en.Wedoany.com Reported - Metso's field service department has completed planned shutdown maintenance services for five thickeners at a major iron ore mining company in Brazil, achieving zero accidents and completing the work within the customer's specified timeframe. These planned shutdowns occur every five years. Due to the large diameter of the thickeners (some reaching 100 meters) and their high processing capacity, the maintenance of each unit is akin to an independent work front.
This shutdown mobilized a total of 250 direct and indirect employees, accumulating 60,000 man-hours (HHT). Marcos Bezerra, Senior Manager of Metso Field Service, stated that the contract faced several challenges, starting with a 60-day operational planning period to identify all potential risks and mobilize specialized teams from multiple bases across the country. Metso confirmed the contract only two months before the shutdown began, but leveraging its mature experience in large-scale planned shutdowns, 90% of the risks were identified in advance.
Bezerra noted that while thickeners may appear simple, their maintenance complexity is high. On-site assessments can only begin after the tanks are emptied, and upper and lower inspections and operations cannot be performed simultaneously on the same unit. The maintenance activities were planned by the customer, but adjustments were often required during the shutdown, a point specifically emphasized in the contract. This shutdown involved the modernization and structural reinforcement of five tanks.
By operating five work fronts simultaneously, Metso met the mining company's requirements within the 15-day window planned for restarting the thickeners. The final four days of the service were the most critical, involving recalibration of the equipment, with alignment tolerances during component leveling reaching millimeter precision to prevent operational failures over the next five years.
Bezerra indicated that this project exceeded Metso's goal of re-entering the thickener field service market, representing one of the segments the company has identified for service expansion. As a traditional participant in mill planned shutdowns, Metso is increasing its penetration in the stockyard handling machinery sector, covering both mining and port operations. Over the past five years, Metso's revenue from such activities has grown by 200%.
Patrick Minamizaki, Director of Metso Field Service, pointed out that their positioning involves high-value-added specialized services requiring a high degree of expertise to handle complex maintenance, ensuring safety during the service period and optimal operational performance after intervention. He revealed that the company has mapped the distribution of thickeners and stockyard handling machinery in Brazil, regardless of the manufacturer. For thickeners, this also includes identifying equipment processes due to their longer shutdown cycles. Metso has already consolidated its position in high-complexity planned shutdowns for mining mills, covering both its own manufactured and third-party equipment.
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