metso Plus offering, which aims to help customers cut their CO2 emissions and achieve their other sustainability priorities such as reducing pollution. In addition to direct emissions reductions, Metso Plus products can decrease the carbon emitted in manufacturing and delivering products and they offer potential for recycling materials, Metso states.
Metso provides recycling services to mining customers throughout Europe and the Nordic region. The company already provides mill liner recycling services in Chile and is preparing to expand this offering to North America.
The mill liner recycling service addresses a significant sustainability challenge in the mining industry by providing a solution for the disposal of worn mill liners. Reducing the amount of material sent to landfill and cutting CO2 emissions helps to improve environmental efficiency and supports the industry’s shift toward circular practices.
The recycling service is facilitated by technology that enables safe and efficient separation of different rubber and metal liner components, like cast inserts, wear plates and backing plates. All composite liners, like Megaliner™, Poly-Met liners, as well as rubber mill liners, can be processed using this solution.
Metso also has a process for recycling metallic mill liners, enabling metal components from its equipment to be recovered and re-processed for use in the manufacturing of new products, further supporting circularity in mining operations.