Tag Archives: Comminution

Liontown secures Metso Outotec SAG mill ahead of Kathleen Valley lithium FID

Comminution of minerals, Energy minerals, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , , , ,

Liontown Resources Ltd says it has awarded a key contract to Metso Outotec for the design, fabrication and delivery of a SAG mill for its flagship Kathleen Valley lithium project in Western Australia.

Following the completion of the definitive feasibility study (DFS) for Kathleen Valley in November 2021, the company has completed further engineering optimisation to confirm the scope and duty of the SAG mill to a sufficient level of detail to enable it to place the order with the OEM.

The contract, which has a value of circa-A$10 million ($7.2 million) and is in accordance with DFS estimates, is for the design, fabrication and delivery of a 7.9 m diameter and 4.4 m effective grinding length 5.5 MW SAG mill. This is inclusive of all lining, lubrication, cooling, electrical and mechanical drive systems necessary for installation and commissioning.

The SAG mill, from Metso Outotec’s Premier™ range (an example above), will accommodate both base production of 2.5 Mt/y and the planned expansion to 4 Mt/y in year six of the mine plan, Liontown said.

The SAG mill is one of several critical long-lead items identified for early award and represents the largest single piece of equipment required to be purchased for the project by size, value and lead time, the company added.

“Detailed engineering and design for the A$473 million Kathleen Valley project continues and Liontown is targeting the award of all key equipment packages over the next six months to maintain schedule and meet its target of first production of lithium concentrate in 2024,” it said.

Other key project deliverables including final permitting and securing the engineering, procurement and construction management partner to build and commission the Kathleen Valley project are progressing to meet the targeted Final Investment Decision milestone by the end of the June quarter.

Liontown’s Managing Director and CEO, Tony Ottaviano, said: “The SAG mill contract is the first of the long-lead items to be ordered and represents an important milestone for the Kathleen Valley project. Placing this significant order with a world-class partner in Metso Outotec is a great way to start the year and reflects our commitment to advance the Kathleen Valley project rapidly towards first production.”

The November 2021 DFS outlined base production of 2.5 Mt/y, producing around 500,000 t/y of spodumene concentrate with a 4 Mt/y expansion planned in year six, to deliver circa-700,000 t/y of spodumene concentrate.

The Metso Outotec Premier horizontal grinding mills are customisable solutions built on state-of-the-art grinding mill technology, process expertise and design capability, the OEM says. They are engineered to “excel and create vast possibilities” for customers and applications.

GMG updates influential comminution circuit energy efficiency guideline

Comminution of minerals, Mineral processing, Mining industry recognition, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , ,

The Global Mining Guidelines Group (GMG) has brought together a project group of global subject matter experts to publish an updated version of the ‘Determining the Bond Efficiency of Industrial Grinding Circuits’ guideline.

The guideline describes the Bond method for quantifying and comparing the relative energy efficiency of most industrial comminution circuits. It’s also an effective teaching tool that can be used by junior engineers looking to understand how to apply this method, according to GMG.

This minor revision of the guideline originally published in 2016 contains additional context and clarification, GMG said.

“The Bond Work Index, published by Fred Bond in 1952, was a revolutionary theory that helped mining engineers measure rock hardness and its resistance to being crushed,” GMG said. “The harder the rock, the more energy it takes to crush it, the higher the mine’s energy bills.”

Rob McIvor, Chief Metallurgist at Metcom Technologies, said: “By relating power consumption in crushing and grinding to the feed and product size distribution, the Bond Work Index and Bond Work Index Efficiency are widely accepted throughout industry as the standard benchmarking tool essential for the design, improvement and management of comminution circuits. Metcom Technologies has continuously promoted and trained others in Bond’s methods as a required element for process improvement of mineral comminution circuits.”

Leonard Hill, Director of Metallurgy and Strategic Planning Technical Services, Freeport-McMoRan, agreed with this assessment, saying: “As we move towards defining and reducing the cost of carbon in our industry, understanding and optimising energy usage at mining operations has become a high priority. ‘Determining the Bond Efficiency of Industrial Grinding Circuits’ is a practical GMG guideline that can be used by operators and designers to evaluate the energy usage efficiency of comminution circuits. It provides a step-by-step method for collecting samples, analysing data and calculating the Bond Work Index efficiency ratio of a circuit for benchmarking and identifying process improvement opportunities.”

