Molycop

FORGING

THE NEW AGE OF MINING

“No mine ever stops over Molycop.” We speak to Michael Parker, President of the company’s Australasian division, about the pride and challenge of keeping Australia’s mining industry turning

Writer: Marcus Kääpä | Project Manager: Thomas Arnold The manufacturing industry in Australia has always been challenging, however, COVID-19 and other global supply chain disruptions have highlighted the true value of local supply rather than the reliance on long and complicated supply chains for critical products and services.”

Operating at the heart of the mining and rail transport industries, Molycop manufactures specialty steel products in Australia with an established history stretching back over a century and is currently part of the international American Industrial Partners group.

In Australia, the company manufactures products such as railway wheels, industrial fasteners

and steel grinding balls that are destined for its mining customers’ grinding mills, where the balls are used to break down rock. Elsewhere in the world Molycop manufactures grinding balls in Canada, USA, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Indonesia and Spain servicing all the major hard rock mining regions.

Michael Parker, Australasian President at the company and orator of the opening statement, has witnessed first-hand the impact of the pandemic on local manufacturing and its ability to maintain supply to the country’s mining and other critical industries.

“The long-term shift to global supply chains has left many businesses exposed and highlighted the real fragility of long and complicated supply chains,” he continues. “It has been an opportunity to really show the value of the Molycop model; it’s built on having people and manufacturing plants located close to the customer, holding greater control of the supply chain and also being able to support customers with training and technical services, as well as digital technology innovations through local expertise.

“People are recognising the value of home-grown suppliers and what they can offer compared to offshore suppliers with their longer supply chains and associated costs. COVID-19, among other things, has

MOLYCOP “WHAT WE DO”

CRUSH – SAG MILLING

Molycop has developed an industry-leading range of products specifically designed for today’s exacting SAG milling environments. Its innovative manufacturing process delivers products with high toughness and superior wear, engineered to provide optimal wear life. Where there’s high impact, there’s an SAG product that’ll get the job done.

GRIND – BALL AND ROD MILLING

Maximise your grinding mill operations using the Molycop grinding range. Designed for maximum abrasion resistance, using high carbon steels and with hardness levels, the Molycop Ball and Rod Milling range is manufactured all over the globe and is manufactured to withstand the daily grind.

RAIL – RAILWAY WHEELS AND AXELS

Since 1918, Molycop has been developing and innovating new products to meet the needs of the Australian Rail and Heavy Haul Industry, under its Comsteel brand. Comsteel has been there for every step of the development of the world’s heaviest railways achieving 40+ tonne axle loads and is the only Australian manufacturer of rail wheels for passenger, locomotive, freight and heavy haul trains.

MINERAL RECOVERY - FLOATATION

One of the most important stages of mineral processing is flotation. Molycop manufactures and distributes a wide range of flotation chemicals and related auxiliary products that can be individually tailored to suit your requirements and maximise your ability to recover valuable minerals. The company’s range provides flotation solutions for sulphide and non-sulphide minerals as well as non-metallic ore processing.

MLA Holdings

Through more than four decades, MLA Holdings Pty Ltd has built a reputation for excellence in customer service, safety, operational reliability, engineering and equipment maintenance.

MLA was established in 1980 with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, for the sale and distribution of Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks in Australia.

The core business of Mitsubishi Lift trucks Australia, MLA, is the sale, hire and service support of materials handling equipment. We are the exclusive Australian distributor of three complementary brands – Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks, Nichiyu Electric Forklifts and MLA Vulcan Equipment. We operate our business nationally through seven MLA owned branches and an extensive regional authorised dealer network.

The MLA distribution network is Australia wide with offices in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, and Victoria. Recent company acquisitions have seen MLA’s branch network grow into the Gold Coast and Newcastle Regions, through Classic and Hunter MLA.

MLA is widely regarded as a leader in a competitive market thanks to our strong focus on customer needs, and ongoing commitment to delivering quality, cost-effective materials handling solutions.

Our customers know their requirements will be satisfied through our comprehensive equipment range – from the largest Container Handlers and Reach Stackers, to every type and size of industrial forklift or warehousing piece of equipment.

www.mlaholdings.com.au

really brought this to the forefront. Escalating shipping costs, congested ports, the scarcity of shipping containers are extremely challenging issues to manage for suppliers with long supply chains. Our mining customers demand certainty and transparency over our supply chain and the inventory held within it.”

TECHNICAL SERVICES

Technical experience, software, service and support is what sets Molycop apart. The company is able to provide a range of services for both start-up and established mine operations, where its goal is to increase productivity while lowering operating costs for its customers. Molycop’s highly trained team understands the complexities of mining and aims to assist in optimising mineral processing operations by providing solutions that will enhance your overall operation.

