Tag Archives: Mining OEM

WesTrac Tomago puts latest Cat mining line on show

Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining events, Mining maintenance, Mining services, , , , , , , ,

Caterpillar dozers, motor graders and a large wheel loader were on show at WesTrac’s Tomago site in New South Wales, Australia, earlier this month, as the Cat dealer looked to showcase some of the mining OEM’s latest offering.

The annual Mining Equipment Showcase gave customers, trade associations and employees the opportunity to get up close to the latest mining machinery, from March 9-13.

The mining equipment on display this year included the new Cat D11 and Cat D10T2 large track type tractors (dozers), Cat 18M3 and Cat 24 motor graders, and a Cat 994K large wheel loader.

The Cat D11 large dozer, which is already up and running at BHP Mitsubishi Alliance’s (BMA) Blackwater coal mine in Queensland, Australia, comes with an optional 360° camera system to decrease blind spots, plus a factory-fitted fire suppression system, improved access systems and ground level service centres. Cat has said previously that new load-sensing hydraulics and new drive train components deliver up to 8% fuel efficiency gains compared with the previous dozer model.

The Cat 24 motor grader has front and rear cameras for improved visibility, along with a working at heights package that includes handrails and hand holds to improve safe access. It is also the first model in this range that can be fitted with an optional 8.5 m moldboard to allow for either wider grading (and hence less passes) or grading at an increased speed.

It’s Cat 18M3 motor grader has a service access platform for safer means of access to both the operator’s cabin and maintainer’s access to the machine’s engine. Built on the success of the 16 series of motor graders, it has an increased moldboard length over its predecessor.

The Cat 994K wheel loader, meanwhile, has a powered access system that allows operators to maintain three points of contact when boarding the machine. It also boasts a 29% increase in payload, 19% increase in power and 28% boost in breakout force compared with the previous model (994H). It is also, according to WesTrac, a more productive machine than competitor models in the same range.

Metso breaks records as it looks forward to more growth

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

It was a record year in terms of profitability for Metso in 2019; a year that saw the minerals processing company make several strategic decisions to fundamentally change its group structure.

Orders received across the group increased 5% to €3.7 billion ($4.1 billion), with sales growing 15% to €3.635 billion. Adjusted EBITA rose from €369 million in 2018 to €474 million (13% of sales) in 2019, while operating profit jumped to €418 million from €351 million.

Metso President and CEO, Pekka Vauramo, said 2019 was in many ways historical and transformational for the company.

“It also marked a record in our financial performance, as our sales increased in both segments and our profitability was higher than ever in the company’s history,” he said.

The company also launched some major new products – including the Metso Truck Body and the VPX filter – in addition to publishing the Metso Climate Program, which aims for notable reductions in emissions.

The year will be remembered for two major strategic decisions from Metso.

“The first was the acquisition of McCloskey, a Canadian supplier of mobile aggregates crushers and screens,” Vauramo said. “After the closing of the acquisition in October, Metso’s offering strengthened in the mobile aggregates equipment market, which is estimated to see the industry’s fastest-growing demand.”

“The second and truly transformative step was the decision related to the partial demerger of Metso, after which Metso’s Minerals business will be combined with Outotec to create Metso Outotec, a unique company in the minerals, metals and aggregates industries,” Vauramo said.

At the same time as this, the company took the decision to allow its valves business to continue as an independent listed company named Neles.

Vauramo said: “We are confident that, as a result of this transaction, both companies will be well-positioned to grow and create value for our customers and other stakeholders.”

Shareholders of both Metso and Outotec approved the transaction in October at respective meetings and internal preparations have proceeded according to plan, Vauramo said.

The completion of the transaction still requires approvals from the competition authorities in various markets, but according to the company’s estimate, closing should take place on June 30, 2020.

Metso looks at centralising warehouse operations in Europe

Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining services, , , ,

Metso, as part of its global distribution and logistics footprint development, is initiating consultations to evaluate the potential centralisation of its warehousing operations in Europe.

The move will see Metso look at the different options related to the continuation of its current warehouse operations in nine locations, in Norway, Sweden, the UK, France, Spain, Czech Republic, Turkey, and Russia, it said. The consultations could affect around 40 warehousing employees.

Jarkko Aro, SVP for Customer Logistics at Metso, said: “Our target is to enable world-class logistics with easy scalability of operations.

