For the first time ever a Brazilian mine is set to receive a Siemens gearless mill drive system. The Siemens Industrial Solutions and Services Group (I&S) will equip the mill belonging to the Rio Paracatu Mineração mining company with this technology.

The “Simine Mill GD” drive technology has no mechanical wear parts and therefore significantly lower maintenance requirements than conventional mill drives. Stepless adjustment of the rotational speed allows more efficient and more energy-saving milling of ore than was previously possible. The order is worth around EUR 9 million.

Rio Paracatu Mineração’s “Morro do ouro” mine is an opencast operation owned by the Kinross Gold Corporation. It is located near the historic gold-digging town of Paracatu, 220 kilometers southeast of the capital – Brasilia, and is the largest active goldmine in the area of Paracatu and the second largest in the country.

By using modern technology, Rio Paracatu Mineração is planning to increase production at the mine. With a diameter of approximately 12 meters (38 foot) and a length of around 7 meters (22 foot), the SAG (Semi Autogenous Grinding) Mill is one of the largest mills in the world. As part of this expansion project, Siemens will supply a Simine Mill GD gearless drive system with 20,000 kilowatts of rated power.

Simine Mill GD provides a gearless drive with no mechanical parts between the motor and the mill. Stepless adjustment of the rotational speed aids optimum start-up and means that the system can be controlled in accordance with the varying demands of the material in the mill. This reduces wear, maintenance and energy consumption. Shorter downtimes and longer service intervals for gearless mills also increase system availability. Siemens will plan and manufacture the drive system as well as carry out erection and commissioning. The Siemens Brazil will perform the service for the drive.