The bulk material transportation process can be one of the highest operational costs for mining companies. But thanks to new technologies and innovative solution engineering, it is also an area in which operators can today make some of their most significant efficiencies.

The question of how much transportation impacts costs depends on a range of factors, such as the type of material being mined. However, according to recent studies, in some mines, belt conveyor systems could account for up to 40% of operational costs, and even up to half of total energy consumption.

Opportunities for optimisation

The scope for both cost and energy savings is, therefore, clearly substantial. Metso Outotec's answer to the problem is to offer its clients a bespoke, holistic solution tailored to a mine's individual needs. These material transportation solutions include truck loading and hauling, chutes and belt conveyor systems. In addition, the company offers different types of conveyor equipment for mining and aggregates industries.

Justin Ryan, vice president and head of the material transportation business line at Metso Outotec, says that that the company has a unique capability to design a holistic transportation solution for its clients, helping move bulk material "from the pit to the port", as he puts it.

"The truck moves ore and if there's no truck, you are going to be using a conveyor," he says. "You would load that into a chute and nine times out of ten, they will go through some form of process onto a conveyor and then through another chute. So, you can see that our different material transportation product groups have an enormous amount of synergies."

Ryan says that there has - up until now - been "a gap in the market" when it comes to combining the material transportation product groups into a single offering. Critically, the solutions that Metso Outotec designs for its clients also include process optimization and maintenance, which save downtime further along in the products' lifetime.

"Truck body linings, chute linings, and conveyor solutions are often not considered to be primarily parts of the mining process," Ryan explains. "Traditionally, the customer focus tends to be on the availability of the larger equipment, like mills and crushers. However, there is a huge opportunity for optimization in the ‘ancillary equipment' with cost and energy savings to be gained." He continues: "We've brought them all together giving the customer the option to start looking holistically and join those dots to give a workable, sustainable solution from one end of the plant to the other."

Addressing environment

The transportation solutions that Metso Outotec offers will also go some way towards tackling the key challenges facing the mining industry in the coming years. Ryan lists these as: automation and digitalisation; market consolidation; an increased focus on sustainability, and a growing demand for ‘green' minerals such as lithium.

For example, the automation and digitalisation agenda has allowed Metso Outotec to offer real-time digital wear analysis of its transportation products.  Sensors placed in chutes and other high-risk areas can provide real-time information about how the liners are wearing and when they need to be replaced.

According to Ryan, this takes the guesswork away from clients when it comes to replacing liners or parts: "Traditionally, the customer would work according to time. So, they would say this solution will last two years and regardless of how worn the liners were at that time, they would replace them."

"In that scenario, you're not satisfactorily using your assets, and also you have got more waste. Now, with Metso Outotec, you have a solution that you can leave in for longer, and so get total efficiency out of the product you have bought. Also, you will have less shutdowns and avoid disruptions, reduce fuel, energy and exposure of people to safety issues."

There are other environmental benefits to the holistic approach Metso Outotec takes to transportation. The company worked with a client to replace a traditional steel-lined truck with one in which a rubber liner was installed. This not only extended the life of the product from around 18,000 hours to around 20,000 hours, but it also reduced CO2 emissions significantly and noise by more than 10dB - something which was crucial given the proximity of their operator, and an urban area to the project.

Focusing on conveyor solutions, using more reliable parts and offering ongoing product support means that Metso Outotec is addressing longstanding issues for its clients around carryback, mistracking, spillages, slippage, dust, and seized rollers.

Continuous innovation

Metso Outotec's drive for innovation when it comes to bulk transportation is continuing beyond its current range of products. For example, it is developing a system of sensors that can be used on all parts of a conveyor system, enabling clients to monitor things, such as heat, which is a major risk factor in the geographies where miners operate.

Ryan says that innovation is embedded in the offer that Metso Outotec makes to its customers, producing even greater efficiencies, safety performance and cost savings.

"It's not only about evolving the product" he explains. "What we are doing is actually evolving the technology that supports the product and we will continue to do that with innovation."