“Flexible, state-of-the-art warehouse operations would allow orders to be collected and dispatched to customers directly from central warehouses. It would also enable considerable savings in end-to-end freight costs and reduced CO2 emissions.”

Metso looks to grind down GHG emissions with energy-efficient technology

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

Having recently won the approval of the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) for its greenhouse gas (GHG) targets, Metso’s Climate Program now has the recognition it deserves.

The GHG goals are applicable to all relevant emission sources: production, procurement, inbound and outbound transportation as well as the use of Metso’s products.

Following on from this environmental win, IM put some questions to Metso’s Director of Sustainable Business Development, Kaisa Jungman, to find out what impact these climate change aims might have on the mining equipment manufacturers’ product offering and how the company is already leading from the front with its environmental sustainability initiatives.

It’s worth acknowledging, first, that these GHG goals are all-encompassing.

As a scope 1 and 2 GHG target, Metso has committed to a 25% reduction in carbon emissions in production by 2030, while 30% of its suppliers – in terms of spend – are required to set science-based emission targets by 2024. Metso also aims for a 20% reduction in transportation emissions by 2025 (scope 3 GHG emissions target) by streamlining transportation routes and optimising warehouse locations.

Through extensive research and development work, Metso says it has been able to significantly reduce the energy consumption in customer processes. To continue this development, the company is aiming for a 10% reduction in GHG emissions in the most “energy-intensive customer processes” using Metso products by 2025.

The company is also demanding energy-efficiency targets in its Metso R&D projects, and offsetting flight emissions by 100% by 2021.

The target to lower GHG emissions by 10% in the most “energy-intensive customer processes” stood out in these targets, and it was hardly surprising to find out grinding falls into this category.

“Grinding is the most energy-intensive stage of minerals processing,” Jungman said. “Overall, it is estimated that comminution counts for 3-5% of the energy consumption in the world and grinding is part of this.”

In the company’s climate program it has included three of its products – the HRC™ high pressure grinding roll, Vertimill® and stirred SMD (stirred media detritor) – to help achieve this 10% cut in GHGs.

“We have estimated, based on our installed base, in 2018, that approximately 1,073,648 t of CO2 emissions were saved through these energy efficient grinding technologies,” she said, explaining that these savings were calculated by comparing its three solutions with conventional technology.

At this stage, it is only the HRC, Vertimill and SMD included in this calculation – due to their substantial energy and emission reduction credentials and the company’s ability to quantify accurately the estimated savings – but Jungman said Metso plans to widen the scope of the technologies to be included.

“In addition to our climate program, we are also looking into other environmental benefits the customers are gaining through our solutions,” she said.

“To improve energy and emissions efficiency in the future, our target is that all our R&D projects will set energy-efficiency targets by 2021.”

She concluded on these technologies: “I would say that this climate program is an important first step and we will continue developing even more comprehensive sustainability targets for our technologies.”

When it comes to displaying evidence of where the company is reducing scope 1 (generated from fuels used in production) and 2 (generated from purchased energy) emissions, Jungman could point to several examples.

“We have installed solar panels in some of our locations already and are looking now for opportunities to install more in several locations in the coming years,” she said.

In some of the company’s facilities, a percentage of the electricity it purchases is already from renewable sources, and Metso is investigating the possibilities of expanding this, Jungman added.

“In addition to electricity consumption, we are also searching for renewable alternatives for the other forms of our energy consumption, including, for example, replacing natural gas consumption with renewable alternatives.”

The company has also, in recent years, invested in many energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, according to Jungman.

“As an example, in our foundry in China, we have invested in a new type of melting furnace to gain better energy efficiency.

“In another production location, we have installed technology to recover process heat from the exhaust air to be used as heating energy. We have also invested in the process automation and insulation of the furnaces to gain better energy efficiency.”

She concluded: “Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is something we take seriously, and to which Metso is fully committed. We want all our stakeholders to be involved in the work to reach these important targets and to aim even higher.”

Nornickel reveals ambitious technology – as well as production – plans

Automation, Base metals, Communications in mining, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mine shafts and equipment, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , , , ,

Technology looks like playing a pivotal role in Norilsk Nickel’s ambitious growth plan to boost its mined ore volumes at the renowned Taimyr operation, in Russia.

After revealing a target to up production to 30 Mt/y by 2030, from 17 Mt/y in 2017, at its Capital Markets Day in London this week, IM spoke with First Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer, Sergey Dyachenko, to find out how technology was helping the company achieve this target.

