IPCC SOLUTIONS
has its merits and application , just that everything has to fit together and this is quite rare .
Q Long term maintenance in IPCC is also important - again , can you give any examples of innovations that TAKRAF has been able to provide customers in this area ? TJ : We as a Group always try to look at our designs through the lens of the operator . How do we conduct maintenance , how do we get this part in and out quickly ? Is it worth exchanging the complete unit instead of maintaining it in situ ? What is quicker , safer , more ergonomic ? What is the trade-off of having a stand-by unit ready to be deployed ? At the end , we develop solutions that not only overcome current issues , but that are able to assist over the long term , especially with regards maintenance – doing this safely and effectively . A slogan that forms part of our sizer brochure when we talk about the innovative maintenance concepts we have come up with for our machine reads : ‘ when minutes count , make the most of every second .’ Some of the concepts with our sizer include an integrated moving unit , which enables the entire unit to slide into its maintenance position for safe and quick maintenance procedures ; a split housing design , which enables the easy replacement of entire roll assemblies ; a bolted crusher tooth system enables worn teeth to be replaced in seconds . Another concept of which we are especially proud of is our TAKRAF maintenance cart . Conducting maintenance on belt conveyors – especially on steep slopes , in tunnels or on elevated structures – is a challenge and our maintenance cart makes it possible to access any location along the conveyor belt in the shortest possible time and in the safest manner . Ultimately though , maintenance comes down to it physically being conducted in the proper manner and we always recommend the basics . Follow preventive maintenance schedules in order to increase technical availability .
Take for example the discharge arrangement . Metso Outotec has supplied over 3,000 apron feeders and over 140 belt feeders , so we have a good understanding of the machines in question and which material characteristics , operating conditions and requirements lead to recommendation of a certain machine .”
Berndt said that the Foresight™ SMPG for Codelco ’ s Radomiro Tomic , the first to be installed , has been all shipped to the customer , and it is now under construction with commissioning expected in early 2024 . Aside from that installation , Metso Outotec has been engaged in many pre-feasibility studies ( PFS ) and feasibility studies ( FS ) engineering studies for the Foresight™ SMPG . “ We can ’ t say more than that , but it is the case that many of the Tier 1 miners have accepted our offering , shown in the fact that it has been selected in competitive tendering to develop projects further with them .”
Taking Codelco as an example , Metso Outotec had already been working with the Chilean copper mining major for some years supplying gyratory crushing plants for its underground operations ; as well as high-capacity conveying systems . So aside from Codelco liking the configurable nature of our Foresight SMPG design , they were very used to working closely with Metso Outotec and were familiar with the conforming engineering and plant delivery process , service and maintenance offering that it has .
Onto ore sorting – does this have applicability at the front end of IPCC in Berndt ’ s view ( ie at the primary crusher or feeder )? Metso Outotec and Malvern Panalytical last year signed a collaboration agreement to provide sensor-based bulk ore sorting solutions to the mining industry , but this is aimed more at downstream diverting of ore and waste . “ From a flowsheet perspective , more customers are looking at the potential of ore sorting . The deposit will define the level of application – and there are lots of examples of where ore sorting is already working . The question is at what point do you divert the waste away from the ore . In most conical hard rock mines that develop with phased pushbacks – you don ’ t have an area in the pit to store material . Inpit placement of overburden only really happens in large strip mines , which offer you that space without sterilising ore . In general , the ore sorter , or the diverter if you will – in most large metalliferous open-pit mines – will be ex-pit somewhere near the coarse ore stockpile stacker .”
What about the ESG nature of IPCC , is that something that is important in today ’ s decision making for mines in terms of reduced emissions ? “ ESG has definitely become part of the equation . Large companies are looking for more carbon neutral technologies are looking at reduced discount rates and implementing effectively a ‘ carbon tax ’ into the consideration – so in this case , even at reduced haul distances and lifts for ore or for waste IPCC is still being considered . Of course , the source of the electric power is also a factor , but IPCC is a crucial part of the Planet Positive portfolio that we present to customers .
Finally , a note on strategic partnerships . Mobile conveyors , spreaders and conveyor bridges have a role in the dump area and this is not part of Metso Outotec ’ s portfolio . In June
2021 , Metso Outotec and FAM announced a collaboration on integrated end to end IPCC solutions , allowing Metso Outotec to integrate these elements on large projects led by Metso Outotec , and on projects led by FAM , Metso Outotec can provide hard rock crushing solutions to FAM . FAM was then acquired by Beumer a year later , but the Metso Outotec – FAM partnership continues . “ We are still executing studies and engineering work together . They do crawler mounted dumping equipment that we don ’ t do , and from their side , they don ’ t make hard rock crusher systems , so on their side we can help with projects they are leading . Wherever both are required , we can meet .” Another good strategic partnership example is the long-term collaboration between Metso Outotec and Taiyuan Heavy ( TYHI ) in China – where Metso Outotec provides the hard rock crushing element and TYHI the steel housing part of the semimobile station . Some seven of these projects have been delivered in China in this way with an eighth underway . TYHI have a strong presence in the local market so for China it works well .
MMD on rethinking mining
Today ’ s mines are required to strip increasing volumes of ore to remain economically viable . Ore is now deeper with increasingly lowering grades . At the same time , mines have to find ways to make their operations more sustainable . These two requirements have not traditionally gone hand in hand . Economies of scale are no longer viable considering these restraints , and whilst practical and flexible , conventional truck and shovel operations have reached an upper limit . These limitations include the bottleneck of loading capacity rate , and the nature of truck transport itself being discontinuous and inefficient . MMD sees itself as having a unique level of experience in the IPCC field , with a vast array of IPCC installations worldwide including the three highest capacity , track mounted mobile sizers in the world . However , IPCC is not suited to every scenario and technology that bridges the gap between IPCC and traditional truck and shovel methods could unlock potential for mine operators worldwide .
A revolutionary in-pit solution comes in the form of the MMD Fully Mobile Surge Loader ( FMSL ) – which changes the truck and shovel format for the first time in over a century . The FMSL de-couples the shovel from the truck , enabling the shovel to load continuously and unlocking its full production potential . This leads to faster , more accurate loading of trucks , and vitally in today ’ s mines , the FMSL improves safety as well as energy efficiency . The technological innovations and emerging mining methodologies that form a mutually complimentary relationship with the FMSL are particularly exciting .
54 International Mining | MAY 2023