Revolutionizing SAG Mill Maintenance with smart tools

SAG mills are the workhorses of the mining industry, processing thousands of tons of material daily. However, their maintenance tasks—particularly liner changes—remain a significant challenge. These high-wear components require precise bolting for proper operation and to prevent failures; however, traditional torque methods often lead to inefficiencies, quality risks, and additional downtime costs.

For one leading copper mine, SAG mill liner replacements required over 14 hours per shutdown, significantly affecting production time and greatly limiting potential profits. The maintenance team encountered several challenges:

• Frustrating disassembly – Breaking out old bolts was a struggle. Competitor tools lacked the necessary breakaway power, forcing operators to resort to torches and grinders.
• Torque inaccuracies – They experienced loose or overtightened bolts, increasing the risk of failures. Then there’s the nagging doubt—were all bolts torqued correctly? Will the mill have to shut down again soon?
• Time-consuming reporting – This made it difficult to track bolt performance and ensure compliance.

Essentially, the bolts wouldn’t break loose fast enough, the rundown took too long, and the final torque demanded too much effort.

The maintenance supervisor couldn’t afford extended downtime. With the high operating costs and the long, grueling shifts, he and his team could no longer bear additional strain. Determined to optimize their liner change process, he searched for a smarter, faster, and safer mining equipment maintenance solutions. The solution? Atlas Copco’s LMS88 pneumatic impact wrench, the Tensor Revo electric torque tool, and the Power Focus XC (PF XC) controller.

• Excessive downtime – Each liner replacement took 14+ hours, significantly impacting mill availability. Every lost hour translated to thousands of dollars in unprocessed material.
• Lack of power – The competitor’s pneumatic wrench couldn’t handle those stubborn, damaged, rusted, debris-filled bolts. Operators became increasingly frustrated as they ran to get torches and grinders.
• Inconsistent torque accuracy – Without verification during tightening, bolts were often under- or over-tightened, leading to loose fasteners, high vibrations, and premature failures.
• Inefficient workflows – Reliance on complicated programming and on-screen controller selections slowed progress and increased the risk of human error.

Faced with these challenges, the mine’s leadership sought a solution to accelerate liner changes and improve overall performance.

It was clear that a change needed to be made to modernize their process, so the mine upgraded its two-tool solution:

The LMS88 – A high-powered pneumatic impact wrench for rapid disassembly and pre-torquing.

The Tensor Revo – A high-precision electric torque tool for final tightening which offers an impressive 10 rpm and a torque capacity of up to 8,000 Nm, paired with the Power Focus XC controller for smart bolting control.

Together, these created a groundbreaking solution that could allow for an impressive time reduction of over 50% in the tightening process of lining bolt nuts. Modernizing their tooling lineup significantly enhanced assembly, reduced downtime, and improved overall profits. Read on to discover more about these solutions and their impact on the mine’s liner change process.

The LMS88 provides reliable power. Engineered for reliability and longevity, it offers a trouble-free service life even under the toughest conditions, making it an ideal choice for customers in the mining sector.

With the LMS88, our customer received:

The Tensor Revo HA is among the most productive high-torque electric tools available on the market, enabling significant time savings to be achieved in the tightening process. Equipped with integrated torque and angle transducers, along with the advanced functionality of the Power Focus controller, the Tensor Revo guarantees that the correct process is done right the first time, ensuring that all data is stored for complete traceability.

With the Tensor Revo paired with the Power Focus XC, our customer received:

By integrating this high-power and high-precision approach, improvements in efficiency and quality can be seen immediately.

Following the transition to the LMS88 and Tensor Revo paired with the PF XC system, the mine experienced dramatic improvements in its SAG mill liner change process:

• Over 60% faster maintenance – Liner change time was reduced from 14 hours 52 minutes to 5 hours 13 minutes, reclaiming an extra nine hours of operation per shutdown.
• Reduced rework and no uncertainty – Smart torque monitoring eliminated guesswork. Every bolt was properly tightened the first time, reducing re-torque.
• Streamlined Workflows – Tool setups were sped up with saved smart programs. Real-time on-tool feedback and automatic data logging reduced manual tasks and improved efficiency.

The impact for the mine’s maintenance supervisors was clear: faster turnarounds with complete confidence in bolt integrity.

We offer the safest, smartest, and most efficient bolting solutions, enabling our customers to maximize process security, minimize human and operational risks, and lower their total investment costs.

By integrating the LMS88, Tensor Revo, and PF XC, this mining operation set a new benchmark for SAG mill maintenance tasks. The switch from outdated tools to smart, electric precision bolting resulted in significant time savings, improved quality, and long-term reliability.

For maintenance supervisors and operational leaders, the message is clear:

• Outdated torque tools slow you down.
• Inaccurate bolting puts operations at risk.
• Atlas Copco’s high power and precision keep your mine moving forward.

Your team doesn’t have to overextend itself to meet management's demands. With the LMS series and Tensor Revo HA connected to the Power Focus XC, you can slash downtime by reducing maintenance task hours.

Contact us today to speak with our experts and request a demo!