Metso’s life cycle services (LCS) business unit is charged with developing services packages tailored to the aggregates industry that assist operators in meeting their business goals.
The LCS aggregates program is designed to help extractive operators achieve optimal production quality at the lowest cost.
To that end, it comprises scheduled inspections or complex process optimisation efforts over multiple years and dedicated to the highest resource efficiency, all of which are measured against strict performance indicators and adhere to enhanced safety.
Giuseppe Campenelli is the global vice-president of Metso’s LCS business unit. He says the main challenge aggregate producers today have is making their operations more efficient and profitable – particularly in the mobile crushing and screening segment.
{{quote-A:R-W:300-Q:"The key to building efficiency is having the right information at your fingertips to make the right decisions,"}}“The key to building efficiency is having the right information at your fingertips to make the right decisions,” Campenelli said.
“With mobile crushing and screening equipment moving between sites, often in remote locations, it can be difficult to track, monitor and maintain equipment fleets for maximum performance.
“The conflicting pressures to drive performance while keeping costs in check can also be a problem.
“When a decision is made without the correct information or data, the result can be extended downtime or lower production rates.”
As a result, Campenelli says more and more aggregate producers are focusing on their core business while turning to partners to find smarter, more efficient ways to design, operate and service their plant and processes.
“Services and tools that can address utilisation rates, maintenance planning and spares management are all being looked at by our clients to help lower costs,” he said.
Metrics services
One of these services and tools is Metso Metrics Services, a remote monitoring and reporting system that gives Metso’s customers access to key operational metrics and data.
“It allows utilisation rates, production levels, maintenance plans and fuel consumption for mobile equipment to be remotely accessible by authorised personnel wherever they happen to be,” Campenelli said.
“The solution also helps track the location of a single unit or an entire fleet no matter where they are. Time-stamped alarm notifications and maintenance planning, as well as logging capabilities, are also built in.
“By accessing the right information at the right time, an operator with the right advice can maximise equipment utilisation and minimise maintenance-related costs, helping them to achieve their business goals.”
Campenelli said a solution such as Metso Metrics Services is not just a digital tool; it can provide a range of operational and maintenance data on a single crusher or an entire crushing and screening fleet.
{{quote-A:R-W:300-Q:"The solution also helps track the location of a single unit or an entire fleet no matter where they are."}}“Once a trend or outlier is identified, steps can be taken to address the issues,” he said. “The key is having the know-how to analyse the data provided by such a digital solution. This is where the expertise provided by Metso and our partners makes the difference.
“Using decades of crushing and screening experience acquired through working with customers around the world, coupled with an intimate knowledge of our equipment, means that operators can rely on solid recommendations that can help them to get more out of our equipment and their process.”
The solution can also assist aggregate producers in getting more out of their existing assets by providing them with data that shows how each crusher in their fleet performs in terms of production levels and utilisation rates.
“By looking at outliers, customers, supported by Metso when needed, can quickly identify underperforming assets,” Campenelli said.
“The interesting part then becomes trying to understand what is causing the underperformance. Is the machine set up with the right operating parameters? Is the equipment out of action because the right spare parts aren’t readily available? It could also be a question of a need for operator training to push the equipment to its full capabilities.
“Metso Metrics Services will not identify the exact cause of underperformance for you, but it will help you to start asking the right questions. You need to have the data to analyse in order to spot these types of situations.
“With additional support, insights and expertise available from the Metso team and our distributors in terms of operational or maintenance planning, there are opportunities to make a big difference in terms of performance.”
Campenelli added that planning maintenance with a program such as Metso Metrics shifts the focus away from corrective maintenance and more towards preventative maintenance.
“Corrective maintenance has been shown to be many times more costly than preventative maintenance, because when assets fail in the field, production is often interrupted, resulting in costly downtime.
“Parts may not be readily available or may be on order, causing further delays. Repair staff may not be available immediately or allocated to other sites. With a built-in digital log book, individual maintenance plans integrated into the system and access to optional troubleshooting advice, customers gain visibility of their equipment to help them take the next step towards having a true preventative maintenance program.
“This, in turn, helps to minimise unwanted service issues in the field, and ensures that operations are run in the most cost-effective manner.”
Digitalisation
{{image2-a:r-w:200}}Campenelli said digitalisation is integral to the success of a life cycle package.
“We don’t see digitalisation as a standalone subject,” he said. “It ties in with all the service activities we offer but takes them a step further, amplifying the results we can provide.
“To succeed in a world heading towards digitalisation, we believe an OEM needs to have a global service presence with people on-site, close to the producer. It needs to possess a deep understanding of the customers’ processes and productivity levers, and create skills and capabilities to solve the producer’s digital challenges with remote monitoring and advanced analytics, coupled with efficient backend and service processes and supported by easy to use digital sales channels.
“We are already leading the way in all three requirements within the crushing and screening space. However, we believe there is much more to do and feel that we are very well positioned to extend our digital capabilities, allowing us to capture the growth that digitalisation offers.
“The next 10 years will be an incredibly exciting time for Metso as we blend together technology, parts and service elements to offer the very best solutions for our clients.”
Peter Newfield is the head of marketing and communications for Metso’s Australian market areas.