Mining Minds - Minedocs

» KnowledgeIN FOCUSIn-pit solutionsare the publictransportationof miningPRE-CONCENTRATION preferably happens closeto the mine, underground or in the pit. And just aswe need to reduce the total volume of ore handled,we also need to look at the way it is transported.As a comparison, large cities all over the worldare finding ways to reduce the number of privatevehicles on the road by investing in public transport.THE SAME IS HAPPENING in the mining industry. Intraditional mining, large trucks are used to transportbig rocks from the pit to a point on the surface wherethe rocks can be crushed. But many mines today areeliminating trucks from their open pits, and there willbe many more doing this in the future. Why? Safety isone factor: most of the accidents at mines are relatedto trucks. Trucks consume a lot of fuel and generate alot of emissions, including dust from the haulage.SO WHAT DO WE DO if we remove the truckcomponent? What is the equivalent of publictransport for our mines? Metso’s In-the-Pit Solutions.Mobile feeders, mobile crushing and screeningequipment, and mobile conveyors provide a singleand continuous high-rate material transport solution,replacing tens of individual trucks. Metso’s In-the-PitSolutions are a safer and more sustainable alternativeto truck haulage and at a significantly loweroperating cost.Read more aboutIn-the-pit ts mining 1/2017The mining industry has always been known for handling hugevolumes of ore, sometimes moving entire mountains. Unfortunately,because we are unable to accurately discriminate valuable materialfrom waste, a significant portion of the volume extracted is actuallywaste material. Imagine if only the “good” ore was extracted orwaste was discarded in the very early stages of processing. Byreducing the amount of ore excavated, transported, crushed, ground,separated, etc, the consumption of energy and water is reduced bythe same proportion, offering a breakthrough in sustainability for themining industry.“Metso has built its leadership on improving thecomminution process by developing and offeringever more energy-efficient technology, and thishas become an essential driver of our innovation.”The methods for early removal of waste are commonly called“pre-concentration”. The focus on pre-concentration is new to theindustry because the previous focus was on volume, not sustainability.At the moment, very few applications of pre-concentration exist. Overthe last few years, significant investments were made in the industryin pursuit of new sensors capable of measuring metal content inlarge volumes of ore to allow “sensor-based ore sorting”. Metso hasinvestigated this sensor domain; however, the new consensus today isto separate the valuable from waste by screening in the pit, utilizinga natural property of fragmented ores right after blasting: metalconcentration tends to go with the finest fractions, while larger rocksare essentially waste material. This is a large opportunity for Metso,which is a global leader in mobile equipment and screens, withmachines like our mobile ScreenTracks. This pre-concentration usingnatural ore properties and physical separation will have the greatestadoption rate at our customer operations as the search for bettersensors continues.”MORE INFORMATION:Olivier GuyotTel.: 33 02 38 25 35 74E-mail: olivier.guyot@metso.com

