Tag Archives: Crushing

Metso brings new Nordberg HPe crusher to offering

Metso is introducing the latest unit, the Nordberg® HP350e™, to its Nordberg HPe crusher series launched in 2023, saying the crusher offers enhanced performance, higher uptime, easier and safer maintenance, and a series of other improvements.

The Nordberg HPe crushers are engineered to meet the evolving and constantly increasing performance needs of the aggregates and mining industries, according to Metso, with the new Nordberg HP350e being the perfect choice for diverse rock processing operations.

Ilkka Somero, Product Manager of HP Cones at Metso’s Aggregates business area, said: “The launch of the Nordberg HPe crusher series during CONEXPO-CON/AGG trade show last year was a success, and now we are proud to bring to the market our latest addition to the series, the Nordberg HP350e cone crusher. Compared to the first crusher on the series, HP200e, the new crusher, HP350e, belongs to a larger size class of crushers. We are excited to expand the Nordberg HPe series to bring to the market a wider offering of these high-performance crushers fit for different production purposes.”

The Nordberg HP350e cone crusher offers several unique benefits, according to the company, including:

  • Enhanced performance;
  • New enhanced kinematics and more efficient chambers;
  • Up to 10% performance in secondary and tertiary application (as compared with the HP300);
  • Improved uptime and serviceability;
  • No-backing liners for quick, easier and safer liner change;
  • Head anti-spin brake extends liner wear life;
  • Optional ring bounce monitoring feature for active overload protection;
  • New feed cone lifting tool, for safe lifting and handling;
  • Wider application coverage;
  • Three alternative kinematics to choose from;
  • Alternative speeds;
  • Exceptionally wide chamber offering: 10 innovative application specific no-backing chamber designs for secondary, tertiary and quaternary stages; and
  • Efficient parts lifetime economy.

Fully covered aftermarket support as most parts are common between the earlier HP300 design and HP350e and the rest remain either interchangeable or upgradable, Metso says. Current HP300 owners can purchase Metso’s HPe upgrade kits, enabling economical access to some of the new HPe features, including enhanced kinematics, head anti-spin brake and ring bounce monitoring, as well as monitor and no-backing liners via head and bowl upgrade. If need be, the new HP350e can also use older-generation HP300 backing liners features.

Nordberg HPe series crushers will be also available as US-compliant Nordplant™ Pre-designed Crushing Modules. These modules provide convenient all-in-one delivery with quick assembly for replacing crushing stations or in new applications, the company says.

Furthermore, Metso is also introducing the first HPe series crusher on tracks for improved mobility. The Lokotrack® LT200HPX™ is equipped with a Nordberg HP200e cone crusher and a two-deck pre-screen with up to 40% higher capacity than the LT200HP.

The new HP350e is being showcased at AGG1 2024 at Metso’s booth, being held this week in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.

Metso reflects on ‘benchmark’ contract win in Chile copper space

Metso has been awarded a major order worth some €55 million ($59 million) to deliver key concentrator equipment for a copper mining project in Chile.

The Metso delivery scope consists of high-capacity Nordberg® MP1250 secondary cone crushers, MF Series™ vibrating screens and energy-efficient Vertimill® VTM1500 regrinding mills.

For the flotation and separation circuit, Metso will supply multiple TankCell® and ColumnCell™ flotation cells featuring several of the largest available 630 cu.m TankCell units, as well as HCT™ High Compression tailing thickeners. In addition, Metso’s scope includes four MHC hydrocyclone clusters, of which two will be among the largest in the world.

Most of the products in the delivery scope are part of Metso’s Planet Positive offering.

Fernando Samanez, Vice President, Minerals Sales for South America at Metso, said: “Working together with the customer and the engineering company on an open collaborative model has been an extraordinary experience. The model enhanced the efficiency of the engineering process and contributed to the alignment of all parties on the targets set by the end customer. This will be a benchmark to be followed in similar projects all over the world.”

Metso to deliver Nordberg cone crushers to WCS’ Simandou iron ore project

Metso says it has received an order exceeding €10 million ($10.9 million) from Winning Consortium Simandou (WCS) for the supply of key crushing equipment for its concentrator plant at Simandou Iron Ore Blocks 1 and 2 in the Republic of Guinea.

Metso’s scope of delivery consists of 16 Nordberg® HP900™ secondary and tertiary cone crushers, a crusher series that has over 10,000 installations worldwide in the aggregate and mining industries.

Xun Fang, Head of Metso’s Minerals Sales in Greater China, said: “We are pleased to be chosen as the supplier of the state-of-the-art crushing equipment for the Simandou iron project by WCS. We will leverage our global knowledge and resources to support the success of this project.”

Winning Consortium Simandou has been set up by the founders of SMB Winning Consortium, namely Winning International Group from Singapore, China Hongqiao and UMS Guinea. WCS won the public tender to develop Simandou Iron Ore Blocks 1 and 2 in November 2019 and signed a Base Convention agreement with the Guinean Government in June 2020.