Dyachenko listed off several impressive feats the company has achieved in the past 18-24 months that would pave the way for this growth.

First off, Norilsk has digitised nearly all of its operations as part of its Technological Breakthrough program – aimed at designing, planning and operational controls of its mining activities.

It has shifted its mine planning from a shift-based system to an hourly scheduling program, is carrying out dynamic simulations of mining activities on an as-needed basis to visualise the effects of mine plan changes, has installed proximity detection and collision avoidance systems (with a 50 m personnel detection range) at all of its underground mines, and has commissioned a real-time dispatch system to optimise its operations.

With digital centres built or being built in all of its major mining hubs, and Wi-Fi rolled out across its underground operations, all of its processes are now very much ‘connected’.

Dyachenko said these initiatives were already paying off, with a 7% increase in nickel-equivalent production between 2017 and 2019, partly attributable to the digitisation and automation programs. He could also point to a productivity increase – the output of nickel equivalent per employee rising 15% over this same timeframe.

While the company has come a long way since it started its Technology Breakthrough program in 2014, it is ready to leverage more technology over the next five years (and beyond).

Dyachenko spoke of transitioning from dynamic 3D mine models to the use of digital twins for mine plan optimisation at all of its mines and, excitingly, plans for a “fully autonomous smart digital mine” at its Skalisty nickel-copper-PGM underground project at the Polar Division, Norilsk’s key production asset on the Taimyr Peninsula.

Skalisty, at more than 2,000 m below ground, will be the company – and one of Russia’s – deepest underground mines. This fact is making Norilsk reconsider its normal mine development and operation route.

The company is currently engaged on a prefeasibility study at Skalisty, however it has already carried out 966 m of shaft sinking to bring the #10 ventilation shaft down to 2,056 m, and plans to start horizontal development at the project next month. Completion of the main shaft is scheduled for 2021.

“We have a task to make our Skalisty underground mine an autonomous mine,” Dyachenko said, explaining that the depth and accompanying temperature that comes with it made it a difficult environment to operate in.

Added to this, Dyachenko said the “demographics” of the future workforce and the need to provide an “interesting environment” at Skalisty made it a necessity to at least relocate machine operators to a control room on surface.

Norilsk will not be working on this ‘task’ alone. In addition to using consultants for the prefeasibility study, it is has also engaged an OEM with experience of automating underground operations in Mali and Sudbury (Canada) at this stage.

“We want to have a very clear concept…and find out the economic impact and best configuration for the mine,” Dyachenko explained.

The Norilsk COO said engaging such an OEM at this point in the mine development process also provided the manufacturer with the required time to “customise” a solution that fitted the Skalisty orebody and infrastructure.

“Not all of this will be off-the-shelf,” he commented on the equipment and infrastructure required for Skalisty, adding that battery-electric vehicles could also come into the mining equation.

Speaking of time, Dyachenko said the company expected to recover the first ore from development at the deep mine in 2023, followed by first “production” ore in 2024.

The new Skalisty mine is expected to eventually ramp up to production of ~2.5 Mt/y.

Apron feeders: the material handling workhorses

Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining techniques, , , , , ,

Following the publication of the International Mining October issue and, more specifically, the annual in-pit crushing and conveying feature, we have taken a closer look at one of the core elements that makes up these systems, apron feeders.

In mining, apron feeders play a major role in ensuring smooth operations and increasing uptime. They are very diverse in their application within a mineral processing circuit; however, their full capabilities are not widely known throughout the industry leading to many raised questions.

Martin Yester, Global Product Support of Bulk Products at Metso, has answered some of the more important ones.

What is an apron feeder and when should it be used?

In simple terms, an apron feeder (also known as a pan feeder) is a mechanical type of feeder used in material handing operations to transfer (feed) material to other equipment or extract material (ore/rock) from storage stockpiles, bins or hoppers at a controlled rate of speed.

These feeders can be used in a variety of applications in primary, secondary and tertiary (reclaiming) operations.

Apron feeders are the preferred feeder for several reasons. Some of these are:

  • Aprons provide better feed control to prevent material feeding in downstream equipment from choking;
  • They can absorb the shock of loading material directly onto the feeder with a shallow bed (the impact coming down on the feeder when the material is dumped is great); and
  • Apron feeders can reclaim a variety of dry or wet materials of various sizes at a uniform rate, with this flexibility applied in many applications.

