Restarting an Old Mine? The Equipment May Be Ready — But Are the Parts Still Available?

With copper demand rising, mining companies are looking increasingly at existing and previously idled operations rather than relying only on new projects.

Reuters reported on October 15, 2026 that several long-idled copper mines are being brought back toward production as the industry responds to expected supply shortages. These brownfield projects can often return to production considerably faster than developing a new mine from scratch. Reuters

But restarting older equipment creates a practical maintenance problem:

Can you still get the parts?

A crusher, screen, conveyor or processing machine may have decades of useful life remaining, while its original components may have become expensive, difficult to obtain or even discontinued.

Replacing an entire machine isn't always the best answer.

Start with the part you already have

For many mechanical components, the sourcing process can begin with surprisingly little information:

OEM part number • equipment model • existing drawing • dimensions • material specification • or a good sample part

Bourdin Industrial works with foundries and industrial manufacturers worldwide to source replacement and wear components for mining, quarrying and heavy industry.

This can include crusher wear and spare parts, industrial castings, polyurethane wear components and other difficult-to-source mechanical parts.

The objective isn't simply to find the cheapest copy. Material selection, dimensions, tolerances, operating conditions and expected wear life all matter when evaluating an alternative source.

Older equipment doesn't automatically mean obsolete equipment

Equipment manufacturers themselves are putting greater emphasis on lifecycle support, component compatibility and parts planning. For example, an upgraded underground loader introduced in 2026 retained 73% spare-parts compatibility with its previous model, specifically helping simplify maintenance and parts management. Mining.com

For plants operating older equipment, the same principle is valuable:

Before replacing the machine, investigate whether the component can be sourced, manufactured or improved.

Sometimes extending the productive life of an existing asset starts with nothing more than a drawing and a worn part.

Have a difficult part to source?

Send Bourdin Industrial the part number, drawing, equipment model or photographs.

We'll investigate the available sourcing and manufacturing options.

Keep the equipment that still works working.