As Molycop expands its footprint across South-east Asia, Senior Applications Engineer Irfan Satria Putra enables customers to optimise grinding performance, reduce costs and drive long-term success with his thorough technical expertise and local insight.
Key Facts
- Based in Indonesia, Irfan works closely with mining operations across South-east Asia to solve milling challenges and improve plant performance.
- With his combination of field experience, metallurgical knowledge and global training, Irfan creates tailored solutions that reduce grinding media consumption and boost efficiency.
- With the launch of Molycop’s Cast High Chrome facility in Cikande, local customers benefit from shorter lead times, regional inventory and tailored technical support.
With deep technical knowledge, local insight and a passion for solving problems, Irfan exemplifies Molycop’s commitment to customer success and technical leadership in the region.
From Bandung to Colorado and back
“I always enjoyed math and physics,” Irfan says. That passion led him to the Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), Indonesia’s leading engineering university, where he majored in metallurgical engineering. Inspired by the complexity of extracting valuable metals from ore, Irfan became deeply interested in the science behind mining and mineral processing.He started his career in Indonesia’s largest steelmaking company before making the shift to the mining industry. “I wanted to be part of the process that extracts metals from the earth,” he says.
Irfan joined Molycop as an Applications Engineer, and later received the opportunity to pursue a Master’s degree in metallurgical engineering at the Colorado School of Mines, a world-renowned university for mining and metallurgy. After completing his studies, Irfan returned to continue supporting customers in Indonesia and beyond.
Supporting mines across South-east Asia
Now a Senior Applications Engineer, Irfan plays a key role in helping mines across Indonesia and South-east Asia optimise their operations. His responsibilities range from mill circuit evaluations to technical troubleshooting and product recommendations, all grounded in on-site experience and data analysis.The most common challenge our customers face is reducing grinding media consumption without sacrificing throughput or product quality. Molycop works closely with sites to adjust milling circuit parameters, test ore characteristics and determine the best media specifications for each unique operation.
One recent success involved a customer operating three mills who wanted to reduce grinding ball consumption. Irfan coordinated a trial using different alloy grades, test parameters and rigorous analysis. The result: a potential significant reduction in ball usage and lower operating costs – a clear demonstration of how Molycop adds value beyond the product.
A trusted partner in the region
As Irfan puts it, “We don’t negotiate with customer satisfaction. We aim to set the bar and continually raise it.”Irfan’s work involves frequent site visits, close communication with plant teams and collaboration with Molycop’s global technical group. “Even if the challenge is local, we bring global insight to solve it,” he explains. He also plays an active role in customer training, sharing technical knowledge through presentations, workshops and one-on-one sessions.
This dedication to support is part of Molycop’s broader strategy: delivering world-class products backed by hands-on, in-country expertise.
Extra capacity to meet growing demand
With the launch of the Cast High Chrome grinding media facility in Cikande, Molycop has significantly expanded its manufacturing capabilities in Indonesia. This investment supports Molycop’s strategy to provide high-quality, regionally produced products, paired with expert technical assistance on the ground.As demand grows, so does our capacity to deliver. Our facility in Cikande gives us the ability to better serve the South-east Asian market with shorter lead times, regional inventory and tailored technical support.
Looking ahead, Irfan is focused on supporting customers across the broader South-east Asian region, where demand for locally supported, high-performance solutions continues to grow.
Advice and reflections
What does Irfan enjoy most about his job? “Solving problems alongside our customers. Every day brings a new challenge, and it’s rewarding to help people improve their processes and meet their goals.”For those just starting in the mining industry, his advice is grounded in experience: “Be humble, stay curious and never stop learning. Listen to different perspectives, focus on safety and strive to improve every day.”
Operators in the region looking to improve their milling performance are encouraged to reach out to Irfan and Molycop’s local technical team to take their operations to the next level.