» KnowledgeIN FOCUSCOMMINUTION CIRCUITSPushingthe boundaries withFrom ourpioneeringdesignsThe three biggest ways to reduce capital expenditure (CAPEX)and operational expenditure (OPEX) through circuit design is toreduce the quantity of operating equipment, use the most efficientequipment available and ensure that the complete comminutioncircuit is designed to maximize plant efficiency. Today, exciting newsolutions are pushing the boundaries of circuit design.DESIGNING PLANTS FOR MAXIMUMPROFIT With diminishing ore grades andrising energy costs, ensuring that a plant hasthe lowest total cost of ownership is vital. Oneway to achieve this is to reduce the numberof lines in the comminution circuit with as fewmoving components as possible – a strategythat has been employed in SAG mill circuits forsome time. Cost savings come from a smallerfootprint, a reduction in installation costs, areduction in ancillary equipment, and shortercommissioning time, which results in quickerrealization of production targets. By havinga single-line circuit, equipment availabilityis increased as there is less equipment thatneeds regular maintenance and that can breakdown. Moreover, larger machines tend tohave similar maintenance intervals as smallermachines; but with less machines to maintain,the overall plant availability can be increased.EQUIPMENT FOR INDUSTRY-LEADINGMINES The MP 2500 cone crusher, theHRC 3000 HPGR, and the VERTIMILL VTM-4500-C are the largest equipment oftheir kind. With these machines, single-line/single-equipment crushing circuits up to95,000 tpd are now achievable. They offersignificant improvements over the traditionalversions available to the market. Metso’sMP cone crushers are the industry standardwhen it comes to large cone crushing andare known for processing more ore thanany competitive unit at the same reductionratio or product size. And now, the MP 2500offers the largest available feed opening onthe market, which potentially reduces theload on the primary crusher and could allowfor smaller or a lower quantity of primarycrushers.Metso’s HRC 3000 features the patentedArch-frame and a flanged roll design, whichprovides increased machine capacity,improved energy efficiency, and increasedroll life compared to traditional HPGRs on themarket. In closed-circuit testing, the Archframe and flanges were shown to increasethe circuit capacity by over 20% and decreasespecific energy by over 10%. The Arch-framealso provides alignment that is critical forlarger HPGR sizes, such as the HRC 3000.“The most profitableoperations require the totalcomminution circuit to bedesigned to maximize overallplant efficiency while providingthe required liberation fordownstream processes.”Finally, the VERTIMILL VTM-4500-C is theworld’s largest gravity-induced stirred milland the only stirred mill on the market that ispractical to use in a high-capacity secondarygrinding application. This means that an HRC HPGR can directly feed a VERTIMILL grindingmill. In one operating installation, twoVTM-4500-C mills are in a closed circuit withmultiple stages of high-frequency screens, andare accepting a feed of 90% passing 3 mmand grinding to a specification of 85% passing74 microns at 400 mtph. Additionally, with theVTM-7000-C model now available, operatorsare able to further reduce the number of lineswhile taking advantage of the VERTIMILL’senergy efficiency and footprint benefits.PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER Regardlessof how efficient any piece of equipment is,the most profitable operations require thetotal comminution circuit to be designedto maximize overall plant efficiency whileproviding the required liberation fordownstream processes. Every plant hasdifferent needs, and our experts can helpprovide a total flowsheet solution that fits theunique needs of your plant.MORE INFORMATION:Victoria HermanTel.: 1 717 849 7241E-mail: victoria.herman@metso.comresults mining 1/20179

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» KnowledgeMETSO’S PUMP SOLUTIONSChangingtoday’s miningindustryMetso continues to be a leader in the miningsector by looking to new technologies andstrategies. It has released a new range of milldischarge pumps with enhanced features thatcater to today’s modern mining industry.EDITOR: Inka TörmäPHOTOS: Metsoresults mining 1/201711

» Knowledge“The MD pumpboasts higher overallefficiencies, resultingin lower powerconsumption, longerwear life and greaterprocess uptimefor the end user.”12results mining 1/2017WHILE METSO HASHAD A SLURRYPUMP LINE FORYEARS, the newMDM (hardmetal) and MDR(rubber-lined) are the latest additions toits complete range of heavy-duty slurrypumps and the first that are specificallydesigned for mill discharge services andapplications. The new mill dischargepump, or better known as the MD pump,incorporates features and benefits thataddress the most aggressive application ina mining mill circuit, which also happensto be the most concentrated, most abrasiveapplication for a pump in a mine. At thedischarge of the mill, the slurry is themost abrasive and is usually at its highestconcentration and volume. High wearis normal for this service; it requiresa very large and robust pump, making ita big power consumer. It’s the heart of themine’s mill circuit.While the pump can be used for anyheavy-duty slurry applications, it isdesigned primarily for mining applicationsat the downstream side of the mills wherethe primary crushing of the ore takesplace. For this reason, the MD pumpis specifically designed to handle highabrasion. It is large in size in order tohandle large volumes of slurry and to keepthe rotating speed as low as possible.DESIGNED FOR MODERN MINING Special design parameters have been putin place for this new line of pumps sincethe mills and crushers in today’s miningindustry are much larger than they oncewere. Today they have to process moreearth to get the same amount of desired

