How automation is transforming mill relining: Lessons from GRX25

Simon’s keynote included real-world footage illustrating continuing relining hazards. One clip showed a three-to-four-tonne liner dropped due to incorrect slinging practices, narrowly missing the reline crew working on the charge (the mill floor) below. Another demonstrated how a five-kilogram liner bolt behaves like a projectile during knock-in, which would be near impossible to dodge, underscoring the unpredictability of hazards inside the mill.  

Best practice then, is not best practice now 

Simon also examined the shift in relining safety, comparing conventional methods side-by-side to modern automation-driven practices. 

In traditional liner removal, operators work inside the mill, manually slinging liners out. This process was depicted in earlier footage of an incident where a slung liner dropped from height onto the mill charge, narrowly missing workers—a stark reminder of the risks involved. 

By contrast, the latest technology for mucking-out—which RME calls the RUSSELL Claw—securely picks up the liner and takes it to the liner cart, eliminating the need for personnel to work on the charge, slinging and rigging liners manually. The safety benefits are measurable. By analysing person-hours of hazard exposure per reline, automation has reduced exposure by 80% at one mine site. 

RME also makes clear that this technology can deliver significant safety uplift without requiring an automated liner exchange machine or knock-in system. As a result, it can be retrofitted to most operational 7- and 8-axis RUSSELL Mill Relining Machines, ensuring accessibility and affordability for mills of all sizes—including large, medium, and small operations, as well as brownfield and greenfield sites. Register here to download a case study on its impact at Minera Escondida.

How automation unlocks new levels of productivity 

Beyond safety, automation is a key driver of efficiency, optimising multi-functional movements and pre-programmed travel paths and sequencing to accelerate reline time and improve mill availability. 

Mill liner handlers typically feature seven or eight axes of motion, allowing for precise, flexible liner placement. Manually, this process requires careful coordination, so it is constrained by operator proficiency. Automation synchronises all available functions, enabling faster liner handling and positioning. 

Simon highlighted a case study demonstrating significant speed improvements in outside-the-mill activities achieved through automaton, noting a 75% increase in hammer movement speed compared to conventional methods that relied on a jib suspension system and multiple crew members manually guiding the hammer. 

RME notes that overhead suspension systems which automate external mill tooling can offer advantages for sites with limited deck space and greater flexibility for mill and drive system access during shutdowns for other planned maintenance activities. 

What’s next for mill relining automation? 

As automation adoption grows, industry expectations for functionality and efficiency continue rising. Composite liners, particularly in South America, are reshaping tooling requirements, while increased automation means users expect expanded capabilities from their technology investments.

To meet this demand, RME highlighted its THUNDERBOLT Torquer module for SKYWAY and SKYPORT, which automates more relining activities outside the mill. 

Automation overcomes relining hesitations to boost throughput 

At recent mineral processing conferences, comminution experts have further explored how increasing reline frequency can improve concentrator throughput. 

Simon Thompson cited an example from a Western Australian gold miner, who extended their liner replacement schedule from four to six months, despite knowing their throughput was better at four months, questioning, “Why do we do that? Why do we push liner life to the point where throughput drops?” 

Multiple studies have shown that integrating performance-optimised liners with more frequent, faster, and safer relines—enabled by today's advanced methods—allows mill operators to eliminate the mill’s lower performance phases at the beginning and end of the liner lifecycle, driving higher throughput while simultaneously optimising energy efficiencies. Read our recent blog to review this research and learn more about throughput optimised relining. 

Watch Simon Thompsons full keynote at GRX25

To explore these insights further and understand the commercial outcomes mine sites are achieving—including where to best begin on the journey toward automated mill relining—watch Simon Thompson’s keynote from GRX25 by clicking on the thumbnail above.

Learn More 

Reach out to RME to explore how RME Advanced Technology can benefit your mine site.

You can also register to download the paper which inspired this keynote: Mill Relining Automation – Applying Lessons Learned, authored by: S. Gwynn-Jones¹, T. A. Ogden², J. Bohorquez³, D. Sims⁴, M. Turner⁵, C. Kramer⁶, and S. Smith⁷.