Tuesday, June 3, 2025
In the ongoing quest for increased mill relining efficiency and safety, Metso has entered a new era known as the age of automation. Nonetheless, there are various methods for putting automation into practice, and each carries unique hazards.
Over the past few decades, considerable mechanical advancements have been produced by the constant drive for more efficient relining, leading to noticeable increases in relining speed and safety. But when a new frontier—digitalisation—emerges, the limitations of these mechanical advancements are beginning to show. The new avenues for relining developments include sensors, networks, remote connections, data analysis, process modeling, and automation.
On the list of digitalisation, automation is arguably the most alluring item. Given the notoriously hazardous and exhausting nature of the mill relining environment, it is clear that automation is desired to remove workers from this setting. Nonetheless, the method used to approach automation is crucial, and other industries that have already pioneered automation can teach us valuable lessons.
Three primary choices are available:
Since the mining sector is always changing, there are serious risks associated with any strategy. But it soon becomes clear from examining the possibilities that one of the methods is much better suited to mill relining than the others.
The “do nothing” strategy
The ostensibly “safe” method of automation is to take no action. The risk of being an early user of new technologies is not something that many sites, especially junior miners, are interested in. Since there is a sizable demand for a tested, dependable mill relining solution right now, it would make sense to concentrate on providing the same tested equipment rather than taking the financial and technical risk of pursuing automation. But if the business changes and the equipment isn’t prepared for it, “playing it safe” could backfire.
In the 1920s, most US vehicle manufacturers learned the hard lesson of adapting to the assembly line introduced by Ford in 1913. Smaller manufacturers became uncompetitive without automating, leading to a sharp decline in the total number of automotive manufacturers in the US. “The industry had progressed well beyond the point when an individual with technical skill, a little capital, and some business acumen could set out to make cars with some prospect of succeeding”, noted John Bell Rae, Historian.
The mill relining industry faces growing pressure to prioritise safety and efficiency, rendering current hazards obsolete once safer innovations are embraced soon.
The “Step-change” methodology
The “step change” strategy is at the other extreme of the spectrum from the “do nothing” strategy. This strategy aims to bring about significant improvements that will revolutionise the sector. The “step-change” approach’s two primary drivers are based on opposed worldviews. The first is an automatic response brought on by the dread of missing the next significant change in the sector. It’s the extreme version of the “innovate or die” mentality, when significant product modifications are made to appear relevant in a market that is continuously changing.
In one mindset, change is forced to create a new industry with a key player. Disruptive tech shifts developments across industries. Unfortunately, customers suffer from overpromising. This leads to under-delivery, causing missed opportunities. Elon Musk’s admission about Tesla’s automation mistake is a prime example. Automation in the automotive industry faced challenges since the eighties, as seen in GM’s failed automation bet. Rushing automation in the mill relining industry could harm reputations; a steady, less flashy approach is needed.
The strategy known as “incremental improvement”
One could refer to the last choice as the “Goldilocks” strategy. In contrast to the other two approaches, it is not unexpected that the majority of successful automation initiatives adhere to this philosophy of incremental progress. The strategy is known as “incremental improvement.” One could refer to the last choice as the “Goldilocks” strategy. In contrast to the other two approaches, it is not unexpected that the majority of successful automation initiatives adhere to this philosophy of incremental progress.
Auto-grapple: A demonstration of incremental automation
Metso has launched Auto-grapple, the first of several incremental advances on its automation roadmap, to provide a tangible illustration of the incremental improvement approach to automation. Auto-grapple, a safety PLC update for Metso mill reline machines, automates grapple positioning for liner pickup, enhancing safety and efficiency in operations.
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