Timken is promoting a broad portfolio of housed bearing units for mining applications, including solid-block spherical roller units and split-block designs aimed at high-load, contaminated environments on conveyors, crushers and vibrating screens. The units typically integrate triple-lip or labyrinth seals, ductile iron or cast steel housings and factory-set clearances to cope with misalignment, shock loads and abrasive fines common in fixed plant. For maintenance teams, the focus is on longer relubrication intervals, reduced unplanned stoppages and easier swap-out in cramped, dirty locations.

Rio Tinto and Viva Energy have completed a large-scale renewable diesel trial, showing haul trucks and other heavy mobile equipment can switch from conventional diesel with no changes to engines, fuel systems or maintenance schedules. The trial used drop-in hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO)-type fuel in standard high-horsepower mining fleets, validating cold-start performance, fuel consumption and engine wear against OEM limits. Results indicate sites with existing diesel storage and distribution can cut Scope 1 emissions from mobile equipment rapidly by substituting fuel rather than retrofitting fleets.

Global bauxite production is forecast to grow in 2025, but analysts warn that political instability and recent export disruptions in Guinea – which supplies more than a quarter of seaborne bauxite – could tighten alumina refineries’ feedstock security. Australia, producing around 100Mtpa from large open‑cut operations in Queensland and the Northern Territory, is expected to provide stable output and shipping, with no major greenfield capacity changes flagged. Any prolonged Guinean constraint would likely redirect Chinese and Middle Eastern offtake towards Australian and Indonesian ore, affecting contract terms and freight dynamics.