SOURCE: Metso | May 16, 2025
Global miners are currently caught in the middle of an operational tug of war. With electrification efforts driving ever increasing demands for many key metals and minerals such as copper, nickel, and lithium among others, mine sites continue to look for ways to increase production. However, stricter regulations and social pressures are mounting on mining operations to become more sustainable and to make improvements in terms of energy use, water, and chemical consumption. Mine sites are also challenged to reduce the ever-growing amount of waste sent to landfills.
To balance increasing production while using less inputs and resources, operators are exploring all options. These include changing their flowsheet by adding more energy-efficient equipment or investing in large-scale refurbishments and modernizations of aging machines with the latest technology to realize sustainability gains. Although both strategies can result in significant environmental improvements, they often require large upfront investments. Many sites are reluctant to make these financial commitments in view of today’s rapidly changing market conditions. So, what are mining companies to do? One often overlooked investment, training for site teams, can provide increasing sustainability gains at each process stage, while also enhancing production, efficiency and safety at a reasonable cost.
Investing in true “critical assets”
There is a saying that “Investing in your employee’s development is equivalent to investing in the future of your company.” It can seem obvious that better-trained employees will be more efficient at what they do, become better problem solvers when issues arise, and be more able to connect the dots when looking for new and sustainable solutions. But how is that playing out in modern mine sites and plants? The reality is that a knowledge gap has been developing in the workforce as experienced and knowledgeable personnel leave the field due to retirement, a reluctance to live at remote sites or normal attrition. Backfilling this expertise has proven to be no easy task. Recent studies highlight that mining is not always a top career choice for young professionals, further complicating efforts to attract new talent.
Fortunately, the use of modern training tools, resources, and methods has the potential to help sites realize substantial environmental gains without the investments associated with major modernization efforts or investing in new machines.
Several areas where training can have an immediate impact are:
- Targeting the improvement of minerals processing knowledge
- Improving maintenance know-how
- Developing equipment operation skills
- Leveraging the latest digital tools and innovations
Maintenance – the secret to equipment longevity
Modern mine sites have a wide range of technology operating in their minerals processing circuits, ranging from crushing, screening, and grinding equipment, to process stages involving filters, flotation and thickening tanks among others. Keeping maintenance teams up to date on all the preventive service steps for each brand and technology can be a daunting challenge. Many machines require specific inspection steps on a daily, weekly, quarterly and annual basis to catch issues and prevent problems from arising that may cause premature wear on components or the equipment itself.
Here are a few common maintenance gaps often identified by Metso technical trainers that lead to machines or parts wearing out early:
Gyratory crushers:
Neglecting to inspect and measure the spider bushing clearance during scheduled shutdowns. This can lead to accelerated wear on the mainshaft sleeve and even bushing seizure or burning.
Crusher concaves and mantles:
Not checking wear profiles regularly can result in uneven liner wear and premature replacement. Minor adjustments or repositioning can extend liner life.
Crushers & screens:
Improper lubrication system management caused by not fully understanding alarm thresholds or ignoring minor alerts often results in running crushers or screens with inadequate lubrication — damaging critical components.
Screen media:
Using incorrect torque or skipping re-torquing steps on components like screen media clamps, can lead to loosening, energy inefficiencies, and faster wear.
Filters:
Improper backflush settings or timing on filter systems can increase energy usage and reduce filtration effectiveness, leading to higher wear and lower fluid quality.
Many sites rely on shadow training or draw on the experience from their most knowledgeable service people. With so much experience leaving the workforce through retirements and other factors, mining producers are finding that many of the tips and tricks for maintaining equipment are no longer there to be passed down to up-and-coming talent. Training programs can help to fill this gap and ensure that machines and circuits are well maintained, dramatically cutting down on premature wear on parts sent to landfill and saving on the carbon required to produce replacement components or new equipment.
Driving for efficiency – perfection through practice
Even when maintenance programs are running smoothly, there are opportunities to improve environmental performance and save on water, energy, and parts consumption. If equipment is not operated in an optimal manner, inefficiencies can often arise. Optimal operation is also not a “set it and forget it” concept. As circuit feed changes or production demands vary, the way the circuit is operated can have a tremendous impact on input consumption.
After training, a few common operational practices that Metso trainers have identified that can be improved are:
Optimizing crusher feed distribution and making adjustments:
Many operators overlook how uneven feed or incorrect CSS settings increase power draw, liner wear, and generate more fines (waste).
Determining the correct screen stroke and angle setup:
Small adjustments in stroke settings or screen inclination often led to significantly better efficiency and product quality, avoiding recirculation and reducing energy use.
Understanding vibration analysis:
After training, customers often start leveraging condition monitoring more effectively, identifying issues earlier and avoiding catastrophic failures leading to equipment and parts wastage.
Operating filters or hydrocyclones outside of designed pressure ranges:
Many operators have expressed how they did not realize how much pressure range settings affect separation efficiency and energy usage until they were shown data during training sessions.
Improved water usage strategies in wet crushing/screening:
Recognizing opportunities to optimize flow and spray nozzles, minimizing waste without sacrificing performance.
Training programs for circuit operators and supervisors can help site personnel not only understand how individual pieces of equipment can and should be operated based on changing conditions but also helps them to see the links between the different process stages. Making changes to one process island or piece of equipment can impact both upstream and downstream equipment performance. Operators who understand how everything works together have the best chance of making the correct adjustments to maintain the desired production and performance.
Final thoughts – amplifying with digital
On-site, machine side learning and remote training programs can all play a critical role in bringing maintenance teams up to speed on the latest service methodologies to ensure the highest lifetime and the least waste when it comes to plant equipment. They can also allow operators to connect the dots when it comes to understanding how to react and adjust their machines and process circuits in the most optimal way as production and ore characteristics vary.
The last factor worth considering to amplify sustainability gains is the role of new digital innovations and tools. Remote monitoring can provide data to assist maintenance teams in identifying problems early, when they can be easily solved, rather than waiting for machine failures. On the operational side, Operator Training Simulators (OTS systems) such as Metso’s Geminex OTS can allow plant operators to practice running a generic or even a digital replica of their exact flowsheet in a risk-free environment. This will allow users to better understand how their particular plant reacts to changes and what to do when problems arise. Combining training with insights on how to use the latest digital solutions will ensure site personnel are ready for the many challenges that will come their way. Whatever approach to training is taken, it is safe to say that sustainability starts with skills.
Whether it’s a one off training to address a need or creating and working with you to develop a competence development plan, Metso Academy – Metso is there to be your partner in skills development.
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