Weir Launches ENDURON Optimil Vertical Stirred Mill
The mill uses ceramic grinding media and a proprietary mechanism designed to cut energy use and downtime in mining operations.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Materials Science
Weir has launched the ENDURON Optimil vertical stirred mill, designed to improve the economics of modern grinding circuits. Within the first 12 months of development and market introduction, the company secured orders for 10 mills across its product range.
Why it matters
Mining operators face declining ore grades, rising energy costs and pressure to reduce resource consumption, making grinding efficiency a key operational concern. The mill is designed to reduce planned maintenance frequency and downtime while improving plant availability.
The company reports energy savings of more than 40% compared with traditional grinding technologies when the mill is combined with ENDURON HPGR technology, and secured 10 orders within the first 12 months of market introduction. The extraction does not indicate whether these savings have been independently verified or how they vary across operating conditions.
The players
Weir
Weir is a global engineering company that supplies equipment and aftermarket services to the mining and infrastructure industries.
The details
The mill uses a proprietary grinding mechanism and media solution with ceramic grinding media, designed to improve energy efficiency and extend wear life. Weir developed the mill from first principles, using customer needs and feedback to shape the design, and supports it with local service centres and aftermarket support.
Timeline
Launched on November 11, 2026
Within the first 12 months of development and market introduction, 10 orders were secured
Deeper Dive
The ENDURON Optimil is positioned alongside Weir's existing ENDURON HPGR technology, which it is designed to pair with for combined energy savings in comminution circuits. This places the launch as an extension of Weir's grinding product line rather than a standalone innovation.
For mining operators, the mill's stated ability to reduce planned maintenance and downtime could translate into higher plant availability if the performance claims hold in practice. The energy savings figure, if realized, would bear directly on operating costs in grinding-intensive circuits.
The takeaway
Grinding efficiency is becoming a central cost lever for mining operators as ore grades decline and energy prices rise. Operators evaluating new mills should weigh vendor-reported energy and maintenance figures against independent field performance data.
Further reading
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