McIvor added: “The numerous contributions of comminution experts from around the globe has led to this rigorously vetted guide for the determination of Bond efficiency in industrial grinding circuits.”

Andrew Scott, GMG Vice-Chair Working Groups, and National Cluster Development Manager, METS Ignited, said: “GMG’s goal when facilitating these collaborative opportunities is to end up with a product that helps drive the industry forward. Our member mining companies and subject matter experts from within the mining community asked us to provide a neutral, collaborative space where they could update the previous guideline and ultimately publish a timely and educational product.”

Photo credit: Grindingsolutions.com

Haver & Boecker Niagara tackles high moisture levels with new elliptical screen

Comminution of minerals, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Steel and iron ore, Water management, , , , , , , , ,

Haver & Boecker Niagara has engineered a new, elliptical motion Niagara XL-Class vibrating screen for a Brazilian iron ore producer that, it says, is ideal for applications challenged with high moisture content.

The new technology can handle capacities up to 3,500 t/h while minimising water usage, with the XL-Class running in an elliptical motion of up to 6 g in this high moisture iron ore screening application to ensure stratification in all phases of screening. The new vibrating screen also features an elliptical exciter drive that offers a bearing life up to 75,000 hours.

“We are dedicated to using innovative technological solutions to enhance our customers’ daily processes,” Denilson Moreno, Haver & Boecker Niagara Sales Manager, said. “Our new XL-Class design is a prime example of that. The vibrating screen’s unique elliptical movement maintains unrivalled screening performance when processing high moisture materials.”

Iron ore, for example, can contain up to 15% moisture, and often behaves like a pasty, clay-like material, prone to blinding on a screen deck. The elliptical movement motion and increased acceleration of the XL-Class ensures the material is stratifying without blinding or contamination, according to Haver & Boecker.

The elliptical motion XL-Class vibrating screen is available in a wide-range of sizes, in either a single module or tandem design.

Haver & Boecker Niagara manufacturers its own brand of Niagara Exciter technology, which functions as the drive system for all elliptical XL-Class vibrating screens. The bridge-mounted exciters are available in five different sizes and offer the largest static moment range on the market, according to the company.

Each elliptical XL-Class machine is custom designed to the operation’s specific application using Finite Element Analysis (FEA), which measures high stress areas and natural frequencies of a vibrating screen. The analysis helps engineers optimise machine performance by giving them the information they need to determine where to reinforce critical areas and reduce the weight of any oversized components, the company explained.

“With more than 15 years of FEA and experimental measurement experience – and nearly 400 high-capacity vibrating screens supplied to the global market – Haver & Boecker Niagara is able to engineer state-of-the-art high-capacity vibrating screens that offer easy operation, low maintenance and unmatched reliability,” it said.

Operations can pair the elliptical XL-Class with the with the company’s signature Ty-Deck Ultra modular screen media to maximise the screening efficiency of high moisture material and address its challenges, according to the company. Ty-Deck Ultra’s accelerated screening action cleans material without the use of water, therefore reducing the need for tailing dams.

With a 50% longer wear life than the original Ty-Deck, the screen media panels are an ideal choice for screening high moisture materials, such as iron ore, Haver & Boecker said.

Metso Outotec refines grinding mill selection options with Horizontal Mill Plant Units

Automation, Comminution of minerals, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , ,

Metso Outotec is launching what it says is yet another unique solution in its range of minerals processing plant islands: the Horizontal Mill Plant Units.

The pre-engineered plant units provide optimised grinding performance and simplify project management through easy circuit selection and flowsheet implementation, according to the company. At the same time, they ensure safe operability and maintainability thanks to state-of-the-art design.

The plant units feature Metso Outotec’s technologies including grinding mills, slurry pumps, hydrocyclones, conveying equipment, automation and service support. The scope of the unit can be tailored according to project requirements (brownfield or greenfield, open or closed circuit), the company said.

