Minerals processing specialist Metso reports that it has developed a solution to ease the maintenance of its Vertimill grinding mills, which introduces a liner-lifting fixture that speeds up the changing of liners and makes the process safe.
The Vertimill liner-lifting fixture replaces the traditional method of installing screw liners.
“We approached our clients to find out what their needs and wants are, and based our design on this. It makes it unique, as all operational constraints are considered,” Metso Mining & Construction technical development manager Clive Heath says.
Metso has been testing the tool at a customer site since June and it will be available for existing and future customers in early 2014. The new fixture is designed to meet growing customer demand for a more efficient way to handle liner changing. The traditional method of installing the screw liners with basic lifting tools has proved difficult and unsafe.
“This new method of Vertimill liner replacement is just one example where Metso has developed an innovative solution to help its customers succeed,” says Metso Mining & Construction life cycle services VP Simon Pelletier.
Since its introduction in the late 1970s, close to 420 Vertimill grinding mills have been sold worldwide. The high-capacity vertical grinding mill is a versatile tool that exhibits many advantages over traditional ball milling.
“In comparison with traditional ball mills, in fine and regrind applications, the Vertimills perform the same grind with 30% to 50% less energy and significantly lower grind- ing media consumption. The Vertimill application range is also being extended into coarse and secondary applications, creating more energy-saving opportunities,” the company states.
Further, the machine has fewer moving parts than a ball mill, translating into faster and cheaper installation, and lower maintenance and operating costs. “These features bring substantial savings for mining companies,” the company says.