The presses will be installed at Metso's facilities in Australia, India and Sweden by early 2018.

The €1.7 million (US$1.8 million) investment will significantly increase Metso's global rubber screen media manufacturing capacity. The demand for Metso's screen media has grown in the mining segment after the introduction of its 1ft x 1ft (305mm x 305mm) modular screen media, Trellex 305PS, in 2016.

Claes Larsson, product manager, screening media at Metso, said: “Uptime and availability mean the world to our customers. A mine can easily consume thousands of screen media modules in a year. During maintenance, the right modules simply have to be at the right place at the right time. With this investment, we can answer our customers' needs and ensure on-time delivery.”

The 1ft x1ft (305 mm x 305 mm) screen media module size is a standard in major mining markets, due to safety and compatibility reasons. Metso made the decision to include the size in its Trellex product range, based on customer demand.

Jose Perez, senior vice president, crushing and screening wears at Metso, commented: “We are already the number one service partner for the mining industry. Complementing our extensive wear parts portfolio with an industry standard such as 1ft x1ft screen media is a natural step in strengthening this position. We are the only supplier able to provide everything that a mine needs in a comminution circuit, from spare and wear parts to equipment and service.”

He continued: “With this investment, we expand our manufacturing footprint to be better able to serve our customers efficiently, conveniently, with an eye towards shorter lead times and reduced inventory requirements.”

As a part of its commitment to availability and short lead times, Metso is prepared to make further investments in screen media manufacturing if the demand continues to grow.