Tag Archives: Geminex

Metso plays software hand in face of mining market competition, industry challenges

Automation, Comminution of minerals, IoT, Mining equipment, Mining services, Mining software, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

With the mining industry’s growing understanding and openness to the benefits of digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI), it was only a matter of time before some of the big OEMs ventured further into the software development space. That time is now with Metso having, today, opened a Digital Design and Development Studio in Krakow, Poland, to complement its already wide digitalisation offering.

Many mining companies around the world regularly interact with software carrying the Metso name: think of the ACT/OCS-4D™ platforms for advanced process control, the Geminex™ digital twin and HSC Chemistry for minerals and metals process simulation and optimisation, or the Metrics monitoring service.

The company’s latest software developments will go beyond these legacy solutions, leveraging what it refers to as “leading-edge digital capabilities” to solve some of the industry’s major issues.

Olivier Guyot, Senior Vice President for Minerals Digital at Metso, admits the minerals industry might have “missed the first train” when it comes to developing software that leverages AI and machine learning, but he still sees a major market opportunity for Metso, with customers more prepared to embrace digitalisation.

“We have recently had many customer meetings where we have shared our digital strategy,” he told IM. “It has been clear from these interactions that there is an opportunity for us to make inroads into this market.”

Metso doesn’t have an intention to compete with pure software players in this space. It is also cognisant its customers will not be open to adding another vendor to their already extensive list of digital suppliers without a proven value proposition.

“As a result, what we are focused on when it comes to software development, user experience design, data and AI is related to our expertise – equipment, services, process and materials technology, etc – and how to embed and integrate it seamlessly into an already mature plant ecosystem,” Guyot added.

“We really see digital as a complement to our core competencies, rather than something separate.”

When broken down, the rationale for Metso dipping its toe into the software development space now makes sense.

Guyot explains: “I feel we also need to go back to basics: start off with the right level of automation, sensors and analysers at site – these are the data generators. Without the optimisation of these hardware elements, the data coming back will not be accurate enough to produce valuable digital insights and analytics. This is the information that AI and machine-learning algorithms require.

“Without the right quality of data and the right domain knowledge, the outcome of these AI solutions might not be directly usable. We feel we have that domain knowledge, providing a legitimate claim to come and deploy our expertise digitally in many forms for our customers.”

The growing number of digital experts working in the Krakow office – currently estimated to be around 50 – can build these software solutions with knowledge of the underlying hardware in mind. This knowledge will come from interactions and collaborations with product and service experts, personnel at Metso Performance Centers across the globe, and more.

Geminex
Metso’s Geminex uses “first-principle” dynamic process and equipment models for calibrated performance to help provide an ‘accurate’ digital twin for existing operations

The brief for these digital designers is to focus on three key areas:

  • Equipment performance to provide digitally-enhanced Life Cycle Services (LCS), remote condition monitoring and prescriptive maintenance;
  • The process performance digital portfolio to optimise customers’ ore-to-metal operations for efficiency and sustainability; and
  • Business enablement to enhance customer experience and improve employees’ productivity within a data-driven, AI-augmented environment.

“To support these three priorities, we need to continuously develop our digital capabilities and that is what we are doing in Krakow to complement our existing capabilities,” Markku Teräsvasara, President Minerals & Deputy CEO at Metso, told IM.

Of course, the investment in this studio also reflects the industry’s continued requirement to address a growing labour and skills shortage, as well as the expected need to produce more metals for the electrification transition.

“If the industry is to produce more metals in a more sustainable and safe manner, digital solutions will be needed,” Teräsvasara added.

There is clearly an opportunity for Metso to leverage software as a market differentiator, but the move also reflects a growing sense of responsibility to in-source more of the digital supply chain.

Guyot explained: “Cyber security is not something we can delegate to anyone when it comes to servicing customers – especially with more of the information being on cloud-based platforms now.

“The Krakow Studio will allow us to responsibly develop this software hand in hand with cyber security in mind.”

And Guyot and Teräsvasara say this software development responsibility goes beyond just the Metso equipment portfolio, with customers able to also use this new software on all their equipment, irrespective of the supplier.

“Our software will be available to ourselves and our customers,” Teräsvasara said. “We will help our customers with all their equipment and performance issues, as we do with some existing LCS contracts.”

With the investment in this new Digital Design and Development studio, Metso is putting another marker down that could have positive ramifications for its customers and the wider mineral processing sector.

MetsoOutotec-testing

Metso Outotec on the need for holistic testing

Automation, Base metals, Comminution of minerals, Energy minerals, Environmental, Metallurgy, Mineral exploration, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, Precious metals, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Metso Outotec global network of testing, research and product development facilities covers the whole process flowsheet from comminution through separation, to filtration, refining and pyrometallurgical/hydrometallurgical processing.

