Case Study - Russell Mineral Equipment Pty Ltd (QLD)

Russell Mineral Equipment
Inducted into the Australian Export Awards Hall of Fame in 2009

Winner:
2008 Large Advanced Manufacturer Award Sponsored by Caterpillar - Australian Made
2007 Regional Exporter Award
2001 Regional Exporter

Finalist:
2005 Small to Medium Manufacturer Award
2000 Small to Medium Manufacturer Award

Russell Mineral Equipment is a technology company which has prospered through innovative operation. The company identifies problems in mineral processing industries, develops solutions for those problems, and then designs and manufactures the mechanical, electrical, electronic, hydraulic and pneumatic systems necessary to solve those problems.

Russell Mineral Equipment’s personnel comfortably ride this ‘second industrial revolution’ wave – computerisation – which is as significant as the transition from animal power to steam. The company uses modelling to forecast potential future concerns and identify solutions in this virtual world, before any physical manufacturing has commenced. Increasingly, embedded ‘computers’ control and monitor these systems and solutions.

Russell Mineral Equipment has achieved an 80 per cent market penetration in grinding mill relining technology. Hard-rock mines, such as copper, gold, lead and aluminium, use mineral grinding mills to grind the material into fine particles. These mills require regular relining maintenance, a process which typically requires the entire plant to shut down. Products span a spectrum of customer needs, from a 200kg MillMast Liner Handler to 10,000kg capacity Twin Machine Mill Relining Systems. Sales have grown 400 per cent in four years, with an 80 per cent export ratio. Concurrently, personnel increased from 46 to 180 in 2008-09, Russell Mineral equipment secured AUD46million in orders.

Russell Mineral Equipment reinvests four per cent of sales in research and development to maintain technical and market leadership.

The skills developed by Russell Mineral Equipment’s personnel – including international business skills, technical skills in design and manufacturer and marketing skills – have combined to create a potent force well placed to expand into other technology fields, both within and outside the mining industry.