Forging Supplier for Global Mining Equipment OEMs: Metso, FLSmidth, and Weir Group

August 13, 2026


Metso Outotec (Finland), FLSmidth (Denmark), and Weir Group (Scotland) are the three largest global mining equipment OEMs together controlling approximately 60% of the global hard rock mining equipment market, supplying crusher, grinding mill, pump, and materials handling equipment to copper, gold, iron ore, coal, and lithium mines worldwide. Each OEM operates global supply chains for specialty alloy steel forgings crusher main shafts, SAG mill gear blanks, slurry pump shafts, and conveyor structural forgings where Indian forge shops with AS9100D, ISO 9001, and NABL accreditation can supply at 25–35% cost advantage over European and North American domestic sources.

OEMKey Product LineCritical ForgingMaterial
Metso Outotec (Helsinki)HP/MP/GP cone crushers, SAG/Ball mills, VERTIMILLCrusher main shaft, eccentric, SAG bull gear blank4340 Q&T, EN36 case harden
FLSmidth (Copenhagen)MAAG gear drives, ATOX mills, Cross-Bar crushersMill drive shaft, gear blank, crusher structuralEN36, 42CrMo4, 4340 Q&T
Weir Group (Glasgow)Warman slurry pumps, GEHO pumps, CAVEX cyclonesPump shaft, impeller hub, bearing housingCD4MCu duplex, 4340, Inconel 625
Sandvik Mining (Tampere)CH/CS cone crushers, AutoMine, Toro trucksCrusher shaft, truck axle, drivetrain structural4340, EN24, EN36 case harden
Thyssenkrupp (Essen)Gyratory crushers, belt conveyors, bucket wheelMain shaft, conveyor pulley shaft, eccentric4340, CrMoV alloy steel

Metso Outotec — formed by the merger of Metso Minerals and Outotec in 2020 is the world’s largest mining equipment OEM by revenue. Metso’s crusher product line (HP, MP, and GP cone crushers) and grinding mills (SAG mills up to 38 feet diameter, ball mills, VERTIMILL vertical stirred mills) represent the largest global procurement volumes for specialty alloy steel shaft forgings and gear blank forgings. Metso operates manufacturing facilities in Tampere (Finland), Milwaukee (USA), Sorocaba (Brazil), and multiple Asian locations. Metso applies ISO 9001 as its quality system standard for forging suppliers, with additional technical requirements for each forging category.

FLSmidth — headquartered in Copenhagen and focused on cement and mining equipment produces the MAAG gear drive systems (used in SAG and ball mills globally), ATOX vertical roller mills, and Cross-Bar apron feeders. FLSmidth’s MAAG division procures bull gear blank ring forgings (EN36, 18CrNiMo7-6) in the Ø3,000–8,000mm range partially within Indian ring rolling capability for medium SAG mills (Ø3,000mm and below) but requiring larger mills for the largest bull gears. FLSmidth’s forging supplier qualification requires ISO 9001, NABL-equivalent laboratory accreditation, and technical qualification through sample production and testing.

Weir Group’s Warman slurry pump — the world’s most widely used centrifugal slurry pump in mining uses shaft forgings in CD4MCu duplex stainless and impeller hub forgings in CD4MCu for standard applications, with Inconel 625 pump shafts for the most aggressive acid leaching environments. Weir’s GEHO positive displacement pump uses 4340 Q&T alloy steel pump shaft and bearing housing forgings for very high-pressure slurry transport.

Sandvik Mining produces the CH and CS cone crusher series (direct competitors to Metso’s HP and MP series), the Toro underground mining truck range, and AutoMine® autonomous mining systems. Sandvik’s crusher main shaft forgings in 4340 Q&T (1,200 MPa tensile minimum) are procured from Sandvik’s global supply chain managed from Tampere. Sandvik’s supplier qualification process includes ISO 9001 certification, NABL-equivalent laboratory accreditation, and qualification test forging production.