Fernando Marques, Global Product Manager at Metso Outotec, said: “Choosing the right solution for a grinding process can be a complex task. In addition to financial and technological aspects, miners must also evaluate executional and operational factors. Our modular Horizontal Mill Plant Units have been developed to make it easier for customers to select and execute the best solution for their grinding needs. Our pre-engineered modules provide a safe and optimised solution for many grinding applications.”

The units combine Metso Outotec horizontal mills, classification, pumping and automation technologies with a wide range of services and operation support. It takes sustainability and grinding performance to a new level by optimising the usage of energy, water, grinding media and consumables, Metso Outotec said. Other benefits include access to grinding and classification expertise to support flowsheet implementation; pre-engineered modules for simple and rapid execution; a process performance guarantee; easy process optimisation thanks to automation and digitalisation features; and sustainable technology with safe operability and maintainability.

Weir Minerals updates Trio live-shaft cone crusher range with TC84XR

Comminution of minerals, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, , , , , ,

Weir Minerals has upgraded its range of Trio® TC live-shaft cone crushers, incorporating the latest technology to ensure it remains integral to flowsheets long into the future, the OEM says.

The Trio® TC84XR features all the robust design elements that have made live-shaft crushers a fixture of the mining and sand and aggregate industries for generations, but updated it with new smarts, according to Weir Minerals.

Mark Utecht, Weir Minerals’ Director of Comminution Engineering, said: “The Trio TC cone crushers’ live-shaft design has been proven to perform in heavy-duty secondary and tertiary crushing applications. We wanted to build on this strong foundation. My team followed a comprehensive design process – we’ve reviewed and tested every inch of this crusher. While the TC84XR may seem familiar on the outside, we’ve upgraded its design and control functionality. The motor is larger and it has a much higher crushing capacity compared to equivalent sized crushers.

“The result: we now have an incredibly robust, powerful and technologically advanced crusher that is easy to operate, has a low wear rate and uses less energy, which ultimately lowers operating costs.”

While many OEMs have made the decision to discontinue their live-shaft cone crushers, Weir Minerals says it has resisted this trend, believing that, because every mining and sand and aggregate operation is different, there can’t be a one-size-fits all approach.

There are some applications and situations where pedestal (fixed-shaft) style crushers may be the more appropriate solution, which is why Weir Minerals continues to manufacture the premium Trio TP pedestal style machine, it said. Weir Minerals claims to be the only global equipment manufacturer offering both the TC live shaft and TP fixed shaft style machines.

“The combination of the Trio TP and TC fixed and live-shaft cone crushers ensures that Weir Minerals continue to offer their customers the right technology, regardless of their site structure, operating conditions or application,” Utecht said.

Trio live- and fixed-shaft cone crushers are made for modern mines and quarries with advanced hydraulics, wear resistant material and the latest technology, according to the company.

Ekkhart Matthies, Weir Minerals’ Global Application Director, said: “This is really exciting for our customers, as they now have a real choice. The combination of our TC and TP series allows us to have an honest conversation with our customers on the options available to them and make a technological recommendation which truly meets their needs.”

Replacing existing live-shaft style machines on site with the Trio TC84XR crusher is now a straightforward process because it has very similar dimensions and is a comparable weight to its live-shaft predecessors, Weir says. And because it produces the same product, downstream changes aren’t required, which isn’t the case when replacing a live-shaft style machine with a fixed-shaft style machine.

“In other words, there is no need to re-design existing circuits,” the company said.

Technology upgrades

The recent technology upgrades in the Trio TC84XR crusher have improved its safety, functionality and reliability, according to the OEM.

Matthies explained: “At Weir Minerals, we understand and appreciate the important role live-shaft cone crushers play in today’s challenging crushing applications. Combining decades of experience and first-hand customer feedback with innovative designs, the highest quality materials and latest in control technology, we believe that our new Trio TC84XR cone crusher is the most reliable and robust live-shaft cone in the market today.”

