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HEAVY ENGINEERING well as loader blade configuration possibilities,” MTG added. The PROMET 90 is suitable for versatile loader applications in the construction and mining industry, in particular the Cat 933 or Komatsu WA 900 wheel loaders, the company said. “It is compatible with both PROMET II and III mechanical lip protectors and can be combined with the STARMET tooth system for a complete lip protection,” MTG said. “Additionally, the lifting rings have been reinforced for safe transport and handling, which underlines MTG’s commitment to operational safety.” The PROMET III range of lip protection for cast lips and rope shovels, which has an improved locking system formed by a weld-on base and a new locking assembly, was only launched at the end of 2019. Common to the entire range of lip protectors, which include plate lips, cast lips and rope shovels, PROMET III is composed of a block, a plate and a bolt. According to the company, the new locking assembly on the system provides greater reliability against loss or fall in the most demanding uses, thanks to the replacement of the pin and retainer with a bolt and a plate that offer better performance. It also helps reduce the required replacement time by minimising the effects caused by compaction to the bolt, which normally leads to cleaning and subsequent handling. Grinding media and mill linings It is an appreciation of how its products affect the entire mineral processing flowsheet that is enabling Magotteaux to differentiate itself from other comminution-focused companies on the market. Magotteaux has become renowned for supplying cast and forged, low and high chromium grinding media and tailored mill liners, but in recent years has adopted a much more holistic focus, according to Stephan Marin, the company’s Regional Sales Manager of Mining for North America. “If you go back, Magotteaux worked a lot focusing on the internal equipment in the mill – grinding media, mill liners, etc,” he told IM. “In the last few years, we have invested a lot of money into looking into the rest of the process plant.” This has seen the company come up with the ‘Magotteaux Mill’. This ‘milling laboratory’ enables the company to study the whole process flowsheet – from crushing and grinding to flotation – and see what impact a new mill liner or grinding media product, for instance, has on the whole process. “By taking this integrated approach, we can assess how an upstream product affects downstream processes, fixing potential issues that arise throughout the flowsheet,” he said. This ‘whole of process’ focus is opening several potential avenues for the company to sell its products, according to Marin. For example, a customer may have approached Magotteaux looking to reduce their SAG mill grinding media consumption without increasing the risk of breakage. A switch to the company’s low-chrome Ecomax ® Forged ball may provide the improvement the customer was after, but the combination of this media with a new mill liner from Magotteaux could improve results further. “The most important thing is to understand their process and, based on that, use everything we have in-house at Magotteaux to come up with solutions that provide the best result, whether How focused are your reviews? that be reduced operating costs, improved recoveries, reduced cyanide consumption, etc,” Marin said. Finding solutions, as opposed to simply selling products, is becoming commonplace at Magotteaux as the company continues to collaborate with miners in ‘partnership’ agreements. “Increasingly big miners are asking for companies to be partners,” Marin said. “They want you to look at their whole operation and set up working groups and teams that work together to solve problems that arise.” After brainstorming with clients, Magotteaux representatives on these teams provide feedback to the company’s technical team to help bring a solution to the client. .com Due diligence JUNE 2020 | International Mining 39