Boliden is a front-runner when it comes to applying technology and innovation to its Europe-based mines, and its Kevitsa copper-nickel mine, in Finland, has recently been the subject of several process plant monitoring and maintenance initiatives.

Teaming up with leading mineral processing company, Metso, Boliden Kevitsa has been trialling Metso Metrics for its screen. Metso Metrics is a remote condition monitoring solution for mining equipment aimed at maximising the uptime and performance of comminution circuits. The Industrial Internet of Things solution is designed to provide global mining customers with improved visibility and new insights into their equipment and processes with analytics, condition monitoring and predictive maintenance.

The solution is helping Boliden Kevitsa reduce downtime and increase efficiency as plant throughput goes from 7.8 Mt/y to 9.5 Mt/y (in 2021) through the addition of a new autogenous mill and peripheral equipment (including a new Metso MF series screen), and a new mill building.

This process plant collaboration is the latest in a long line of projects Metso has been involved with at the Kevitsa mine – a partnership that dates to before the mine was acquired by Boliden in 2016. In recent years, the two have collaborated on crusher and mill uptime projects, with Metso supplying mill liners and wear parts that can be switched out quickly and cost effectively, and improving access and analysis of valuable process plant data.