What are the advantages of using a tractor chain style apron feeder?

A tractor chain style apron feeder refers to the undercarriage chain, rollers and tail wheels that are also used in bulldozers and excavators. This style of feeder dominates the market in industries where users require a feeder that can extract materials of varying characteristics. Polyurethane seals in the chain prevent abrasive materials from entering the internal pin and bushing, which reduces wear and extends equipment life in comparison with a dry chain style. Tractor chain style apron feeders also create less noise pollution for quieter operation. The links of the chain are heat treated, which results in an increased service life.

Overall, the benefits include increased reliability, fewer spare parts, less maintenance and better feed control. In return, these benefits lead to more productivity with minimal bottlenecks within any mineral processing circuit.

Can apron feeders be installed on an incline?

The common belief about apron feeders is that they must be installed horizontally. Well, contrary to popular belief they can be installed on an incline! There are many added benefits and capabilities that come from this. Less space is needed overall when installing an apron feeder on an incline – not only does the inclination limit floor space, the height of the receiving hopper can also be reduced. Inclined apron feeders are more forgiving when it comes to larger lumps of material and, overall, will increase volume in the hopper and reduce the cycle time of the haul trucks.

Keep in mind there are some factors to pay attention to when installing a pan feeder on an incline to optimise the process. A properly designed hopper, the angle of inclination, the design of the support structure and the access and stair system around the feeder are all key factors.

Apron feeder optimal speed – faster is always better, right?

The common misconception around operating any equipment is: “faster is better.” In the case of apron feeders, nothing could be further from the truth. Optimal speed comes from finding that balance where efficiency meets transportation speed. They do operate at slower speeds than belt feeders, but for a good reason.

Normally, the optimal speed of an apron feeder is 0.05-0.40 m/s. If the ores are non-abrasive, the speed can increase to above 0.30 m/s due to the likely reduced wear.

Higher speeds would hurt an operation: if your speed is too high, you run the risk of accelerated wear of components. Energy efficiency, too, decreases due to the increase in energy demand.

Another concern to keep in mind when running an apron feeder at high speeds is the increased possibility of fines being generated. There can be a grinding effect between the material and the pans. Not only would the generation of fines create more issues because of possible fugitive dust in the air, but this also creates a more hazardous work environment for employees overall. So, finding an optimal speed is more important for the productivity and operational safety of the plant.

What are the limitations on size and type of ore?

Apron feeders do have limitations when it comes to the size and type of ore. The limitations will vary, but there should never be senseless dumping of material onto the feeder. You will need to not only factor in the application you will be using the feeder for, but also where in the process this feeder will be placed.

Generally, an industry rule to follow for your apron feeder dimensions is that the width of the pans (inside skirts) should be twice the maximum lump size of the material. Other factors, like a properly designed open hopper incorporating the use of “rock turning plates”, can affect the pan size, but that’s only relevant in certain circumstances.

It is not unusual for 1,500 mm of material to be extracted if a 3,000 mm wide feeder is used. Material of minus-300 mm from crusher ore stockpiles or storage/blending bins is typically extracted with apron feeders to feed secondary crushers.

What information is required when sizing an apron feeder?

When sizing an apron feeder and respective drive system (motor), as with a lot of equipment in the mining industry, experience and knowledge of the entire process is valuable. Apron feeder sizing requires basic knowledge of plant data to be able to accurately fill in the criteria needed for a vendor’s “application data sheet” (or however the vendor receives their information).

Basic criteria that should go into this includes feed rate (peak and normal), material characteristics (such as moisture, gradation and shape), maximum lump size of the ore/rock, bulk density of the ore/rock (maximum and minimum) and feed and discharge conditions.

However, occasionally there can be added variables to the apron feeder sizing process that should be included. A primary additional variable that vendors should be asking about is the hopper configuration. Specifically, the hopper shear length opening (L2) directly above the apron feeder. When applicable, this is not only a key parameter in properly sizing the apron feeder, but also the drive system as well.

How does “bulk” density affect the sizing of an apron feeder?

As stated above, bulk density of the ore/rock is one of the basic criteria requirements that should be included for effective apron feeder sizing. Density is the weight of material in a given volume and usually bulk density is measured as tonnes/cubic meter (t/m³), or pounds/cubic foot (lbs/ft³). One specific note to remember is that bulk density is used for apron feeders and not solid density like in other mineral processing equipment.