Engineered to perform in the most extreme applications, the Trio TC84XR crusher is robust and easy to maintain and operate, according to the company. It reliably delivers high crushing force and high horsepower in primary, crushed ore and quarry rock applications.

The ability of the TC84XR crusher to handle variable feed and crush pebbles is also partly a result of its large motor; it’s been designed with higher power capability than comparable cone crushers. Ultimately, this translates to a higher potential crushing force and, therefore, increase in production, Weir said.

Another feature that allows it to handle variable feed, as well as deal with tramp material safely, is the fully-automated tramp-release and setting recovery system. The tramp release hydraulics can also be used to safely clear the crushing chamber should a sudden disruption in plant power cause a shutdown of the cone crusher.

The socket assembly has been redesigned to improve sealing, which has optimised functionality and manufacturability by reducing the machining setups of the socket and seal rings, it said. The Weir comminution team has also redesigned the countershaft assembly to remove welding and machining, while simultaneously improving venting and the dust seal.

The Trio TC84XR crusher, like the range of TP series cone crushers, can be fitted with ESCO® wear parts, designed with superior ESCO alloys, which can be custom designed based on specific requirements.

VDMA anticipates Germany mining tech sales drop in 2021

Comminution of minerals, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , ,

While demand for metals and minerals has boosted order intake for many original equipment manufacturers, the sales of Germany mining technology companies have lagged so far in 2021, according to the VDMA.

In 2020, the industry generated total sales of €3.38 billion ($3.83 billion), the organisation, which represents around 3,300 German and European mechanical and plant engineering companies, said. From January to September 2021, sales were down 18% year-on-year at €2.8 billion, while exports in the January-August 2021 period were down 10.4% year-on-year at just under €960 million. Notable drops in export sales were observed in the EU27+UK, China, Russia and Australia, with increases in the USA and NM East unable to make up for that shortfall.

The industry expects sales to pick up by the end of 2021 and anticipates only a moderate decline of 5-10% overall, the VDMA said.

The most common export goods to all markets are, in descending order: crushing and grinding technology, deep drilling technology, mining and roadheaders and tunnel boring machines, the organisation noted.

Michael Schulte Strathaus, Chairman of VDMA Mining (pictured in the centre), expects sales numbers to improve, going forward, as the ‘green mining’ revolution continued to take hold.

“Without mining technology, nothing works in industry now and in the future,” he said at a press conference. “If we want to maintain our current standard of living, we need the corresponding raw materials.

“Only smart mining will lead to green mining. We see our opportunities in offering the best technology worldwide that contributes to resource-saving, efficient, ‘green’ extraction and processing of raw materials.”

CRC ORE, CSIRO look at broadening pre-concentration tech applications

Bulk handling, Comminution of minerals, Mineral processing, Mining finance, Mining services, Mining software, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , , , , , ,

CRC ORE and Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, have formed a Future Research Program to, they say, take CRC ORE’s most promising fields of research into new areas to broaden the impact on the Australian mining industry and economy.

This work will boost the sustainability of the mining industry by helping reduce energy and water consumption, generation of tailings and residues, the physical footprint of operations, as well as optimise the extraction of valuable minerals from resources, the companies said.

The Future Research Program, launched in September 2021, will ensure the work of CRC ORE and its research continues to benefit the Australian mining industry.

The program will expand upon CRC ORE’s foundation research into the development of ore pre-concentration technologies that can be deployed within the mine and ahead of the mineral processing plant. The new research scope will investigate ways to apply these principles further down the mining value chain, targeting smaller particle sizes and a wider range of ore types.

Focus areas will include:

  • Incorporating the principles of Selective Breakage into the design and operation of comminution circuits;
  • Optimising ore feed to coarse and fine particle separators to enhance their performance;
  • Step change reductions in energy and water intensity; and
  • Developing new options for sustainable management of waste material

CRC ORE’s former General Manager of Research and Innovation, Paul Revell, who is now overseeing the program at CSIRO, said, if successful, the research will increase the number of potential locations where pre-concentration can be deployed, providing a larger overall impact for the minerals industry.