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Vinir Capability

  1. AS9100D and ISO 9001 — accepted by all four major global mining OEMs.
  2. 4340 Q&T open die shaft forgings to 15,000 kg for Metso and Sandvik cone crusher main shaft supply.
  3. EN36 and 18CrNiMo7-6 ring-rolled bull gear blanks to Ø4,500mm for FLSmidth MAAG gear drive supply (medium SAG mills).
  4. CD4MCu duplex stainless pump shaft and impeller hub forgings for Weir Warman supply.
  5. Inconel 625 pump shaft forgings for Weir GEHO acid service.
  6. 100% UT per ASTM A388 before machining for all shaft forgings.
  7. Hardness uniformity verification at multiple circumferential positions.
  8. Charpy at -20°C from NABL laboratory.
  9. TPI by Bureau Veritas and Intertek.
  10. Metso Outotec, FLSmidth, and Weir Group supply chain engagement underway.

Frequently Asked Questions

1.What is the Metso HP cone crusher and what shaft forging specifications does it require?+–
Metso’s HP (High Performance) cone crusher series HP100 through HP6000 is the world’s leading cone crusher for secondary and tertiary hard rock crushing. The HP crusher’s main shaft is forged in 4340 alloy steel, quenched and tempered to a minimum tensile strength of 1,000–1,200 MPa (depending on the HP model size). Shaft weights range from 500 kg (HP100) to 5,000+ kg (HP6000). The shaft must be 100% ultrasonically tested before machining to verify freedom from internal defects that could propagate to fatigue cracks under the cyclic loading of crusher operation a single HP crusher main shaft failure in a large mine costs $2–5 million in lost production plus shaft replacement cost.
2.What is the Warman slurry pump and what forging materials and specifications does it require?+–
The Warman slurry pump is a centrifugal pump designed for aggressive slurry service in mining. The pump’s shaft forging must withstand combined loading of shaft bending, torsion, and corrosive-erosive attack from the slurry being pumped. For standard copper, gold, and iron ore slurry applications, CD4MCu (duplex stainless with copper addition) provides adequate corrosion-erosion resistance. CD4MCu shaft forgings are heat treated to achieve yield strength 550+ MPa for adequate stiffness. For sulfuric acid leaching applications, Inconel 625 pump shafts are specified because CD4MCu corrodes in acid concentrations above approximately 5% H₂SO₄.
3.How does Vinir’s qualification process work for becoming an approved forging supplier to Metso Outotec?+–
Metso Outotec’s forging supplier qualification follows a structured process: initial RFI (Request for Information) capability questionnaire covering forging processes, materials, press capacities, heat treatment, and NDT; quality system review ISO 9001 certificate and scope verification, NABL or equivalent laboratory accreditation; technical audit at the supplier facility; qualification lot production typically 1–3 crusher shaft forgings in the applicable material, produced under Metso-witnessed inspection with full documentation; acceptance inspection by Metso’s quality engineer; and approved supplier listing. The total timeline from initial contact to approved supplier listing is typically 12–18 months.
4.What SAG mill bull gear blank ring rolling specifications does FLSmidth MAAG apply and what size range does Vinir cover?+–
FLSmidth’s MAAG gear division specifies bull gear blank ring forgings in EN36 (18CrNiMo7-6 equivalent) or 42CrMo4. Ring dimensions vary by SAG mill diameter for medium SAG mills (26–30 foot diameter, 8–10 MW), the bull gear pitch diameter is approximately 7,000–9,000mm; the rough forged ring blank is approximately Ø5,000–7,000mm OD. Vinir’s ring rolling mill produces to Ø4,500mm OD covering SAG mills up to approximately 24 feet (7.3m) diameter. FLSmidth’s smaller cement and minerals equipment uses bull gear ring blanks in the Ø2,000–4,000mm range fully within Vinir’s capability.
5.What India-based mining equipment companies create domestic forging demand?+–
India’s mining equipment industry includes: BEML Limited (Bengaluru) producing draglines, shovels, and dumpers for coal and mineral mining under BEML brand and Komatsu/Caterpillar licences; Puzzolana Machinery Fabricators (Hyderabad) producing Indian-manufactured crushing and screening equipment; and Dhoot Industrial Machines (Pune) producing jaw crushers and grinding mills for Indian aggregate and mining markets. Each Indian OEM requires crusher main shaft forgings, gear blank forgings, and structural fittings. BEML, as a public sector company, applies Government of India Make in India preferences in its procurement creating additional incentives for qualifying domestic Indian forge shops.