It has centres all over the globe – in Australia, Brazil, Chile, Germany, Finland, Peru, USA and more – able to, the company says, offer extensive expertise and circuit simulation to a wide range of industries.

Metso Outotec’s research and testing services include evaluation of ore types, mineralogical characterisation, feed material testing, sampling, materials selection, analytical chemistry and flowsheet development.

To get a flavour of this extensive research and testing portfolio, IM spoke to Alan Boylston, Director, Process Engineering at Metso Outotec, and Rodrigo Grau, Technology Director – Minerals Processing at Metso Outotec, about the capabilities of two of the company’s facilities – York (USA) and Pori (Finland), respectively, while also touching on Metso Outotec’s global testing and research capabilities.

In 2022, the company announced a consolidation of its minerals testing services in USA into a single 5,500 sq.m facility in York able to eventually cover the full minerals value chain and support the mining industry worldwide. Pori, meanwhile, focuses on mineral technology, hydrometallurgical processes development, pyrometallurgy and ferroalloys technology and material technology. In other words, the company conducts laboratory and pilot test work, flowsheet development as well as validation and development of new technologies for the industry.

IM: Will the York facility now be seen as your ‘testing centre of excellence’?

AB: The York facility is a centre of excellence for testing, but we have many of these within the company. Our global presence, the knowledge and our expertise at each of these locations is one of the factors that sets us apart.

Each of our locations is a centre for excellence in its own field. Pori, for example, has extensive research capabilities, Sorocaba in Brazil focuses on comminution and beneficiation testing, while Lappeenranta Dewatering Technology Center concentrates on thickening and filtration. Each location is an integral part of our global testing offering. In addition to these, we have various facilities around the globe covering also aggregates and pyrometallurgical testing, research and development.

That being said, the effort we have made to expand the York Test Center gives us a much better advantage for research and testing in North America, compared to a few years ago. We can now do more pilot-scale testing, especially with equipment like our HRC™800e high pressure grinding roll (HPGR). We can also carry out pyrometallurgical testing, plus conduct magnetic separation tests. At some point in 2023, we also expect to add thickening and filtration testing to this remit. But this is a very high-level view of what we have to offer in the York location.

Metso Outotec has a global network of testing, research and product development locations

IM: Even with this consolidation in USA, are you expecting to collaborate with other global facilities when it comes to testing processes throughout the flowsheet?

AB: Yes, absolutely. For example, we have a project coming in right now where the sample was first in Tampere (Finland) for some crushing test work, before they split off a sample for us for grinding test work in York and then Pori is also receiving a sample for some broader mineralogy testing.

This speaks to why we are able to claim to have global capabilities. No matter the testing or research need, we are able to assist our customers to get the job done. This all goes towards one goal – the customer’s benefit.

IM: How do you see these testing capabilities interacting and benefitting from other modelling work you carry out in-house? For example, do you anticipate using these facilities and the likes of the Geminex digital twin in unison to offer clients physical and digital representations of flowsheet options?

RG: Modelling is very important for us. In each project we work on, modelling and simulation are at the heart. Here in Pori, we carry out flowsheet development and technology validation. One of the outputs of our work is to end with a simulation of an industrial plant. Going from that simulation into Geminex is just one more step we will be taking in the future.

AB: At the York lab, we are now moving to a SCADA-based system to run everything: when a sample comes in, it gets tagged and identified and we then automatically know what test to run. We have tablets to, for instance, setup all the parameters of a test for an HRC 800e. We can start and stop the test on that tablet and see the real-time information coming in as the test is being carried out. That data is also being stored for future use.

We’re undergoing a program right now to build out a database function where all the post processing of this data goes on in the background and can then be seamlessly integrated into things like our HRC simulation software. We are building the backbone to carry out that real-time digital twinning.

IM: Do you anticipate your global testing capabilities to lead to a higher uptake of Planet Positive solutions?

AB: With our customers having a huge focus on sustainability, I do. As an example, since we have had the pilot-scale HRC 800e available for testing, it has been fully booked. In 2023, we are preparing for a test plan where we could take the HRC product and go directly into a pilot Vertimill. Those are two Planet Positive approaches we are putting together in a single test plant to show how far we can push energy efficiency and media consumption reduction.

RG: I would definitely agree with Alan. And to add to that – for example at Pori, we do a lot of hydrometallurgical testing and piloting, and that is only increasing with the rising demand for lithium and other battery minerals. And our customers are really looking at how our equipment is reducing their carbon footprint and other sustainability benefits.

You will hear us say it time and time again, but this is definitely a trend that we are seeing at all of our facilities.

Metso Outotec testing and research capabilities cover the entire flowsheet – from comminution through the entire operation to pyrometallurgical/hydrometallurgical processing

IM: Will these expanded testing facilities also benefit your equipment and process R&D work?