So why is bulk density so important? Apron feeders are volumetric-type feeders, which means bulk density is used to determine the speed and power needed to extract a certain tonnage per hour of the material. The minimum bulk density is used to determine the speed, and the maximum bulk density establishes the power (torque) needed for the feeder.

To conclude, it is important the correct “bulk” density and not “solid” density is used for sizing apron feeders. If these calculations are incorrect, this could jeopardise the resulting feed rate for the downstream process.

How do you determine the hopper shear length of the apron feeder?

Identifying the hopper shear length is a key component for correctly sizing and selecting an apron feeder and drive system (motor). But, how can this be determined? The hopper shear length is the dimension from the back plate of the hopper at the skirt line to the shear bar located at the exit end of the hopper. It sounds very simple, but it is key to note that this should not be confused with the dimension at the top of the hopper where material is loaded.

The goal of finding this measurement of the hopper shear length is to establish the actual shear plane line of material and where material inside the skirts is separated (sheared) from the material inside the hopper (L2). The resistance to shear the material is typically estimated to be between 50-70% of the total force/power. This calculation of the shear length will result in either insufficient power (lost production) or excessive power (rising operating expenses (opex)).

How do I find the optimal length of my apron feeder?

Spacing of equipment is essential to any plant. As mentioned before, apron feeders can be installed on an incline to save space. Selecting the correct length of an apron feeder will not only reduce capital expenditure (capex), it will also reduce power consumption and opex.

But how is the optimal length determined? The optimum length of an apron feeder is one that can fulfil the required duty in the shortest length possible. However, in some cases for an operation, the choice of feeder might want to be a little longer to “convey” materials to reach downstream equipment and eliminate a transfer point (and unnecessary costs).

To determine the shortest and optimal feeder possible requires flexibility in the layout of positioning the apron feeder under the hopper (L2). After determining the shear length and bed depth, the overall length can then be minimised just enough to prevent what is referred to as “self-flushing” over the discharge end when the feeder is idle.

I properly selected my apron feeder, but what about my drive system?

Selecting the proper drive system for your apron feeder will depend on the operation and goals of the feeder. Apron feeders are designed to be ran at variable speeds to extract from storage and feed downstream at a controlled rate of speed for maximum efficiency. The material could vary depending on factors such as the season of the year, orebody, or blasting and blending patterns.

The two types of drives suited for variable speeds are a mechanical drive using a gear reducer, inverter duty motor and variable frequency drive (VFD), or hydraulic motor and power unit with a variable pump. Today, variable speed mechanical drives have been proven as the preferred drive system due to the advancements in technology and capex benefits.

Hydraulic drive systems do have their place but are not seen as the ideal option between the two variable drives.

This Q&A was taken from a series of Metso blogs on apron feeders. For more information, please follow these links:

https://www.metso.com/blog-hub/mining-minds/feeding-the-facts-part-1-apron-feeder-basics/

https://www.metso.com/blog-hub/mining-minds/feeding-the-facts-23-proper-sizing-and-selection-of-your-apron-feeder/

FLSmidth notes sustainability and digital mining developments in Q2 results

Automation, Bulk handling, Comminution of minerals, Environmental, IoT, Mineral processing, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining finance, Mining services, Mining software, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , , ,

FLSmidth’s June quarter saw an improvement in revenue and profitability as the company’s Mining and Cement divisions continued to perform strongly.

The company’s order intake for the June quarter amounted to DKK5 billion ($752 million), down 2% from the same period a year ago. Mining order intake, specifically, declined 7%, mainly due to a lower capital order intake, the company said. This included an order of around DKK375 million from Rio Tinto for its Koodaideri iron ore project.

During the quarter, the company also completed the acquisition of IMP Automation.

FLSmidth’s order backlog stood at DKK16.8 billion by the end of June, up 16% from the same time last year.

Revenue increased 16% year-on-year in the quarter to DKK5.5 billion on high activity level, while earnings before interest taxes and amortisation came in at DKK487 million, up 28% year-on-year.

FLSmidth Group CEO, Thomas Schulz, said: “The second (June) quarter showed a strong performance with improved revenue and profitability, driven by both Mining and Cement. Following a slow start to the year, we have been successful at converting backlog to revenue in the second quarter. In close cooperation with our customers, we have continued to deliver on our vision to provide sustainable productivity enhancement.”