“Our aim is to extend the resource base that pre-concentration can be applied to,” Revell said. “The pre-concentration technology developed through CRC ORE is currently best suited to structurally controlled, vein-hosted ores, however these only represent about one third of the resource base on average.

“A key ambition of the new program is, therefore, to initiate research into technologies that can pre-concentrate disseminated ores. This group of ore types can be difficult to pre-concentrate with contemporary mineral processing technology, however they host a significant proportion of valuable base and precious metals.”

Revell said some 3% of global direct energy consumption is used in the mining industry just in crushing rock, so if pre-concentration technology could be applied more broadly across the resource base, it would have a wider global environmental and economic impact.

“The opportunity is to develop more energy efficient crushing and grinding processes that are integrated with a pre-concentration capability, to remove as much barren material from the ore as possible prior to subjecting the remaining ore to energy and water intensive fine grinding and concentration processes,” he said. “We’re focusing on the largest energy consuming portion of the mining value chain.”

Revell said it was important to note that the program is initially small scale and aims to undertake preliminary research into these areas that others could then build upon.

The program will be run for an initial three years with the possibility for extension through continuing industry sponsorship and collaboration.

“We will explore opportunities to engage with the mining industry to build a self-sustaining and on-going applied research portfolio in this field to advance promising developments to commercialisation,” Revell said.

“We are fortunate to have CSIRO as a research partner who are supportive, share this vision, and have a depth of research capability and excellent facilities.”

The program will also support CRC ORE’s mission to help build a highly skilled workforce for the nation amid an ongoing skills shortage in the resources sector. It will initially support a number of Research Higher Degree scholarships, which will be fully funded and placed across several selected Australian universities.

“One of CRC ORE’s key objectives has always been to build research capacity across Australia, which it did very successfully during its government-funded term,” Revell said. “By taking this new seed research and offering higher degree students a Masters degree or a PhD, it will build capacity for the minerals industry as well as getting the work done. It’s a great outcome.”

CSIRO Mineral Resources’ A/Director, Dr Rob Hough, said CSIRO is looking forward to commencing activities within the Future Research Program, initiated in partnership with CRC ORE.

“The R&D focus areas align well with our existing initiatives and plans, which have significant potential to positively impact the Australian minerals industry,” Dr Hough said.

Metso Outotec to spread sustainable comminution message through CEEC

Comminution of minerals, Environmental, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining industry recognition, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , ,

Metso Outotec has become the latest company to join the Coalition for Eco Efficient Comminution (CEEC) as a new sponsor, with the OEM’s President and CEO, Pekka Vauramo, noting that the company’s sustainability focus aligns with CEEC’s objective to promote eco-efficient minerals.

CEEC’s vision is to accelerate the implementation of eco-efficient comminution practices through promotion of supporting data and industry benefits.

Alison Keogh, CEEC CEO, said: “Metso Outotec brings strong alignment and skills to support CEEC’s mission. Metso Outotec has a global reach and has been championing sustainability for a long time by proactively developing technologies and partnering with mining companies to become more energy efficient.”

Vauramo said: “We are committed to limiting global warming to 1.5°C and accelerating our sustainability efforts, as the most recent IPCC report makes it clear that the window of opportunity for keeping to 1.5°C is closing quickly. We want to support our customers in reducing their emissions with our sustainable offering that utilises the most efficient technologies.”
Metso Outotec Head of Grinding Business Line, Christoph Hoetzel, said that as comminution is the most energy-intensive step in mining, improving how rocks are ground and processed now and in the future is key to reducing industry’s carbon emissions.

“I encourage three collaboration actions through CEEC to accelerate our collective efforts for more energy and water efficient minerals: sharing case studies and knowledge, benchmarking and innovation,” he said. “Our combined learnings and operational successes can all help industry truly improve and accelerate the decarbonisation change.

“Visionary leaders are actively pushing towards what can be done better. Metso Outotec is keen to help communicate the business case for alternative grinding circuits and processing flowsheets. Our range of proven energy efficient solutions – which is the widest in the industry – allows a truly holistic approach considering efficiency, reliability and low operational costs. Such holistic approaches with innovative plant design and optimisation are vital to reduce mining’s footprint.”