“The onset of COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of having locally based technical support teams strategically located close to key mining regions,” Parker explains. “International travel restrictions, introduced to stop the spread of COVID-19, meant that it is important to have your technical support teams based in country. Not only has internal travel been severely restricted, but also the increased testing requirements, safety protocols and quarantine restrictions required to gain access to mine sites means that it is critical to have locally based support capability.”

DIGITAL SOLUTIONS

Molycop’s services are only evolving, providing its customers with the latest innovative solutions in the field of ore crushing, and advancing the efficiency of mining operations to the end benefit of people and the environment.

“The area we are really focusing on is the ability to track mine critical data streams from within our mining customer’s operations using the latest sensor systems,” Parker explains. “This data stream is then analysed in real time to identify or anticipate unfavourable or sub optimal events within our customers’ operations so that they can take the necessary actions to keep the milling circuit fully optimised.”

CLEMEX

Clemex values its first partnership with Molycop

In 2020 the Comsteel lab in NSW Australia acquired a Clemex image analysis system to perform micro cleanliness examination during metallurgical quality inspection of rolled railway wheels.

The system delivered comprises Clemex flagship software, an inverted Nikon microscope, a color and a B&W camera and motorised stage. It is fully ISO 4967 / ASTM E1245 compliant and has the added advantage of measuring grain size in martensitic steel and retained austenite in products such as forged railway axels.

Clemex also offers solutions for measuring banding, delta ferrite, depth of decarburisation, mineral liberation, and hardness testing.

info@clemex.com

Hornby Transport

Starting from humble beginnings 7 years ago, to now carting over 57,000 tonnes per annum in a variety of products - HTS is excited to be on the journey with Molycop and working together to satisfy customer requirements.

Transporting product throughout every square inch of Australia for Molycop, HTS leaves no stone unturned to provide a premium freight service.

HTS has invested in specialised equipment that in turn increases productivity, resulting in lower truck movements and reducing our carbon footprint.

T 1300 369 800 E info@hornbytrans.com.au

www.hornbytrans.com.au

“The breaking down of large rocks into smaller pieces in these large mills results in a very aggressive internal environment within the mill. Plus, it is very difficult to monitor what is occurring within the mill as cameras and sensors do not survive this violent environment of large rocks and steel balls moving at high speed. To combat this and provide insight into the inner workings of the mill, one of our developments involves embedding a sensor within a steel grinding ball which is introduced inside the mill, as well as placing a number of sensors on the outside of the mill shell and at entry and exits points to the mill. These sensors collectively provide data such as the impact forces within the mill and the motion of the charge which we correlate with overall mill performance to gain a first-hand view of processes from within the mill itself.

HISTORY IN THE INDUSTRY

Molycop has deep technical knowledge in both the underlying metallurgy of its high-performance products and the specific product application requirements of its customers. Over the last century, the company has continuously developed and introduced new, improved and higher performing products that have assisted customers to improve the efficiency of their operations. Today, Molycop is also at the forefront of supporting renewable energy investment, recycling and recovering valuable resources from waste streams. On top of hosting a culture of innovation throughout the business, Molycop prides itself on its dedication towards sustainability. In 2019, Molycop Australia entered into a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), supported by offtake agreements with two renewable energy generators, Bomen Solar Farm and the Sapphire Wind Farm, both of which are located in regional New South Wales. Under this PPA, Molycop purchases around 100,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity per annum making it one of Australia’s largest supporters of renewable energy and, consequently, underpinning the investment in renewable energy infrastructure in NSW.

Flow Power

In 2019, Flow Power proudly partnered with Molycop as their energy provider.

Through a Power Purchase Agreement with Flow Power, Molycop are now energy off-takers of the Bomen Solar Farm and the Sapphire Wind Farm, supporting the growth of renewable generators in regional NSW. The model also ensures their business gets the long term certainty and control they need for their energy costs.

Molycop serve as a great example of how businesses can not only support renewable, clean energy, but also demonstrates how businesses can unlock value from their energy sourcing.

www.flowpower.com.au

HCH Group

HCH Group are an integrated team of highly capable personnel with a large, specialised asset and equipment base, led by deep experience to deliver cost effective solutions with strict compliance to safety, quality and customer delivery objectives.

From HCH’s home in the Hunter Valley we provide a comprehensive range of services to Australia’s rail, mining, manufacturing and civil sectors. We are clearly recognised as a leading provider of railway civil construction & maintenance works, industrial services, earth drainage and road works.

Working in synergy and led by experience, the entire HCH organisation is firmly committed to safety, quality, innovation, value, reliability and service. Established in 1999 with our Rail, Industrial and Civil Divisions collaborating to provide superior solutions that are safer, better and more cost effective. It’s our total commitment as a specialised, privately owned enterprise that sets us apart.

