METSO’S PROJECT

Outotec® direct Reduced Iron Smelting Furnace through Modular Development Processes

Pathmakers: Timo Haimi, Tom Rönnberg, Joseph Hamuyuni, Kimmo Vallo, Pasi Mäkelä, and Mari Lindgren

Metso, a Finnish company that specializes in providing sustainable technologies, end-to-end solutions and services for the aggregates, minerals processing and metals refining industries, developed a Direct Reduced Iron Smelting Furnace which can unlock the utilization of ~90% of global iron ores with a remarkable reduction in CO2 emissions. The original idea came from market demand rather than from the lab, they realized their time-to-market had to be fast, which is why they redesigned the R&D process, resulting in a process that took only a third of the original time.

The commercial potential of this idea drove the team to adopt a modular approach to product development, allowing them to move swiftly and stay competitive. Recognizing the urgency of the market opportunity, they shifted from their usual methods and embraced parallel development. This involved breaking the project into smaller, clearly defined tasks, enabling team members to focus on specific elements while leveraging internal capabilities and external expertise. By splitting tasks, they could integrate existing technologies more efficiently and engage experts on different project aspects. This modularity also facilitated early and effective stakeholder involvement, ensuring each contributor had a clear role. Metso’s typical development process for metallurgical processes involves engaging product managers only after initial development, reflecting a risk-averse industry mindset. However, this project required their initial input, drawing expertise from the Pori research center in Finland and coordinating teams early on. Additionally, Metso shifted from its traditional in-house focus, integrating validated solutions from external partners. This reduced the risks associated with validating each individual component, instead focusing on validating the complete system. This modular and integrated approach allowed Metso to develop a product that seamlessly fit into existing production chains, offering customers an immediately usable solution without the need for further investment.

This development process showcases that if there is enough drive and business potential, very complicated projects can be completed in a reasonable time by splitting tasks and engaging relevant stakeholders early, leveraging both internal and external capabilities and technologies.