Representatives from Anglo American recently announced their partnership with Autonomous Solutions, Inc (ASI). The goal of the multi-year relationship is to deliver enhanced productivity, sustainability, and safety through mining vehicle automation systems for the company’s haulage operations. The joint effort is part of Anglo American’s FutureSmart initiative through which the company is partnering with third party technology groups like ASI to drive innovation within the mining industry.
Facing challenges such as lower commodity prices, declining grades of ore deposits, and difficulty of access to ore bodies, the mining industry “needs to leap forward 20 years in five,” said Tony O’Neill, Anglo American’s Group Director for Technical and Sustainability, at the Dassault Systemes 3DExperience Forum in November 2014. To help drive this innovation, Anglo American is working with ASI automation engineers to create fully autonomous, teleoperated, and remote control haulage operations.
“Anglo American is at the forefront of innovation in the mining industry and they have been the ideal partner in creating disruptive mining solutions,” said President and CEO of ASI, Mel Torrie. As Anglo American’s OEM-independent automation partner, ASI leverages more than 14 years of experience developing robotic solutions for the mining, farming, automotive, industrial, and military industries. Development and testing of the autonomous mining systems have already commenced with active field trials with Anglo American and at ASI’s new 100 acre mining proving ground in northern Utah.