Simandou Blocks 3 and 4 are held by Simfer S.A., which is owned by the Guinean State (15%) and Simfer Jersey Limited (85%). Simfer Jersey Limited is a joint venture between the Rio Tinto Group (53%) and Chalco Iron Ore Holdings Ltd (CIOH) (47%), a Chinalco-led joint venture of leading Chinese SOEs (Chinalco (75%), Baowu (20%), China Rail Construction Corporation (2.5%) and China Harbour Engineering Company (2.5%)).

Metso to deliver four modular FIT Crushing Stations to Americas mines

Metso continues to register demand for its modular mineral processing solutions, announcing that it intends to supply four FIT™ Crushing Stations in the Americas.

Three of these will be delivered to an iron ore mine in Brazil and one to a gold plant in Canada.

The combined value of the orders is approximately €20 million ($21.9 million).

The crushing and screening solution was launched in 2020. Since then, Metso has sold 24 FIT Stations around the world for applications including gold, iron ore, graphite, lithium, copper and slag.

The FIT Station is focused on flexibility and speed for quick installation with primary gyratory stations, jaw stations, cone crushers stations, screening stations and recrushing stations. Metso Product Manager, Daniel Nagano, says: “The capacities range from 200 to 4,000 t/h and all can be used in unique applications with multiple equipment configurations, and the combination of equipment modules can accommodate any kind of mining application.”

Modular FIT conveyors and ore sorting modules can also be added to the solution.

Erwin Huber, VP, Crushing and Conveying Systems at Metso, said the company is thrilled to see the customer interest in the modular FIT Station.

“The flexible solution enables us to deliver the plants with a short lead and installation time,” he said. “When comparing the FIT Station to similar crushing and screening plants in mining, we have seen a more than 30% reduction in implementation time.”

Sandvik launches new ‘fully electric’ crushing solution

Sandvik Mobile Crushers and Screens has built a new ‘fully electric’ crushing solution based off its CJ412 jaw crusher that, it says, continues to drive the sustainability shift in the crushing and screening industry.

The Sandvik UJ443E is built upon a new ‘fully electric’ track platform and features high quality, reputable componentry throughout, as well as the latest generation Sandvik CJ412 jaw crusher.

Its new modular feed station includes a larger hopper, two feeder options with larger grizzly cassettes and an optional under screen for greater natural fines extraction before crushing, allowing operators to optimise their process flow depending on feed conditions and material, the company says.

The UJ443E is designed for hard and abrasive rock applications, making it ideal for the quarry, mining and contractor segments, the company says.

Aligning with Sandvik’s “make the shift strategy”, the UJ443E has been designed with an increased focus on sustainability, productivity and durability, while retaining the look, feel and value proposition customers’ demand.

The fully electric UJ443E provides customers with up to 30% reduction in fuel consumption, the company says, and up to 30% increase in throughput versus previous generation products.

It features electric final drives and an onboard generator set, meaning it can be operated in a more sustainable way, being powered by either an external electricity supply, HVO or diesel from the onboard genset.

Operating while connected to the external electric source can bring several advantages, including lowering running costs, extending drive train service intervals, reducing time spent refuelling, reducing on-site emissions and lowering noise levels. The fully electric track drives also decrease the use of hydraulic oil on the plant by up to 91%, the company claims.

The UJ443E features a 125 Amp downstream connection which allows customers to operate a downstream plant such as a screener or scalper, providing up to 20% decrease in fuel consumption compared with running separate units.

The unit comes with improved access to maintenance, including new access platform under and a newly designed automatically locking folding hopper sides, that can be operated from ground level. The new automation system with Optik™ intuitive user experience, includes simplified operation controls and total integration with the Sandvik My Fleet telematics solution. Diagnostic support, pre-installed guides for troubleshooting and real-time information allows customers to know exactly how their equipment is being utilised, Sandvik added.

Metso expands crushing, screening manufacturing capacity in India

Metso has extended its manufacturing capacity of mobile track-mounted crushing and screening equipment in Alwar, India, by opening new manufacturing facilities.

After the extension is complete, the total size of the Alwar factory is approximately 340,000 sq.m, adding 35% more capacity to the factory initially opened in 2008.

The Alwar factory has become one of Metso’s biggest manufacturing sites, employing approximately 1,300 people in total. The official opening took place on September 19, 2023, and production ramp-up to reach full capacity will continue until the end of the year.

The new factory showcases the most modern manufacturing practices, hosting several sustainability-driven functions like automated warehousing, automated assembly lines, modern painting lines and 13,000 solar panels installed to enable the increased energy production. After the extension, solar energy covers 85% of Alwar’s total power generation, which is maximum permitted as per state government guidelines.

“With the increased manufacturing capacity, Alwar becomes the major Metso site for increased domestic business in India and exports to Metso’s customers globally,” Markku Simula, President of the Aggregates business area of Metso. “Additionally, significant investment has been made in engineering and R&D resources, making it one of our key global engineering hubs.”

The Alwar factory will facilitate the manufacturing of several Metso Group brands. In addition to the mobile Metso Lokotrack equipment, the increased capacity in India will be used for the manufacturing of mobile McCloskey and Tesab equipment. At the same site, Metso is also producing wear parts and pumps for the aggregates and mining industries.