WITH THE COMMUNITY IN MIND

“With our operational footprint across the Americas, Australasia and Europe we have a long and proud history of participation and association with the local communities in which we operate. Molycop has used its position as a local manufacturer and supplier to improve the prospects and add value, of and to those that live in our communities.

“It is our belief that if the communities in which we operate do well, our business also does well. A safe, prosperous and healthy local community means a capable and available workforce and supplier base to support and sustain our business.” - Molycop

“Comminution or the milling of ore consumes around 53 percent of all energy consumption on an entire mine site. That amount of electricity globally across all milling activity amounts to three percent of electricity consumption in the world, which is enough to power Germany for a year,” Parker adds. “There is a lot of energy being consumed, so even small improvements to the energy efficiency of these mills will have a massive impact.”

SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION PROCESS

Molycop is at the forefront of sustainable and responsible steel product manufacturing. Its Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) steelmaking process produces significantly lower carbon emissions than the predominant steelmaking process used by various competitors in the industry.

“Our steel making process uses electrical energy to melt and refine scrap steel, resulting in our steel products being manufactured from over 93 percent recycled materials,” Parker explains.

“This is a really important aspect of how we operate, especially in the face of the pressure caused by resource scarcity globally. For example, we take scrap from old cars, steel springs from mattresses, demolition scrap, rail tracks, tyres, shredded white goods such as refrigerators and spent steel products from our customers, and we recycle and remanufacture these materials into new steel products.”

“Each year our EAF consumes scrap generated from recycling 200,000 cars, steel springs from over 300,000 mattresses and steel wire from two million tyres,” Parker adds.

Inherently EAF steelmaking has carbon emissions about 50 percent lower that the predominant Basic Oxygen Furnace Steelmaking process.

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RESOURCE RECOVERY – MOLYCOP 360

In order to improve its capability and commitment towards resource recovery, Molycop has acquired JLW Services, a recycling centre business based in Cootamundra in New South Wales. Rebranded as Molycop 360, it specialises in resource recovery and waste management services for problematic waste streams, including end-of-life mattresses, tyres, conveyor belts, polypipe and intermediate bulk containers (IBCs).

Molycop 360 provides integrated logistics, waste management and resource recovery solutions for businesses, government, councils, and the mining industry and has the capability to either collect material and process at a central location or, typically for remote mining operations, process material on-site. Benefits of on-site processing include more efficient transport costs for any waste and reclaimed materials leaving site as well as reduced waste volume going to landfill. Molycop can also recycle ferrous and polymer materials through its EAF Steelmaking process.

According to Michael Parker, the acquisition of Molycop 360 has placed the company “at the forefront of responsible and sustainable steelmaking and manufacturing. We are committed to building the circular economy, liberating value from waste streams and supporting our customers’ sustainability goals”, a statement that shows the level of dedication Molycop holds towards sustainability from the top-down.

“NO MINE EVER STOPS OVER MOLYCOP”

- MICHAEL PARKER, PRESIDENT – AUSTRALASIA, MOLYCOP

COLLABORATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Over the past decade, Molycop has formed a close partnership with the University of New South Wales (UNSW) SMaRT Research Centre, providing critical industry support in the development and commercialisation of innovative recycling technologies. Through this partnership, Molycop has installed Polymer Injection Technology (PIT) at its EAF facility.

“PIT is a technology developed by the UNSW, invented by Professor Veena Sahajwalla, around 10 years ago,” Parker elaborates. “It is another example of how we try to extract as much from waste streams to recycle as possible.

“In the steel making process you need to use carbon, it’s a fuel, an alloying element and a reducing agent, so it is a necessary component in the steel making process. Historically, we would use imported carbon materials that have been derived from coal or oil, but what PIT Tel: +61 (2) 4974 0411 gmsales@molycop.com www.molycop.com

allows us to do is substitute around half of that material with recycled polymers (typically end of life, rubber and plastics) that we can now recover and repurpose through our Molycop 360 business. This allows us to partly replace a virgin raw material with a repurposed product that would otherwise be destined for landfill or a stockpile somewhere.”

MINING AHEAD

Looking forward, Molycop’s ultimate purpose remains unchanged to support customers through the secure and value adding supply of critical mining consumable products and technical services. Given the lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and the expected growth in the demand for critical metals such as copper, as the world decarbonises, prudent risk management will require a reassessment of supply chain resilience. Molycop is uniquely positioned to provide customers with the requisite supply chain confidence. “No mine ever stops over Molycop,” Parker affirms.

Molycop’s 100-year track-record has been built on providing the highest quality products and delivering outstanding supply assurance. “We want to help our customers achieve their goals. That is why we are also enhancing our sustainability credentials and digital capabilities. Mining plays a critical role in the growth and prosperity of our society. Molycop is committed to supporting our customers as they liberate the valuable minerals that are fundamental to our everyday life and that will keep society moving forward.”