» KnowledgeWhat sets the Metso mill discharge pump apart fromits competitors is the modern design criteria:Metso has gone beyond combining and re-releasingtechnology based on prior designs.slows them down and gives them longerlife. Typically, in slurry applications pumpwear increases by the square of the speedchange. The faster it goes, the faster thewear components will fail. Likewise,the slower it goes, the longer the lifeexpectancy of the wear parts. With thenew line of MD pumps, customers get thebest product available.What sets Metso’s pumps apart from itscompetitors is the modern design criteria:Metso has gone beyond combining andre-releasing technology based on priordesigns. Its solution is more efficient,lasts longer and reduces operating costs.Along with the power savings, waterconsumption has also been reduced –thanks to the sealed pump shafts. Thetwo highest costs in a mine are water andore. Consequently, the pumps have topower; with that in mind, the new MDbe bigger. Metso’s MD line is designedline is designed to minimize consumptionaround today’s sized mills in order toof both of these utilities, thereby loweringefficiently accommodate typical flows.the cost per ton forprocessing ore.“Metso performs extensive engineeringThe MD pumpboastshigher overalland quality reviews on all of its designs,efficiencies, resultingboth from a technical standpoint asin lower powerconsumption, longerwell as with the supply chain.”wear life and greaterprocess uptime forthe end user. Additionally, the customerThe new line features a consistentreceives a comprehensive operationalhydraulic design that is based on aanalysis that takes multiple factors intomaximum inlet velocity of 5.5 m/s, whichaccount in order to give the very besthelps to reduce the amount of wearsolution possible.on the pumps and gives them a longeroperational capability. The new line alsoTOP QUALITY STANDARDS Metsohas a defined minimum aspect ratio,performs extensive engineering andwhich makes the pumps slightly larger,quality reviews on all of its designs, bothfrom a technical standpoint as well aswith the supply chain. A ‘manufacturinglite’ business model is used, meaningthat Metso relies on an extensive globalsupply chain, as opposed to having largefactories. Finished parts that are made toour design, drawings and specificationsare then checked by both the vendor andby Metso.Metso has extensive testing facilitiesfor its pumps in Sala, Sweden. All of thepumps that are manufactured there canbe tested in accordance with both theHydraulic Institute standards and ISO9906 for hydraulic performance testing.Metso’s design concept is comprehensive,with safety and quality fundamental partsof the process.MORE INFORMATION:Timo TorvinenTel.: 358 20 483 5823E-mail: timo.torvinen@metso.comThis is an adaptation of the article ‘How Metso’sglobal solutions are changing today’s miningindustry,’ originally published in Pump Engineermagazine, October 2016 issue. The author ofthe original article is Sarah Schroer.RECENT MD BIAresults mining 1/201713

» KnowledgeIN FOCUSIPCCDeliveringa step changein operating costsFrom ourMining evolves, but sometimes a step change happens.TEXT: Erik IsokangasIMAGE: ShutterstockMINING IS AS OLD ashuman civilization. Inthe Stone Age, flint wasmined by hand to maketools. Mining expandedthrough the Bronze Agewhen stones and metals were mined for theirbeauty, tin and copper to make bronze forweapons, marble for construction, and silverand gold for commerce and trade, in everlarger quantities, but still by hand. Miningorganically grew through the sheer number“Conventional truckhaulage can accountfor up to 50 to 60%of the operatingcost of mining.”14results mining 1/2017of hands, with some mines using tens ofthousands of slaves. But early in the firstcentury, a step change occurred: the Romansdeveloped large-scale mining methodsusing hydraulics. The technique was called,hushing, where water was used to sluice awayoverburden to expose the veins of metal.Heated rock was then quenched to fractureit through thermal shock. The discoveryof black powder in the 17th centuryfinally ushered in the era of blasting.Another step change happened.

