Tag Archives: Jonathan Allen

Metso Outotec to upgrade four ball mills at Asia Pacific copper-gold mine

Base metals, Comminution of minerals, Equipment maintenance, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , , ,

Metso Outotec says it has signed a services contract for the delivery of four ball mill upgrade packages to a copper and gold mine in Asia Pacific, which has a value of €19 million ($21.4 million).

Refurbishment projects for older, existing assets are an efficient method to extend a mill’s operating life, increase energy efficiency and minimise waste and plant downtime, Metso Outotec said. Additionally, equipment refurbishments lead to improved machine availability and safety by delivering the latest available technology.

Jonathan Allen, Senior Vice President, Grinding, Bulk and Pyro business line of Metso Outotec, said: “We are pleased to have been chosen as the supplier for the grinding mill refurbishment project. The customer’s performance objectives were achieved by offering a technical solution which increased the operating volume of the mill and allows for future process optimisation. Providing these 30-plus-year-old mills a new lease of life is exciting for Metso Outotec and builds on our sustainability promise of delivering circular offerings.”

Metso Outotec says it has delivered and serviced over 8,000 grinding mills globally, including some of the largest and most powerful mills in the world.

Rotary kiln product development first up for Metso following KFS acquisition

Base metals, Coal technology, Energy minerals, Gem stone mining, High tech minerals, Industrial minerals, Metallurgy, Mineral processing, Mining mergers and acquisitions, Mining services, Precious metals, Steel and iron ore, , , , , ,

The purchase of Kiln Flame Systems (KFS) is set to provide Metso with new computational fluid dynamics (CFD) design and analysis expertise, says Jonathan Allen, Vice President, Engineered Products, at the Finland-based mining OEM.

Following news Metso had completed the purchase yesterday, IM put a few questions to Allen to find out some of the reasons behind the transaction.

IM: Why has the company looked to acquire KFS now? What market signals have you been receiving to indicate increased demand for the type of tailored products KFS produces?

JA: Our customers’ demand for energy efficient solutions and increased reliability of their kilns and other pyro processing equipment has been increasing steadily. Also, our customers are facing the challenge of losing some of the operational expertise with a retiring workforce. By Metso and KFS joining forces, we are able to address these demands simultaneously to deliver the results they require, cost effectively and with minimal disruption to their existing operations.

IM: How important is KFS’ “mastery of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) for burner design and system analysis” to the deal? Will Metso be able to leverage this capability across its existing pyro processing portfolio?

JA: Metso’s primary focus has been on general process and mechanical upgrades to improve the performance of pyro processing equipment. With KFS’ CFD capability, we are able to model the entire system to optimise all the possible changes and upgrades to a kiln system.

IM: Out of all of your product offerings within the pyro processing group, which one is set to benefit most from this acquisition?

JA: The KFS technology is applicable to the majority of our equipment portfolio. Our immediate focus will be with rotary kilns, where KFS is a technology leader, but quickly expanding more into burner and combustion systems for iron ore pelletising processes.