Metso Outotec has announced that it is launching a Virtual Inspection tool, which uses 3D scanning to enable safe and efficient inspections of horizontal grinding mill linings.
The company highlights that ‘On-site’ mill lining inspections can be safely hosted while being off-site, thanks to the fully immersive virtual walkthroughs and the ability to comprehensively review any particular point of the mill lining.
Lars Furtenbach, Research and Technology Development Manager, Mill Lining Solutions, says, “Our patented MillMapper 3D-scanning of mill linings has been the industry benchmark for years. The scans are used to understand the way the mill liners wear, to optimise the liner design, and to accurately predict the reline schedules. There is a growing need to find new ways to reach out to our customers and to discuss mill lining performance with them remotely. Our customers will benefit from our strong experience with over 8 000 mills worldwide combined with the market’s most comprehensive offering and the new software platform.
The new solution offers users a 360° environment where they can move about freely in a 3D virtual setting and interact with the mill lining scan to analyse it, allowing up to eight people to meet in virtual rooms to discuss a mill lining scan.
Metso Outotec’s Virtual Inspection tool uses 3D scanning to enable safe and efficient inspections of horizontal grinding mill linings. Image credit: Metso Outotec
Features like remaining liner thickness measurements and profile review enable the users to make real-time assessments of the liners. The color-coded heatmap mode helps in analysing the wear patterns and in detecting problem areas, so that the mill lining design and performance can be improved.
The company points out that this solution reduces the need to travel to the site and to make inspections in a risky environment, thereby improving safety and reducing CO₂ emissions. In addition, the tool promotes the creation of optimised and long-lasting liners that significantly reduce CO₂ emissions because less product needs to be manufactured and transported.