AB: I think so. We built this lab to not just be a materials testing facility, but also a research hub, especially for grinding, but also for any other Metso Outotec business area needs. There is definitely a huge opportunity out there for us!

RG: And this rings true around the globe at all our facilities. For example, in separation, we have been testing the Concorde Cell™ flotation technology in Pori for a long time. And that is how we’ve approached development of a lot of our other innovations that go to market.

IM: How would you say industry testing requirements have changed over, say, the last five years?

AB: From our perspective, I am seeing more comprehensive test programs come through.

Instead of, say, one certain test, it is an entire test program with specific timings around evaluations and the ability to develop the flowsheet through the testing required. There is more collaborative designing of the flowsheet taking place through testing than there was five or 10 years ago.

RG: It is certainly more comprehensive now than it previously was.

For example, we carry out early engagement with our customers in Pori and start developing a flowsheet and evaluating the ore types.

The amount of material that is tested nowadays is much bigger than it was before. Obviously, it is not just limited to this example, because, as Alan mentioned before, we’ve got this connection between all our facilities to ensure our customers get exactly what they need from their testing program.

Also, our customers think about different drivers in the process very carefully and want that reflected in the test work. That could be more evaluation on the water they consume. They also look at the energy expended, on top of the expected recoveries and metal grades.

There is more emphasis on sustainability, even at these early stages, in addition to looking at how the ore types may change over time and what impact this will have on the processing requirements.

This is where our extensive simulation and modelling capabilities are leveraged for the biggest impact.

IM: Anything else to add?

RG: Pori and York are but a fraction of the expertise of the wider Metso Outotec research and testing portfolio; one that continues to expand in line with customer requirements. We don’t just cover mining, either – like our equipment offering, we provide research and testing services for the whole flowsheet.

And we are continually improving our capabilities in this space for our customers. So, stay tuned for the future and where we can take research and testing!

Metso Outotec integrates tailings and water treatment solutions into one TMS offering

Environmental, Mining equipment, Mining services, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Metso Outotec says is introducing its comprehensive Tailings Management Solutions offering for the sustainable management of mine tailings.

The offering unites products with decades of process expertise and covers tailings thickening and dewatering as well as handling through conveying and dry stacking, it said. In addition, Metso Outotec offers a portfolio of solutions for the treatment of water produced during dewatering, enabling closed water loops while managing the level of impurities within the recycled water.

Dr Piia Suvio, Director, Tailings and Water, Metso Outotec, said: “The rising demand for sustainably mined materials and stricter environmental legislation are pushing the need for more advanced technology for safe processing and storing of the tailings. Water resource efficiency is also becoming more and more important. These factors, combined with the need to capture the full value of ore, for example, by reprocessing the tailings to extract the remaining valuable minerals, lead to a continuously increasing need for sophisticated tailings management solutions.”

Dr Suvio added: “With our extensive process expertise, we can offer cutting-edge technology solutions for any tailings management need to reduce water use, environmental impact, risks, and costs. Together with our customers, we can reshape the future of tailings and drive responsible management practices that help the business and society to prosper,” says Suvio.

Metso Outotec has been involved in the development of tailings management solutions and equipment for over 50 years. Today, a lot of emphasis is put on the design stage, which includes, for example, test work and studies supported by process simulations carried out with the recently launched Metso Outotec Geminex™ digital twin, allowing accurate plant design and sizing.

Metso Outotec’s Tailings Management Solutions consist of a wide range of Planet Positive equipment and feature performance and capacity guarantees:

  • Thickening plant units are based on Metso Outotec IPS, HRT, HCT and PT technologies. The Reactorwell™ feed system and Vane Feedwell™ provide enhanced mixing, dilution, and retention of the feed, maximising flocculant adsorption and aggregate growth. The advanced Metso Outotec control systems, such as the thickener optimiser, help improve the overall performance of the thickening plant unit;
  • Filtration plant units are based on proven FFP or FP-S filtration technology. The Metso Outotec filtration plant unit is specifically designed for high-volume tailings processing, leading to savings in operational and maintenance costs;
  • The company’s extensive conveying and stacking portfolio consists of robust components and is built to last and perform under even the toughest conditions; and
  • Metso Outotec process water recycling plants enable the recovery and reuse of water within the production process with enhanced metal recovery within the flotation circuit.

Metso Outotec says it supports its tailings management portfolio with a full range of parts, inspections, process optimisation and Life Cycle Services.

Metso Outotec to ‘enrich’ mining, metallurgy decision making with Geminex digital twin

Automation, Environmental, IoT, Metallurgy, Mineral processing, Mining services, Mining software, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , ,

The value a ‘true’ digital twin could provide the mineral processing and metallurgical industries has been spoken of continuously throughout the last few years, and Metso Outotec believes it is on the cusp of realising such value with its “science-based” Metso Outotec Geminex™ digital twin.

