I’ve worked with Mike from Mears and Co for several years and found his work in the supply, installation and service of gold room refractory components to be second-to-none. His installation quality is excellent, and has on more than one occasion changed his own plans to assist with critical, time-sensitive repairs on-site. Mike’s broad experience in gold room refractory components also convinced me that his recommended improvements to the smelting furnace were sound and worth the risk to attempt. It’s with great satisfaction to say that the implentation of his advice has drastically reduced the maintenance required on the smelting furnace and improved the crucible operation life by over 200%. Trust in a company is hard earnt and easily lost, and I say with confidence that Mike is the professional I trust to maintain and improve the smelting and calcining processes in our gold room.

Terry Douglas
Senior Metallurgist
Mt Magnet Gold Project

Being a gold room which has a moderately high output of gold each week, we require a high level of performance and reliability in our gold smelting furnace and associated equipment to ensure constant availability. In 2013 we found that we were being let down by our current, at that time smelting set-up, due to increased production outputs and unreliable service providers.

We then enlisted Mike Mears from Mears and Co to engineer some badly needed modifications to our Smelting Furnace and to design a refractory liner package that was amongst other things reliable, robust and a much simpler and user-friendly system when it came to liner replacements. Mike also designed it in such a way that it incorporated a spouted crucible, going away from our poorly performing crucibles at that time. Since this over haul of our smelting furnace we have had nothing but first-class results and reliability in all smelting operations.
Mike also provides a valuable support service in regards to annual liner replacements and emergency break-downs and/or repairs.

Since gaining the confidence to have the knowledge and technical support and also the first-class workmanship that Mike displays from Mears and Co to support our Gold room operations, we have also changed over too many of the other services that Mears and Co offers in the way of ancillary equipment, critical to efficient gold smelting i.e. bullion moulds, spouted crucibles and other various tools.

Being of high importance to our business, all new products that pass through our gold room are put through some rigorous testing to ensure safety, durability, integrity and value for money. We have proven on all of the products and services that Mike from Mears and Co supplies us that we are working with a leader in his field.

Mark Kirkby  
Goldroom Supervisor 
Gwalia Mine, Leonora Operations

Mears and Co has significantly contributed to the development of our Gold Room’s smelting system. They have been with us from the very beginning when we commissioned the new gold room and continue to provide ongoing support to our operations. Mears has always been available when an issue arises to provide their expert advice and service.
With Mike’s expertise we have managed to increase the life of our crucibles from 12 smelts to 24 smelts.

Frank Hooks
Gold Recovery & Utilities Superintendent
Boddington Gold Operation

Mike from Mears and Co always provides us with great service in a friendly manner. He takes pride in his work and has rebuilt our cupellation furnaces to a high-quality standard. In addition to this, Mike is able to offer expert advice and solutions to all aspects of our furnace maintenance.

Chris De Pinto
Fire Assay Co-ordinator
The Perth Mint Refinery