PROCESSING SOLUTIONS

Metso Unveils Plant Predictive

Maintenance Solution
“Mining companies need more visi-
bility to their processes, equipment
performance, and supply chain to im-
prove safety and efficiency, reduce ener-
gy usage, and, ultimately, inform better
business decisions,” said Blake Moret,
chairman and CEO, Rockwell Automa-
tion. “This connected mine solution al-
lows mining companies to derive measur-
able business value from their operations,
allowing for better collaboration and in-
creased productivity.”
The new offering covers Metso’s pri-
mary gyratory crushers, cone crushers
and vibrating screens. In the future, other
types of minerals processing equipment,
such as mills, will be addressed, accord-
ing to the company. The first generation
of Metso Metrics tools, focused on help-
ing aggregate and quarry producers, were
introduced in 2017.

Modular Trommel Line Offers

Long Life, Easier Maintenance
FLSmidth recently introduced a com-
pletely re-engineered trommel chassis
and associated screen media package.
The new trommel designs, said the com-
The latest version of Metso’s expanded Metrics service covers its primary gyratory crushers, cone crushers and
vibration screens, with other types of equipment to be included in future releases. pany, have been developed using Finite
Element Analysis (FEA) design calcula-
Metso has expanded its digital Metso ductivity at mine sites. This is where tions to ensure they are structurally sound
Metrics offering with the launch of a new digitalization coupled with expert sup- and can offer excellent service life.
predictive maintenance solution for min- port really comes into play — connect- The re-engineered trommel frames
ing equipment, aimed to help maximize ing the right data with the right people,” utilize modular design and standardized
the uptime and performance of comminu- said Jani Puroranta, chief digital officer, construction principles that provides a
tion circuits. The service was introduced Metso. “With innovative digital tools frame with less mass while maintaining
at the recent Automation Fair conference like Metso Metrics, minerals process- maximum structural integrity. The new
hosted by Rockwell Automation in Phila- ing plants can shift from reactive-mode design employs screen media that is cus-
delphia, Pennsylvania, USA. to being proactive and focused on con- tom designed to be easy and safe to in-
Metso said its Metrics solution is de- tinuous improvement.” stall and service.
signed to provide global mining custom- The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) The screening media weigh less than
ers improved visibility and new insights solution is built on the Rockwell Automa- 25 kg each and are fitted to the trommel
into their equipment and processes with tion FactoryTalk Cloud platform, powered using friction grip rails that don’t require
analytics, condition monitoring and pre- by Microsoft Azure. It securely collects bolts or pins. Panel fitting and main-
dictive maintenance, backed by expert data from hundreds of sensors within tenance activities can be carried out
support from Metso. The company said Metso equipment to assess process per- quickly and safely using simple tools,
the combination of advanced technology formance, as well as predict component reducing the time it takes to perform
and expertise will bring Metso services wear and failure. Metso performance routine maintenance activities, according
closer to customers by improving collabo- teams analyze the data with the support to the company.
ration, asset reliability and optimization. of advanced machine learning algorithms, Discrete Element Analysis (DEM) soft-
“Optimization of existing assets and to help customers optimize equipment ware, available to customers through FLS-
processes is now the key to drive pro- operations and processes. midth, simulates trommel operation and

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 PROCESSING SOLUTIONS

Designed by FLSmidth with the aid of Finite Element Analysis techiques, the company’s new trommels are said to offer superior service life coupled with maintenance features
that enable quicker, easier service and media replacement.

allows an analysis of pulp flow through performance. The Timken Co. recently method in which a solid is vaporized pro-
the unit. The company said its engineers noted that even though it uses special ducing atoms or molecules that are trans-
can advise on how to optimize pulp flow heat-treating processes to produce highly ported in a vacuum to be deposited on
through the trommel to improve both durable bearings, some applications re- the object as a thin film. These coatings
throughput and wear life of the screens. quire a superior degree of wear resistance typically provide the highest level of wear
The trommel chassis can be custom and corrosion protection. resistance and friction reduction. Timken
made to suit specific requirements. The Timken said it has more than 20 years has validated bearing-life improvements
company said global sourcing plans are applied surface engineering technologies up to six times over the standard where
already in place and, in combination with to bearing rolling elements (balls and roll- PVD coatings are used in laboratory studies
the modular features incorporated in the ers) to limit component damage in harsh while in oil-out conditions. These bearings
new designs, that allows trommel chas- operating conditions where standard bear- have been observed to last approximately
sis to be fabricated closer to customers’ ings tend to fall short of customer expec- 10 times longer than those with uncoated
sites, providing faster delivery. tations for long, trouble-free life. rollers. Timken said PVD is a rigorous coat-
“We are excited to deliver this inno- When rolling elements with specific ing process that must be controlled within
vative solution to the market because we coatings and engineered surfaces are in- world-class production facilities and with
believe it will be a key component for in- corporated into a bearing, the assembly stringent design and quality specifications.
creased capacity for our customers. We may be described as a “wear-resistant Electrodeposited Coatings: Electrode-
recognized the customer’s need for a sim- bearing” by Timken. Decades of intensive posited coatings provide outstanding cor-
ple to use and dependable trommel solu- research and development have resulted rosion-resistance protection for a wide
tion and we responded. These are suit- in a range of coating options that enhance range of applications. This type of coat-
able to any mining operation across the the performance of bearings in mining and ing is typically applied on bearings expe-
globe and will deliver on our promise of many other types of industrial equipment. riencing lighter loads and nonacidic solu-
sustainable productivity enhancement,” Timken said it solves complex friction- tions. The degree of corrosion protection
said Brent Stokes, head of Wear Parts & management problems in a variety of ways, depends on the type of coating and the
Consumables, FLSmidth. including fundamental innovations in tri- application. Some coatings also increase
bology, lubrication, surface engineering and bearing wear life because they harden the
Coatings Cater to Bearings’ materials science. Understanding friction contact surfaces.
Special Needs and wear at the atomic level helps Timken Surface Conversions: Conversion coat-
Heavy industry demands stronger bear- engineer custom coatings for bearing com- ings combine excellent wear and corrosion
ings that can withstand greater loads, ponents that greatly improve the bearing’s resistance with an ability to withstand false
faster speeds, higher temperatures and ability to resist corrosion and wear. brinelling (fretting wear caused by oscilla-
the constant threat of contamination. The Timken coatings portfolio includes: tions or vibrations). While not as durable
Bearings in critical equipment are of- PVD Coatings: Physical vapor deposi- as PVD coatings, they offer another way
ten pushed to the limits of reliable tion (PVD) describes a vacuum-deposition to improve bearing performance and tend