Designed to manage variability and optimise resources, the solution simulates and optimises seamless sustainable operations in minerals, pyro- and hydro-metallurgical processes by combining operational data from both internal and external data sources, the company says.

For simulation and production, Geminex uses the renowned HSC process models that already have over 20,000 users worldwide. These models – which combine versatile chemical, thermodynamic and mineral processing features – have been successfully implemented in hundreds of minerals and metals processing flowsheet development cases, with the same models used in plant run-time optimisation, according to Metso Outotec.

There’s more to this digital twin than the HSC process models alone, according to Veli-Matti Järvinen, Vice President, Automation at Metso Outotec.

Geminex uses “first-principle” dynamic process and equipment models for calibrated performance to help provide an ‘accurate’ digital twin for existing operations, he says.

“Here, both quality and availability of key process data are important,” he told IM, mentioning that normally available instrument and laboratory data tend to be sufficient inputs for generating the digital twin’s simulations.

And Geminex, through a series of “soft sensors”, also produces a vast amount of data that cannot be measured directly yet is leveraged through the dynamic process models, according to Järvinen.

“These soft sensors, as they are called, give an insight to the process that was not available before,” he explained, with examples including element or mineral content by particle size fractions in the process streams. This goes one step further than the feedback from, for instance, Metso Outotec’s Courier® on-stream analysers, which provide real-time elemental analysis measurements.

This makes the digital twin that much more powerful than existing solutions on the market, as it can introduce a new dataset to the equation.

And, as with all ‘true’ digital twins, the models are adapted to live data and continuously improved by machine-learning algorithms, Järvinen said.

“An example of this is model adaptation for variable ore types with different processing performance to help manage variability,” he said. “The resulting metallurgical digital twin is accurate, and its behaviour reflects the physical process.”

All this means Geminex can simulate and test alternative operational scenarios and parameters based on accurate process models and real data, providing the sort of decision-making tools the industry has been after for decades.

While the resource sustainability angle is key here – reinforced by the fact Metso Outotec has labelled Geminex as a Planet Positive product: a collection of the company’s most environmentally efficient technologies – the digital twin’s ability to use resources in an optimal way while considering both impacts and constraints is only a fraction of the industries’ value case.

The ability to incorporate new equipment and tools in a ‘live’ flowsheet that considers the specific characteristics of the orebody at hand and the conditions in which each processing stage receives material is very powerful. One can see it easily aiding the incorporation of new technology in the plant, with the simulations able to provide operators with the confidence to leverage innovations.

Järvinen says the digital twin’s use will also enable the company to start process flowsheet design that much earlier in the mine exploration/development stage.

“As soon as the customer has metallurgical data, the process can be designed and optimised to match the required economic optimum,” he said.

Metso Outotec’s strong experience in developing metallurgical processes, as well as incorporation of the process models of Metso Outotec’s HSC simulation package for minerals processing, pyro- and hydro-metallurgical processes, enables this early analysis.

“These models provide great value in the exploratory phase by enabling scenario analysis, which will help find alternatives for process flowsheets, equipment selection and even blending of different types of ore, if needed,” Järvinen said.

At the same time, Järvinen expects the Geminex digital twin to reduce the plant ramp-up time and “time to market” in the later mining project stages as operators will be that much better prepared for the likes of cold and hot commissioning.

“Great value and impact towards a positive change can be achieved in the run-time of the mining operation and the operating strategy by enriching decisions with the help of Geminex,” he said.

Geminex may be Metso Outotec’s own proprietary digital twin, but, thanks to an extensive back catalogue of process plant modelling references, it is able to run dynamic simulations that incorporate competitor equipment, according to Järvinen.

Similarly, while the company has sustainability and Planet Positive aims for Geminex, the equipment to feature in simulations does not have to be classified as Planet Positive, Järvinen says.

“The processes or assets do not need to be Planet Positive equipment, but those can become such with proper control and optimisation,” he said. “With Metso Outotec Geminex, the full value chain of mineral processing plants and hydro- and pyro-metallurgical plants are considered for Planet Positive production.”

Able to be implemented in modules, Geminex can be deployed piece by piece as part of customers’ digital transformation and continuous improvement projects, he added, opening the possibilities for Metso Outotec to leverage its capabilities beyond full flowsheet design.

In the development phase of Geminex, Metso Outotec carried out several successful pilots with universities and, now commercially available, the company has three ongoing projects in the delivery/commissioning phase with early adopters.

“These projects are already providing good results,” Järvinen said.

“With the good and growing process expertise, we are well prepared to support numerous customers with various optimisation targets in mind.”