Keogh commended Metso Outotec’s goals to accelerate eco-efficient minerals, noting its demonstrated track history of being a leader in comminution improvements.

Metso Outotec has previously been shared winners of the CEEC Medal twice.

In 2012, staff from Metso and Compañía Minera Antamina co-authored the paper ‘Optimisation and continuous improvement of the Antamina Comminution Circuit’, which won the inaugural 2012 CEEC Medal.

In 2020, Metso and Newmont Corp staff co-authored the paper ‘Reducing Energy and Water Consumption through Alternative Comminution Circuits’, winning the 2020 CEEC Medal for Operations.

Glencore Technology, Global PAM formalise IsaMill agreement in North America

Comminution of minerals, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , , , , , ,

Glencore Technology has announced what it says is an important formalisation and commitment with Global PAM to deliver services to clients of IsaMill™ technology throughout North America.

Global PAM has significant capabilities in technology commissioning and asset management, according to Glencore Technology.

The company will support Glencore Technology through the installation, commissioning and service of its fine-grinding technology, IsaMill, predominantly in the US and Canada.

Glencore Technology says it has had a long-term relationship with Global PAM and some of the company’s key team members, but elevating to a formal commitment is seen by the company as providing its clients in the region with an alliance partner that is trusted.

Servicing IsaMill for three years, Global PAM has worked with Glencore Technology on installations in Corbin, Teck and Las Bambas operations.

The company has significant experience in stirred mills, SAG and ball mills and is widely respected as a general mill maintenance specialist, according to Glencore Technology.

IsaMill is seeing significant growth in North America, so Glencore Technology is keen to see clients receive
maintenance services from a local and respected provider, it said.

Mike Hourn, Glencore Technology’s General Manager – Business Development, said: “Glencore Technology has had a long-term relationship with Global PAM, and we want to extend this to our IsaMill clients in the region. It gives our clients a highly skilled partner we can trust and who shares our values.”

Tom Shumka, President of Global PAM, said: “We have solid experience in providing a complete mechanical mill inspection of IsaMill applications and we’re extremely impressed with the technology. We’ve delivered full installation and commissioning support throughout all stages of the equipment. So this formalisation is a natural progression for us.”

Global PAM intends to deliver maintenance and operational training for IsaMill applications as well as continuous improvement solutions to allow for improved operations of the fine grinding circuit, adding to its service, engineering and aftermarket scope.

Metso Outotec and TOMRA to supply particle ore sorting solutions for mining

Comminution of minerals, Environmental, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , ,

Metso Outotec and TOMRA Mining have agreed to continue a non-exclusive cooperation to supply particle ore sorting solutions for the mining and metallurgical industries.

The collaboration expands Metso Outotec’s and TOMRA’s capability to offer leading-edge solutions that help increase the overall value of ore deposits by reaching new levels of energy efficiency and productivity, decreasing costs and extending the life of mining operations, the companies said.

“Separating ore from waste rock as early and as efficiently as possible is essential in minerals processing. The best result can be achieved by combining state-of-the-art crushing systems with advanced ore sorting,” Guillaume Lambert, Vice President, Crushing at Metso Outotec, said. “The combination of Metso Outotec’s crushing know-how and TOMRA’s particle ore sorting expertise is an excellent match, providing substantial benefits to our customers.”

TOMRA’s sensor-based sorting solution has proven itself in the mining sector through many major installations.

It can reduce specific energy consumption by 15%, as well as the amount of water used by three to four cubic meters per tonne of ore, according to the company. This makes it a cost-effective and sustainable solution that can benefit both mining operations and the environment.

Mathilde Robben, Key Account Manager at TOMRA Mining, said: “TOMRA, as an original equipment manufacturer, can add significant value to the process and engineering optimisation of sensor-based sorting inclusive solutions when engaging with our customers within a cooperation agreement framework.”

TOMRA Sorting Solutions and Outotec (prior to merging with Metso) struck a cooperation agreement to supply Outotec-branded sorting solutions for the mining and metallurgical industry all the way back in 2014.