Tag Archives: Metso

Metso-Arizona

Metso expands Arizona service centre on copper mining demand

Metso is expanding its service centre in Mesa, Arizona, to, it says, support the growing needs of mining customers, primarily in the copper segment, which plays a crucial role in supporting a responsible energy transition.

In addition to expanding its service and repair capabilities, a cutting-edge training centre will be built to continue to improve competence development in the region, it says.

Giuseppe Campanelli, President, North and Central America, Metso, said: “We are proud to be able to further demonstrate our dedication to customer success, supporting the production of critical minerals. This investment will provide great benefit to the southwest USA and beyond, with comprehensive and reliable services. Our expanded facilities in Mesa will allow access to unmatched OEM-quality repairs and refurbishments, and the new advanced Metso Training Center will help ensure that the next generation of miners are well-equipped.”

The total investment value is approximately €14 million ($15 million), with expansions expected to be ready during the first half of 2025.

With further investments in the Mesa Service Center, Metso will optimise safety, sustainability and broaden its service capabilities. The expansion will increase the repair shop area by nearly 60% and add new high-capacity cranes, CNC machines, welding and assembly stations. This will increase the capacity and capability to perform heavy equipment repairs and service a wider range of equipment, spanning process steps such as crushing, screening, grinding, HPGRs, filtration, flotation and pumps, among others.

Annami Toukoniitty, Senior Vice President, Professional Services, Metso, said: “Metso is proud to invest and support this sustainable journey as increased repair capabilities have a direct positive impact on the circular economy. Skilled people are a core asset as well, and the new Metso Training Center at Mesa will add value to the industry.”

Aligned with customer demand, this is the second expansion of the Mesa Service Center since its opening in 2015. Numerous upgrades to the facility to improve energy efficiency are also being implemented. In addition to the service centre, since 2021, the Phoenix region is also home to one of Metso’s largest warehouse operations globally.

Within the same property, an advanced and fully-equipped training centre will also be built, to bridge the knowledge gap between people, equipment and operational goals, Metso says. The centre will support multiple ways of learning, outfitted with state-of-the-art simulators and digital training assets, in addition to classroom and hands-on learning areas. Comprehensive and tailored training programs will be designed and offered to support mining professionals’ technical knowledge, at the part, equipment and plant level.

Metso says it has an extensive service centre network with over 3,000 field services professionals, technical support and more than 40 service centres on six continents.

Samarco sets monthly iron ore pellet production record with Metso unit

Samarco Mineração S.A. has set a monthly production record during August 2023 of 824,829 t of high-grade pellets in a single pelletising line with its 816 sq.m Metso Pelletizing Plant Indurating Machine #4 at its Ubu site in Brazil.

On an annalised basis, the production is equivalent to approximately 8.8- 9 Mt/y of pellets from a single machine. Samarco has installed three additional Metso Pelletizing Plants at its Ubu site.

Pedro Sousa, Sales Manager, Ferrous & Heat Transfer, South America, said: “We’re very excited to see Samarco breaking their monthly iron ore pellet production record and would like to congratulate the whole team for this great achievement. It makes us proud to see how our solutions are helping our customers improve their pelletising operations while simultaneously supporting the journey toward decarbonisation.”

Currently, only the Plant #4 is in operation, with Samarco and Metso discussing the revamp of the three other plants to continue increasing pellet production and decarbonising the steel industry processes using sustainable technologies, according to Samarco’s gradual production revamp plan. Related test work and studies are currently being performed at Metso’s R&D facility in Frankfurt, Germany.

Metso’s traveling grate pelletising process produces uniform pellets, ensuring high performance and quality with low investment and operating costs, as well as decreased energy consumption and emissions, according to the OEM.

Samarco is a joint venture owned by Vale and BHP. Samarco’s principal place of business is in Belo Horizonte, with units operating in Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo. The company’s main product is iron ore pellets, the raw material for steel production.

Metso launches first-of-its-kind hydrogen burner for pelletising

Metso says it is introducing a hydrogen-variant of the Ferroflame™ LowNOx burners as part of its NextGen Pelletizing™ plant product range.

It is a first-of-its-kind burner to run on hydrogen and to operate on the LowNOx combustion principle, according to Metso. Designed especially for the traveling grate pelletising plants, these burners are 100% hydrogen powered and are part of Metso’s Planet Positive offering focused on environmentally efficient technologies.

Hydrogen-powered Ferroflame LowNOx burners use the same combustion principle as that of Ferroflame LowNOx burners for natural gas launched in 2022. They can readily replace traditional burners in a traveling grate pelletising plant, and the Ferroflame LowNOx burners for natural gas can be modified to run on hydrogen, the company says.

Andreas Munko, Senior Product Manager, Ferrous and Heat Transfer at Metso, said: “We are very excited to bring the hydrogen-variant of the Ferroflame LowNOx burner for traveling grate pelletising plants to the market. Its laboratory-proven functionality and performance with hydrogen can be implemented in pelletising plants and can help customers in meeting CO2 and NOx targets. We see these burners as a stepping-stone towards decarbonisation of the pelletising industry.”

The hydrogen burners are part of Metso’s NextGen Pelletising concept, designed on the vision for the next generation of pelletising plants that strive to be carbon-neutral and autonomous. Metso also has a suite of digital solutions that help improve process performance, production capacity and product quality, as well as reduce energy consumption, environmental impact, and operation and maintenance costs. These solutions include VisioPellet™, Optimus Process optimiser, Pallet Car Condition Monitoring System and Training Simulator, among others.

BHP to install Metso cone crushers at Whaleback iron ore mine

BHP has awarded Metso an order for three high-capacity Nordberg® MP Series™ cone crushers to be installed at its Whaleback iron ore mine in Western Australia, according to the OEM.