Monadelphous to construct new chemical plant at Talison’s Greenbushes lithium mine

Monadelphous Group has secured what it says is a major contract for the construction of the Chemical Grade Plant 3 (CGP3) at Talison Lithium’s Greenbushes site in the south west of Western Australia.

The multidisciplinary contract, valued at approximately A$160 million ($102 million), covers the installation of a new crushing and screening facility and lithium concentrate processing plant. It also includes associated tank and piping fabrication works and electrical supply.

Monadelphous Managing Director, Zoran Bebic, said the award of this contract follows a successful period of early contractor involvement.

“We are delighted to have secured this key opportunity which further extends our participation in the development of Talison Lithium’s Greenbushes operations,” Bebic said.

Work will commence on site later this year and is expected to be completed in the first half of 2025.

The mining and processing operations at Greenbushes have been upgraded and expanded over the decades to increase production and incorporate new technologies as demand for lithium minerals has grown. The development of this third chemical grade lithium processing plant at Greenbushes will enable Talison to continue to supply the downstream lithium processing facilities of its shareholders currently being established in Western Australia and its facilities in China.

Three-machine train Metso mobile crusher ups productivity at chrome mining project

A newly acquired Metso Lokotrack® LT200HPS™ is winning the day for Zizwe Opencast Mining at one of its strategic chrome mining projects in Steelpoort, Limpopo, according to the leading South African mining contractor.

With productivity high on the agenda in a highly abrasive chrome-processing application, a three-machine train of Metso mobiles – comprising a Lokotrack LT120™ jaw crusher, a Nordtrack® S2.11 scalping screen and a Lokotrack LT200HPS™ cone crusher – is making light work of the 200 t/h production target.

Joe de Beer, Crushing and Screening Plant Manager at Zizwe Opencast Mining, has been impressed in particular by the new Lokotrack LT200HPS cone crusher, equipped with a hanging screen. By featuring a detachable screen and return conveyor on one tracked chassis, he says, the LT200HPS is basically ‘two machines in one’, thus eliminating double-handling on site.

“The fact that the LT200HPS does the job for two machines was central to our purchasing decision,” De Beer says. “It features a detachable screen and return conveyor which guides screened oversize material back to the cone crusher. It is essentially a cone crusher, a screen and a conveyor on one tracked chassis.”

Yeshen Achary, Sales Engineer at Pilot Crushtec, said: “Traditionally, we have always brought the LT200HP in a standard configuration. Because cone crushers by their nature are not 100% efficient, the added benefit of having a screen post the crushing chamber is that it allows for recirculation of any oversize material back to the cone crusher.”

This, explains Achary, eliminates the need for another machine to work in closed circuit with the cone crusher. Having a single machine doing the job of two machines offers significant cost benefits for the customer.

Achary says: “Apart from the obvious capital cost benefit, having the cone and screen on a single chassis means that the machine is powered by a single engine, making one less machine to maintain. Having a closed loop on a single chassis also makes it easy to transport the machine between sites.”

Francois Marais, Sales and Marketing Director at Pilot Crushtec, explains that the LT200HP now comes in three different configurations. Apart from the standard cone crusher configuration, it is now available with a pre-screen called the HPX™, which is placed just before the crushing chamber or alternatively with an overhanging screen called the HPS, located post the crushing chamber.

He said: “In traditional operations, you would need two machines – a cone crusher and a screen – to do the same job done by this single machine. In addition, you would probably have to deploy a minimum of two to three conveyor belts to recirculate oversize material from the screen back to the cone crusher.”

Schenck Process Mining to become Sandvik Rock Processing Australia

The next step in the integration of SP Mining – the mining-related business of Schenck Process acquired by global, high-tech engineering group Sandvik – will see SP mining entities change their names to reflect their new ownership.

On October 1, Schenck Process Australia Pty Limited, which became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sandvik in November last year, will become Sandvik Rock Processing Australia Pty Limited. The Australian entity is the largest part of SP Mining’s global business, employing around 450 industry professionals.

Since the acquisition, Sandvik has been focused on bringing together its expertise in crushing with the screening, feeding, weighing and loading know-how of Schenck Process Mining.

According to the company’s President Asia Pacific, Terese Withington, this move is part of an integration process that will eventually see SP Mining become a seamless part of the Sandvik organisation.

“In Australia, we are bringing together our sales and back-office teams with those of Sandvik Rock Processing Solutions to allow our customers to access our combined expertise in crushing, screening, feeding, weighing and loading,” she said. “Together we aim to deliver even better digitalisation, sustainability and productivity solutions to our industry.

“The end goal of our integration is to allow our customers to place combined crushing, screening, feeding, weighing and loading orders with our new legal entity.”

Withington says the scale of Sandvik’s operations and commercial reach will help to accelerate the combined innovation portfolio of Sandvik Rock Processing Solutions and SP Mining.

She concluded: “We look forward to continuing to service the business needs of our customers and remain fully focused on the delivery of high-quality equipment, consumables, OEM spare parts and services to help them achieve their business objectives.”