Schulz continued: “Our success with both service and capital orders, demonstrates our customers’ confidence in our ability to enhance their productivity. This is supported by an increased push for sustainable solutions that ties in well with our position, capabilities and track record.”

In the company’s Mining division, Schulz said the company saw increased interest for new technologies such as dry stack tailings, but also a general need to reduce water consumption in the production process. The company said the mining market remained robust.

The company added on the mining market: “Equipment demand continues to evolve around replacement and brownfield projects, with select greenfield opportunities. Miners are attentive of rising global issues and remain cautious on large and high-risk investments. The long-term pipeline for larger projects is encouraging, but most projects are currently not reaching further than the engineering/prefeasibility stage.”

It continued: “Customers across regions and commodities are increasingly demanding digitalised solutions to improve performance, reduce operating costs and maximise safety in operations. Similarly, customers show increased interest in technology to obtain a more sustainable production, not least our effective solutions for tailings management given the latest issues with tailings dams failures and the related environmental impact.”

XCMG bolsters Mongolia offering with spare parts centre

Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , , ,

XCMG has opened its first spare parts centre in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, in an effort to provide “all-around support and services” for customers in the country.

The new centre will connect with the Xuzhou Headquarters, Erenhot Distribution Center and mining districts’ On-site Support Warehouses to create a complete “sale-support-repair” service, it said. This will provide “high-quality equipment, flawless support in operation and guarantees for equipment throughout the entire life cycle of XCMG’s products”, the company said.

XCMG’s Song said: “As Mongolia accelerates the construction of infrastructure over the next decade, XCMG will be on-hand to help develop the local market. With our new service centre and complete solution, there will be no limit to what we can build together.”

The company’s exports to Mongolia are increasing year by year, XCMG said, with the total number of machinery shipped to Mongolia up to July 2019 already exceeded the total for 2018, according to recent customs reports. “The dramatic increase underlines the position of XCMG’s large-tonnage mining excavators, loaders, graders and mining trucks as the top choice for operators in Mongolia,” XCMG said.

To meet the ever-growing demand for spare parts support and services, XCMG initiated the spare parts centre project with local dealer AODE in April. Some 20 million yuan ($2.9 million) was invested to construct the 2,000 sq.m site located in Ulaanbatar. This will significantly improve XCMG’s ability to provide spare parts services in Mongolia and its neighbouring region, as well as better sales services in Middle Asia, the company said.

Wang Min, Chairman and CEO of XCMG, said: “XCMG is committed to providing excellent products and service to all our customers, service is part of the product itself, and XCMG will invest heavily to create a global spare parts network and standard service procedures to win customers’ trust.”

Stephan Kirsch gets top mining job at Metso

Comminution of minerals, Equipment maintenance, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining people, Mining services, Water management, , , ,

Stephan Kirsch, as of August 1, will become President of Metso’s Mining Equipment business area, replacing Victor Tapia in the process.

Kirsch, who joined Metso in 2018, and currently works as Senior Vice President, Business and Product Management in the Mining Equipment business area, will also become a member of Metso’s Executive Team from August.

The current President of Metso’s Mining Equipment business area, Victor Tapia, will take on another internal assignment before leaving the company, Metso said.

Metso President and CEO, Pekka Vauramo, said: “I want to express my warmest thanks to Victor for his contribution in developing Metso’s Mining Equipment business and wish him the best of success. At the same time, I wish Stephan most welcome in his new role and to the Executive Team.”

Cat cuts electric rope shovel downtime

Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining services, , , , , ,

Caterpillar says it has developed a propel drive system upgrade for Cat® 7495 and 7495 HF electric rope shovels that improves maintenance access, decreasing downtime by days.

The upgrade, which has operated successfully for thousands of hours in field validation, reconfigures the crawler undercarriage to allow drive shaft and tumbler replacement from the outboard side, Cat says. Improved component design, meanwhile, extends durability and increases component life to further reduce costs.

“The new design slashes maintenance time and enhances safety by enabling access to drive components without removing the propel transmission,” the mining OEM said. “Additionally, Caterpillar engineered the upgrade to be a direct replacement. No machining of the crawler frame is required for installation.”

The new robust design sees thrust loads evenly distributed on large tapered roller bearings as opposed to bronze thrust plates, while the bearings are sealed and continuously purged with fresh grease to keep them free of contaminants, Cat says. The result is increased durability in harsh environments and alignment with 25,000 h planned rebuilds.