Vinicius Vilela, Vice President, Mining Crushers at Metso, said the MP800™ cone crushers will replace the long-serving MP cone crushers.

“The robust and high-capacity MP Series crushers are a step change in the crushing process, enabling maximum operator safety and easy maintenance, as the key components can be accessed from the top of the crushers,” he explained. “They provide a more sustainable solution, delivering high crushing force with relatively low energy consumption.”

Metso’s cone crusher offering includes four product families for different applications and operations. The Nordberg MP Series cone crushers feature high capacity and high crushing force for size reduction with good energy efficiency.

Just last month, Rio Tinto awarded Metso an order for 10 HP500™ cone crushers to be installed at the company’s Tom Price iron ore mine in Western Australia, replacing  the long-serving Symons cone crushers at the operation.

Metso expands ore sample, process testing with renovated Pori mineral processing lab

Metso has opened a renovated minerals processing laboratory in Pori, Finland, in the process significantly expanding its ore sample and process testing capability to allow for safe and efficient testing around the clock.

Elina Wiik, Manager, Minerals Processing Laboratories at Metso, said: “The number of minerals testing projects has increased steadily during recent years. The new facility enables us to better meet the needs of our customers, for example, by handling larger sample sizes, and boosts our capacity to serve also the expanding testing needs of the battery minerals sector.”

In the design of the laboratory, special emphasis was put on lean processes, a safe working environment and proper ventilation, Metso said.

The new setup enables optimised workflows; for instance, each Metso laboratory flotation cell is placed in a separate safety cabinet.

“This gives us the possibility to use a large number of flotation reagents and to perform complex separation tests for a wide range of samples and ore types,” Wiik says. “Our test work is enhanced by using state-of-the-art laboratory equipment. One of the unique features of the laboratory is the carefully designed facility for safe dry sample preparation, crushing, screening, and splitting.”

With its portfolio of advanced and reliable testing and process expertise as well as process simulation, Metso is a leading supplier in the industry. These capabilities not only help predict and gather test data to deliver optimised process flowsheets, they also support the mining operations to improve recovery, resource efficiency and sustainability with, for example, Metso’s Planet Positive solutions.

Metso hydrogen-ready tech helping Aurubis become sustainable copper smelting leader

Aurubis has partnered with Metso as part of its plans to invest in hydrogen-ready anode furnaces at its Hamburg copper processing plant in Germany.

The company relies on Metso’s proven technology, consisting of complete hydrogen-ready Outotec Anode Furnaces with hoods and auxiliary equipment, which will be used in the anode refining process, Metso says. Close collaboration with Aurubis was key in designing the hydrogen-ready furnace by Metso, a first in the copper industry. Design input was based on full-scale hydrogen testing carried out at the Aurubis plant in 2021.

Aurubis expects the new technology in copper production to provide potential savings of 5,000 t/y of CO2, with the Hamburg plant being one of the first copper smelters in the world to use hydrogen instead of natural gas for the reduction process in its anode furnaces.

Metso has supplied anode furnaces for copper refining and scrap melting since the 1970s. Metso’s Outotec Anode Furnaces are designed for safety and sustainability, enabling lower energy consumption, decreasing batch cycle time for more efficient refining and resulting in cleaner off-gases, the company says.

Metso says it can provide anode furnaces powered with steam reformation or hydrogen capabilities, both of which can significantly reduce process CO2 emissions compared with traditional processing media.

Rio Tinto bolsters HP Series cone crusher contingent with Metso order

Rio Tinto has awarded Metso an order for 10 HP Series cone crushers to be installed at the company’s Tom Price iron ore mine in Western Australia, the OEM says.

This order follows the initial award of six HP series cone crushers in late 2022. The crushers in the initial order are currently being delivered to the Paraburdoo iron ore mine and another Pilbara mine.

“The HP500™ cone crushers will replace the long-serving Symons cone crushers,” Julius Mäkelä, Vice President, Mid-size and Mobile Crushers at Metso, explains. “The compact and versatile HP Series crushers are a step change in the crushing process, enabling maximum operator safety and easy maintenance as the key components can be accessed from the top of the crushers. They provide a more sustainable solution, delivering high output with decreased energy consumption despite their smaller size. Additionally, the new crushers feature an option for digitising the operation.”

The compact size of the HP500 cone crusher is well suited as a replacement for Symons crushers, Metso says. The HP500 is used in aggregates production, quarrying applications and mining operations worldwide.

Metso to deliver two Vertimill 4500 grinding mills to Canadian iron ore producer

A Canadian iron ore producer has awarded Metso an order for two powerful Vertimill® 4500 grinding mills to be delivered in the September quarter of 2024. The value of the order, which exceeds €10 million ($10.6 million), has been booked in Minerals segment’s 2023 September-quarter orders received.

Graham Davey, Director, Stirred Mills at Metso, said: “We are very pleased to collaborate on projects that support decarbonisation of the steel industry through production of high-grade and high-purity iron ore with sustainable processes. The Vertimill stirred grinding mill technology is globally recognised as a leading solution for energy-efficient grinding. Compared to traditional technology, operators can typically save up to 30-35% of the electrical energy and grinding media consumption. A small footprint and easy installation are also big advantages.”

Vertimill technology is an example of Metso’s Planet Positive offering. It is capable of handling feed sizes of up to 6 mm and grinding to product sizes of 30 microns or less. Vertimills are available in standard mill sizes ranging from 11 kW to 3,352 kW.

Since the introduction of the technology in the 1990s, Metso says it has sold over 540 Vertimill units to nearly all types of minerals.

Metso says it is the only manufacturer worldwide that can offer several stirred mill technologies (Vertimill, HIGmill™ and SMD), enabling it to support customers with the most suitable and efficient mill for their application.

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.

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.”