“It is an arrangement that has been successful and worked well,” he said.
“However, the acquisition of the IP, and its integration into our business model, will give us the opportunity to develop and introduce an expanded service and support package targeting consistency and longevity of the mills we maintain.”
According to Clifford, the initial focus will be on maximising customers’ mill productivity and return on investment. Allied to that approach will be a significant reduction in response times and the introduction of engineering and technology innovations.
“Mills are a major investment for any mineral processing operation,” he said.
“Expectations are for a 20-year service life. We are looking to improve mill service life and increase overall mill availability to improve profitability through greater productivity at a decreased cost.”
Clifford said these are attainable goals for mill owners and operators and points out that his company – one of the most diversified yet comprehensive suppliers to the mineral processing sector - already has a strong and proven reputation for delivering tangible quality and reliability improvements.
He added that, as part of the mill support program, there is a need to increase the availability of the mill and lengthen the time between scheduled service intervals.
“Mills are tough environments,” he said. “They are physically imposing and they need to run at maximum availability. The last thing any operation needs is an unscheduled shutdown. As a specialised supplier to the sector we need to get smart about mill operations to improve the overall result and reduce the impacts of the process.”
To that end, engineering and technology innovations are integral to the comprehensive approach to mill operation the company is developing.
“With mills generally accepted as the single biggest consumers of energy, a goal must be to reduce the demand for energy without compromising mill performance and/or output,” he said. “A reduction in energy consumption will have substantial positive impact on the bottom line.”
The purchase includes all associated design, engineering and service documentation for mills throughout Australia as well as mills in Europe, the Americas and APAC.
The purchase was finalised following close to two years of negotiations.
FLSmidth is no stranger to the ANI mills. For more than 10 years the company has been providing a service, support and maintenance package for owners and operators of ANI grinding mills under a licensing agreement with Bradken.
Clifford said that the company was also investigating additional technological improvements including consumables.
He said the acquisition of the mills IP package adds substantially to the comprehensive FLSmidth mineral processing flowsheet and enhances the company’s worldwide ‘one source’ service provider business model.
“It’s a model that gives our clients confidence in the specialist service, support and maintenance skills we deliver,” he said.
The purchase includes all associated design, engineering and service documentation for mills throughout Australia as well as mills in Europe, the Americas and APAC.
The purchase was finalised following close to two years of negotiations.
FLSmidth is no stranger to the ANI mills. For more than 10 years the company has been providing a service, support and maintenance package for owners and operators of ANI grinding mills under a licensing agreement with Bradken.
