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INTERNATIONAL MINING PROFILES
Leveraging unique expertise to maximize mill performance
AG mill maintenance and relining is a field
where finding and employing expertise
pays dividends.
As the engine of a mining operation, a SAG
mill can process hundreds of thousands of
tonnes of ore each day, grinding rock into
suitable fractions that can be further processed
to eventually become saleable products.
The size of these mills has increased over
time, and so too has their importance.
If a SAG mill were to go down 15-20 years
ago, there would have been other mills in the
comminution circuit that an operation could fall
back on. Production would fall, but it wouldn’t
cease entirely.
Today, there are fewer and fewer mining
operations with ‘back-up’ mill capacity. This
means when a SAG mill goes down, plant
managers start counting the cost of lost
production with every minute that passes.
This can add up to as much as €100,000/hour
($111,619/hour), in some cases.
It is for these reasons that companies try to
do whatever they can to keep SAG mills
operating as steadily as possible with minimal
unplanned downtime.
S
Improving SAG mill safety
With the step up in mill throughput and power,
there has been a corresponding increase in mill
liner size.
This has made the already-complex and
labor-intensive process of changing out mill
liners even more challenging.
No longer a task that can be performed by
hand, mill relining now involves tools,
attachments and professionals that can carry
out the process quickly and, above all, safely.
The use of rubber in mill liners was pioneered
by Metso. Today the company is a world-leading
supplier of mill liners, able to combine high-
quality liners with service, capital equipment
expertise and process know-how to promote
safety, improve grinding efficiency, reduce
downtime and enhance profitability.
“We offer a complete range of liner materials
– rubber, Poly-Met™, Megaliner™, Orebed™
and metallic mill liners. Thanks to our wide
product range, we offer solutions that can
combine different materials in the same mill to
maximize performance safety,” says Håkan
Ståhlbröst, Director, Global Application Support.
Metso’s mill liners come with attachments
that help improve safety during lining
“Combining the liners and various shutdown tools with the right people makes a difference and can
bring the most benefit to the customer,” Metso’s Director of Field Services and Repairs, Kevin
Graney, says
International Mining | MAY 2019
Lost production, caused by a SAG mill outage,
can add up to as much as €100,000/hour, in
some cases
changeouts. Its patented Megaliner is an
innovative mill liner made to improve worker
safety and speed up mill liner installations by
30-40%. Each shell or head liner covers a large
area, has few attachment components and a
unique attachment system, providing a safer
working environment for the installation crew.
“With the Megaliner mill linings, you get
increased mill availability due to quick liner
replacement. The number of liners is minimized
and the attachment is optimized, which helps
speed up the installation and the changeout
compared to conventional liners. In addition, the
installation crew can work in a safer working
environment since the attachment parts are
installed from the outside of the mill only. There
Our people, knowledge
and solutions, coupled
with a large installed base
and experience gained
through thousands of global
shutdowns, help ensure the
best results