Metso Campaigns Your partner in North America Mill reline crew boosts safety and efficiency in Canada
Mining
May 3, 2024

Dedicated in-house mill reline crew boosts safety and efficiency for Canadian customers

Alexandre Guilbault
Alexandre Guilbault
Manager, Professional Services, Canada
Brandon Reichardt
Brandon Reichardt
Technical Reline Support Specialist
Caleb Vlasveld
Caleb Vlasveld
Mill Reline Service Manager
Metso recently formed a Canadian in-house reline crew made up of industry experts with unrivaled experience in the relining of grinding mills. Exclusively dedicated to relines, the new team offers Canadian mines an effective and reliable way of executing what can otherwise be a time-consuming and risky job.
Group of Metso reline employees in PPE standing together in from of a grinding mill
Liner replacement is not an easy task, but it’s an essential one. Our team gets the job done safely and efficiently, keeping customers’ shutdown time to a minimum and giving them complete peace of mind.
Says Alexandre Guilbault, Manager, Professional Services, Canada

Experienced mill lining professionals

Formed just over a year ago, the reline crew consists of skilled professionals with an international reputation for safe, process-oriented, and efficient relining. They have experience with every type of mill and liner, and can provide a full range of specialized services including liner changes, new installations, and decommissioning or dismantling of end-of-life equipment. The work scope can cover full or partial relines. Each relining project is tailored according to the individual customers’ specific needs, including factors such as mill type, size, liner design and operational history.

Exclusive focus

Key team members include Mill Reline Service Manager Caleb Vlasveld, and Technical Reline Support Specialist Brandon Reichardt. They share the view that respect and rapport between team members are two important keys to success. For Caleb, having a team that focuses exclusively on relines is also important.

The same people do the work every time. They follow standardized procedures based on hundreds of installations and, if issues occur, they take immediate action. Compared to typical mining operations that may only execute a handful of relines each year, the Metso crew is a very well-oiled machine. Many of its members have over 10 years of experience.
Says Caleb Vlasveld, Mill Reline Service Manager
Two Metso workers in PPE pointing at a paper

Minimizing mill downtime

Since every hour of shutdown results in financial losses for a mine, Metso’s reline experts strive continuously to minimize downtime. Part of Brandon’s job is to analyze the data after each reline has been completed, searching meticulously for ways to optimize processes and increase efficiency.

If there is ever a delay, we review every minute of the reline and ask ourselves why it happened and how it can be avoided in the future.
Says Brandon Reichardt, Technical Reline Support Specialist

This focus on process optimization is already paying dividends. Jobs which might previously have taken many hours are now being successfully executed in 20% less time. What’s more, Metso can do other work during the shutdown, such as additional mechanical and non-destructive testing (NDT) inspections, repairs and other maintenance activities, all without extending downtime. This work, in addition to the reline, is completely managed by Metso, and offered as a simplified commercial package. Customers appreciate working with one contractor rather than having different contractors for each task.  

Boosting safety 

As one would expect, Metso follows strict safety procedures, ensuring the right accessories are used, that equipment is handled and operated properly, and regular training is carried out. However, the reline team stresses that having a confident, cohesive crew takes safety up an extra notch.

Being able to rely on your colleagues and know they’ve got your back is invaluable. In fact, I would go so far as to say you can’t do the job properly unless you feel both physically and psychologically safe.
Says Caleb Vlasveld, Mill Reline Service Manager
Two Metso workers in PPE looking at a row of bolts

Looking ahead

As the end-to-end grinding experts, Metso views its reline service as a key differentiator in the market and a value-added service for customers. After a successful first year, they are now planning to drive more long-term partnerships through Life Cycle Services (LCS), Metso’s parts and maintenance service agreements. A key part of LCS programs revolve around continuous improvement, with a focus on improving each and every reline event.

Our mining customers recognize the benefits of having an experienced team for this job. When speed and security are paramount, it simply makes more sense to work with a dedicated long-term partner that knows the business inside out!
Says Alexandre Guilbault, Manager, Professional Services, Canada

For more information about mill relines in Canada, please contact Alexandre Guilbault at alexandre.guilbault[at]metso.com.

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