Graeme McKenzie, Operations Director at Terelion, said: “At Terelion, we are committed to working towards a more sustainable mining future. Doing so will benefit all: our planet, our customers and our business. Our aim is 90% circularity by 2030. Key in achieving this is our Circularity Program. We are very happy that Rio Tinto Kennecott shares this ambition and has decided to join our program – a clear testament also to their commitment in this area. We look forward to a successful partnership that ultimately encourages others to join this exciting initiative.”

For more information contact Widatech on TEL: 011 450 2108, email: info@widatech.co.za or visit www.widia.com

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The process of separating cemented carbide inserts from the steel body of the drill bit is done through an elaborate heating process. The inserts are then gathered and shipped to Terelion’s recycling partner – saving more than 90% of shipping emissions in the process (compared to shipping the complete drill bits).

Mark White concludes: “Our replaceable tip system decreases tooling inventory, machine downtime, and operator headaches. A single toolholder or adapter accommodates any number of cutting heads. Unscrew one, thread on another, torque it down and you’re ready to go, with no worries over tool runout or Z-axis offset changes. Together with the excellent cutting performance and superior tool life of VariMill, we feel it’s the most flexible, cost-effective modular solution available. I encourage shops of all sizes to give it a try.”

Hanita brings over 60 years of carbide excellence to the table. Widia’s partnership with Haimer® GmbH adds decades of toolholding excellence as well. All of Widia’s modular cutting tools and adapters are available with the company’s Safe-LockTM technology, which assures zero pull out in titanium and other “grabby” materials.

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The Terelion Circularity program for tungsten carbide drill bits at the Rio Tinto Kennecott mine is estimated to reduce CO2 emissions related to carbide drill bits by 64%. The energy consumption will be reduced by 70% compared with sourcing tungsten carbide via conventional mining methods.

For those shops that prefer a simpler toolholding approach, Widia offers a variety of integral shank taper, lobed, and HSK-style toolholders, as well as straight shank “cut to size” adapters 10 – 32mm in diameter.

Examples include the Widia-Hanita brand VariMill III, a 7-flute centre-cutting end mill with a 38° helix for high-feed machining of titanium and nickel-based superalloys, and the VariMill I, with a conical core and asymmetrical 4-flute design that eliminates chatter in extreme roughing and deep slotting applications. Both are available in Widia’s Victory WS15PE and WP15PE AlTiN-coated grades, known throughout the industry for superior wear and heat-resistance.

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If your shop has been searching for the flexibility, simplicity, and cost-effectiveness of modular end mills but needs the cutting performance of solid carbide, look no further than the replaceable tip end mill solution from Widia Products Group, featuring the Duo-Lock connection from Widia and Haimer.

The unmatched metal removal rate is due to a double-taper, face-contact mount and intelligent thread design. This provides runout accuracy better than 5 μm, axial repeatability of 10 μm or better, and up to 25 per cent higher torque and chip load capabilities than others in this market.

Rio Tinto Kennecott General Manager Minerals, Brendan Murphy, said: “We’re always looking for new and inventive ways to reduce our carbon footprint and cut waste. We are excited to support this innovative circularity program and look forward to seeing the difference it can make.”

Cemented carbide is a key component in high-quality drill bits. One important ingredient in the manufacturing is tungsten, a rare mineral difficult to come by. Through Terelion’s Circularity program, it is now possible to recycle all cemented carbide inserts on a drill bit back to virgin material – pure tungsten – which can then be used in manufacturing new cemented carbide inserts. Tools from recycled solid carbide require 70% less energy which results in 40% less CO2 emissions.

With a 60-year history of carbide cutting tool experience, Hanita’s VariMill technology brings exciting advancements to Widia’s replaceable tip system, including a range of helix and cutting geometries, an asymmetrical flute design, and wear-resistant AlTiN coatings for productive use in titanium and nickel-based super alloys.

A ceremony taking place at the Rio Tinto Kennecott Mine on May 23, 2023, marked the start of the circularity program between the two companies.

Mark White, marketing portfolio manager at Widia, agrees: “The Duo-Lock connection was originally designed for heavy roughing and semi-finishing applications in difficult materials, but the platform has evolved since then. When coupled with the wide array of carbide, coatings, and geometries from our sister company Hanita, Widia provides manufacturers with a modular alternative to solid carbide end mills in 80 percent of their machining operations.”

The used products are collected on site at Kennecott and transported to a partner where the dull tungsten carbide drill bits are separated from the steel. The used carbide inserts are then sent to a process plant in Austria where they are transformed back to its original powder form, and then made into new tungsten carbide inserts that are used as the raw material for making new drill bits.

Rio Tinto Kennecott’s (Salt Lake City, USA) site has joined Terelion’s Circularity Program in what the drill bits company says marks a significant milestone in delivering on its ambitious goal of achieving circularity throughout the whole value chain.

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That’s because it’s the only tool available that can predictably take full-width slotting cuts in stainless steel and aerospace alloys at 1xD deep, and 50 per cent cut widths at 1.5xD. Marketing portfolio director, Avishay Zohar says: “In apples to apples cutting tests against competitors’ tools, the Duo-Lock connection was the only one that didn’t break. It is easily the most robust modular solution on the market today.”

This also makes the Widia system a budget-friendly alternative to solid carbide end mills for shops of all sizes. Avishay Zohar says “Yes, we compete very well at the Tier I and Tier II levels in the aerospace, energy, and automotive industries, but it’s also a great solution for their suppliers, the smaller job shops with a handful of vertical machining centres that cut Inconel one day and 4 140 steel alloy the next. These shops stand to benefit the most from our system’s flexibility and competitive price point, because it reduces the need for expensive solid carbide end mills, and special order tools that may take weeks to arrive.”

Widia is also offering a complete range of cutter geometries, from high-performance “corn cob” style roughers to ball-nose and chamfering cutters. Many of these are available in 20° and 45° helix angles, with custom grinds and edge preps possible in a few weeks or less.