Metso signs Vertimill agreement

Metso and the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, have finalised a three-year agreement encompassing joint research and performance evaluations of the Vertimill grindingmill developed by Metso.

The agreement is part of a longstanding relationship between Metso and the Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre (JKMRC), at the university’s Sustainable Minerals Institute.
The project provides the JKMRC with the opportunity to enhance its already significant knowledge base in stirred milling while providing direct value to Metso and its technologies.

According to JKMRC’s director, Professor Geoff Gault, Metso has been a strong supporter of research at the JKMRC, mainly through its Brisbane-based Process Technology and Innovation business unit.

Metso and JKMRC will cooperate by sharing their expertise and methodology, and by further validating field-performance in terms of energy efficiency, not only in fine grinding applications but specifically in coarse grinding applications. As the application range of the Vertimill grinding mill expands, this independent research can help to find better ways of operating, and validate the methodology.

According to Kenneth Brame, senior vice president, comminution, mining and construction technology at Metso, the importance of the collaboration is essential for continued success in the mining arena. “In order to maintain and increase customer success, we must develop new technologies and procedures that will address customer needs. This process requires a broad mix of competencies and dedicated resources, so university collaboration is essential to quickly gain and sustain momentum,” he said.

Professor Malcolm Powell, JKMRC’s professorial chair in sustainable comminution, commented that the JKMRC endeavours to cover the entire comminution and classification process chain in mineral processing. “We provide complete modelling and simulation capability, delivered via the JKSimMet processing plant simulator,” he said. “Fine grinding is playing a growing role in the beneficiation of finely disseminated minerals, so the JKMRC is actively improving its modelling capability in this area.”