www.e-mj.com DECEMBER 2018 • E&MJ 101

 PROCESSING SOLUTIONS

to cost less than premium options. Black producer PT Amman Mineral Nusa Teng- 61850, making it possible to digitalize
oxide coatings, for instance, are processed gara. The contract, valued at approximate- existing brownfield sites.”
in an alkaline bath to convert the bearing ly €10 million, has been booked in Ou- The Power Control Library is part of
surface to an oxide layer. This helps retain totec’s 2018 fourth-quarter order intake. the ABB Ability MineOptimize digital
lubricant on the steel surfaces and mini- Outotec’s scope of engineering covers portfolio. It works with ABB Ability Sys-
mize wear in applications where bearing the design of the entire copper smelter. The tem 800xA, which is a platform for moni-
rollers are prone to slip or skid on the rings. engineering will be based on Outotec Flash toring and controlling a wide range of au-
Spray Coatings: Spray coatings such as Smelting and Flash Converting technology, tomated industrial processes. The library
powder coat and dielectric coat are main- and the facility includes an electrolytic re- is based on the International Electrotech-
ly applied to housed bearings, ancillary finery, slag concentrator, precious metals nical Commission’s (IEC) 61850 stan-
components and backing rings to resist refinery, wet gas cleaning, and Lurec sulfu- dard, which creates a common language
corrosion. Dielectric coatings also inhib- ric acid plant as well as effluent treatment for automated substations and power dis-
it electric arcing by providing insulation plant and its associated infrastructure. tribution systems so that technologically
where current passage through the bear- Outotec’s design work will take place advanced mines around the world are
ing is a damage risk. The housed bearing in the next nine months and is a continu- able to take advantage of its capabilities.
units commonly found on conveyors and ation of the feasibility study conducted in The updated version supports non-IEC
other material-handling applications are 2017. Once completed, the new smelter 61850 substations through the PLC Con-
good candidates for spray coatings that is planned to primarily process Indone- nect functionality of System 800xA, to com-
can deliver excellent corrosion resistance. sian copper concentrate. municate with and control a broader range
The company warned that coatings of intelligent electronic devices (IEDs).
cannot improve the performance of bear- ABB Updates Plant Power The Power Control Library provides en-
ings made of substandard steel or having Control Software Library gineers that operate automated mines with
poor dimensional control. An effective ABB has modified its ABB Ability System the ability to rapidly troubleshoot electri-
bearing solution starts with properly de- 800xA Power Control Library (formerly cal system issues through an enhanced
signed component geometry and met- MIDAS Library) software to include more substation control and monitoring envi-
allurgy for meeting clear application re- options to communicate with and control ronment in one control room. It allows a
quirements, and it must be manufactured electrical devices throughout the power broader range of electrical and substation
using appropriate methods and quality infrastructure for mining and mineral pro- equipment to be monitored and managed
processes. Only then will advanced treat- cessing operations. The digital solution remotely, so that potential issues can be
ments on functional surfaces deliver the now supports the PLC (Programmable resolved quickly and safely. This remote
specific benefits a customer is looking for. Logical Controller) Connect functionality monitoring allows the plant team to solve
Coatings, according to Timken, can to extend power automation beyond IEC problems safely, away from the electrical
deliver benefits anywhere load, speed and 61850 devices and infrastructure. substation, thus reducing the time for elec-
temperature requirements tax the capa- Martin Knabenhans, head of product trical fault diagnosis and problem solving.
bilities of conventional bearings. For ex- management for ABB’s Process Indus- ABB said that since its introduction in
ample, a customer will change from one tries business unit, said, “With the addi- 2014, the Power Control Library has been
type of lubricant to another and discover tion of PLC Connect support, this Power implemented in more than 20 projects
they’ve become susceptible to new sur- Control release also enables digitalization worldwide and has integrated more than
face wear as a result. Or a customer may for substations that were built without 4,000 IEDs.
want to run with a lower-viscosity lubri-
cant to improve the energy efficiency of
their equipment, but this can damage the
bearing. In such cases, a special coating
can be a cost-effective solution. Ulti-
mately, the goal for all customers is to ex-
tend the life of the bearing and eliminate
maintenance intervals.
More advice for extending bearing life
and reducing equipment downtime is
available online at timken.com/coatings.

Outotec to Design a Copper

Smelter in Indonesia
Outotec has signed a contract for the
Front-End Engineering Design (FEED)
of a new copper smelter to be located at
Benete Bay in Sumbawa, Indonesia. The
contract partner is PT Amman Mineral ABB’s Power Control Library software now offers a wider range of communication options for plant and mine
Industri, a subsidiary of copper and gold electrical systems, allowing them to be monitored and managed remotely.

102 E&MJ • DECEMBER 2018 www.e-mj.com

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