» KnowledgeORGANIC GROWTH IN HAULAGE Haultrucks have been a pillar of mining foralmost 100 years. They’ve grown fromthe 6 ton capacity trucks of the 1920sto the 400 ton giants of today. They’reincredibly flexible, big, and exciting.We’ve grown-up as young boys and girlswith a Tonka truck in our sand pits andLEGO dump trucks in our bedrooms. Atuniversity we were taught how to designand plan using trucks.But trucks are also incredibly inefficient,spending half their time driving empty,wasting diesel to move 100s of tons ofsteel, and needing a driver in every seat.It wasn’t long ago that tires were morescarce than the proverbial hen’s tooth, andwhen oil hit 100 a barrel our beautifultruck was starting to lose its shine.EXAMPLE CASETHE NEXT STEP CHANGEDelivering a step changein operating costs with IPCCLET’S CONSIDER A MINING OPERATION where 10 million cubicmeters (in-situ) per year of material needs to be transported 3 km;thus a 6 km, 20 minute, return trip for trucks. This job might beachieved using two 350 t excavators and a fleet of twelve 140 ttrucks, operating 5800 hrs per year. To support this fleet, water trucksand graders are also needed for road maintenance and, say, a few dozers fordump maintenance and pit clean-up.If this mine employed a fully mobile solution to move the same volume ofmaterial with the same class of excavators, the system might include a 2000 tphmobile crusher/sizer, such as Metso’s LT160E, for each excavator (one on eachof two benches), connected to a Lokolink articulated mobile conveyor feedinga shiftable conveyor. An inclined bench conveyor would feed material from thesecond bench and portable conveyors needed to exit the pit. A 2 km overlandconveyor would take the material to a waste dump. A 1 km shiftable conveyoron the dump would then feed a spreader. Dozers and other equipment wouldalso be needed for conveyor shifting and clean-up. This scenario assumes 5200operating hours per year due to the additional time required to move conveyors.Comparing these two scenarios, using energy and labor costs typical inan Asian country, the in-pit crushing and conveying (IPCC) solution would bearound 20% or EUR 0.25/ton cheaper to operate, including the cost of the capitalfunded at an interest rate of 7% over 7 years. In a country with higher costs ofinputs, IPCC is even more cost effective.FIGURE 1 shows a comparison in costs between the two scenarios. Althoughthere is an additional cost of crushing or sizing the material, this is vastlyoutweighed by the savings in transport. Utilities costs are also cheaper in theIPCC scenario, particularly due to the reduction in road maintenance costs.This is a very significant cost saving.EVERY MINE will have different cost inputs, pit geometry, materialcharacteristics, lithology, equipment, and mining targets, but this examplehighlights the potential for IPCC to deliver a step change in operating costs.1.40Life of Mine Cost ( /TONNE)Until the early 20th century,transporting waste and ore was done byhand, water, wheelbarrows, horse-drawncarts and ore cars on rails. The inventionof the internal combustion engine ledto another step change in mining: thedevelopment of haul trucks as we knowthem TransportLoading0.370.400.20Utilities0.230.25CTH (Truck/Excav)IPCC (Fully mobile)0.00Figure 1: Comparison between conventional truck haulage (CTH) anda fully mobile (IPCC) solution for waste handling (graphed by work category)results mining 1/201715

» KnowledgeIPCC solutions also come with a range of other benefits:less dust, less environmental emissions, less water consumption,less noise, and less energy consumption. They also open the door to newopportunities for mining automation and pre-concentration techniques.Conventional truck haulage can accountfor up to 50 to 60% of the operating costof mining. Oil won’t stay at today’s lowprices forever and truck tires limit haulagedistance or capacity. Trucks are and willbecome more expensive.THE NEXT STEP CHANGE Over recentyears the mining industry has seen asignificant negative trend in the valueof commodities. Pits are becomingdeeper, grades lower, and costs of inputsincreasing. So the industry is exploringnew ways to mine at lower cost, lookingat new equipment systems, methods, andtechnologies. Conventional truck haulageis becoming unviable at many mines.There is a solution to the challengeof these ‘mega-trends’: reduce relianceon trucks as the main method oftransportation. Put the mineral orwaste material on a conveyor as earlyas practical in the mining pr

mill discharge pumps, slurry hose products, and now classification hydrocyclones are all available in Metso’s offering. MORE INFORMATION: Thierry Monredon Tel.: 33 (0) 6 74 08 38 95 E-mail: thierry.monredon@metso.com