The 3+2-year extension covers the supply of mill lining solutions and the preventive maintenance of the grinding circuit. The value of the order will not be disclosed.
The contract is a performance-based cost-per-tonne agreement in which Metso gets paid according to the output of the customer's process.
The goal is to ensure the availability of the grinding circuit and to maximise valuable production time. Striving for a common goal benefits both parties.
Metso and Boliden have cooperated since the 1960s. In 2007, Metso supplied two 11.6m by 13.7m AG mills and two ball mills for the expansion of Aitik, and has been responsible for maintaining them ever since.
The new contract continues to strengthen the collaboration. Boliden is looking to further increase the grinding circuit's uptime and to boost annual production. To achieve this, it needs to extend service intervals by maximising the lifetime of the mill linings and keep the service shutdowns as short as possible.
“Metso is, without a doubt, the number one partner for Boliden in the Aitik concentrator. However, they constantly keep us on our toes and challenge us to reach new records, but it's a challenge we welcome with open arms,” says Heikki Metsälä, Regional Life Cycle Services Manager, Metso.
The AG mills in Aitik will continue to be lined using Metso's innovative Megaliner mill lining, which is said to help maximise the availability of large mills by utilising an innovative design that speeds up replacement. The larger-than-average liners means that fewer are needed.
Metso says Megaliner also has fewer attachment points compared with conventional liners, further improving installation and removal time. It also improves worker safety during maintenance, as the liners are bolted into position from outside the mill.
The ball mills as well as two regrind mills will continue to be lined with rubber mill linings.
