Safeguarding conveyor performance in mining and mineral processing, MATO Products sales engineer Keletso Mabula advocates comprehensive conveyor assessments focused on belt cleaners, carryback control and component wear. Proactive inspection of scraper alignment, blade tension, spillage patterns and chute loading conditions is positioned as essential to sustaining throughput and reducing unplanned stoppages on high‑tonnage overland and plant conveyors. The approach emphasises structured condition monitoring and timely maintenance interventions rather than reactive repairs once belt mistracking, excessive dust or material build-up have already escalated.

Mineral Resources (MinRes) is restarting operations at its 100%-owned Bald Hill lithium mine in Western Australia after what it describes as a significant and sustained recovery in lithium prices. The restart follows several months of planning to re-establish safe operating procedures and production systems at the site, located about 50 km from Kambalda in the Eastern Goldfields. For mine planners and contractors, the move signals renewed demand for contract mining, crushing and haulage capacity tied to spodumene output in the region.

The University of Queensland’s Collaborative Consortium for Coarse Particle Processing Research is entering a second five‑year phase to scale up coarse particle flotation technologies that allow recovery of particles up to several millimetres, reducing grinding energy and water use. Phase I delivered the JKHFmini laboratory rig and plant trials with Eriez HydroFloat and FLSmidth REFLUX Flotation Cell units on copper and gold ores, targeting coarser grind sizes than conventional circuits. The renewed program will expand pilot‑scale testing and integrated circuit modelling, with direct implications for comminution circuit design, tailings management and brownfield plant retrofits.