Today at MINExpo 2021, HARD-LINE released a revolutionary mining product that, it says, will change the way mining companies use rockbreakers, with Auto Rockbreaker.

The latest autonomous HARD-LINE product allows operators to automate various rockbreaking tasks that have yet to be done.

“Our team has come up with solutions that make one of the more difficult mining methods, much easier,” HARD-LINE Senior VP of Technology, Ryan Siggelkow, says. “A major benefit is that the system does not require a highly trained operator, which will make it easier for companies to attract talent.”

HARD-LINE’s VP of Sales, Phil Pelland, has been in mining for more than 40 years and has seen the slow evolution of rockbreakers, until now.

He says: “Besides the fact it removes operators from dangerous environments, Auto Rockbreaker provides operator solutions for limited visibility and poor depth perception. It is compatible with all rockbreaker makes and models, and it is designed to be retrofitted for existing breakers.”

At MINExpo, HARD-LINE is hosting simulations where delegates are witnessing features such as autonomously parking the hammer and deploying it, known as auto park and auto deploy. The new rockbreaker technology uses a series of sensors, including cameras to survey the environment. The sensor data is then processed by computer vision and machine learning algorithms to recognise the rockbreaker’s surroundings.

As the system continues to advance, HARD-LINE says it is looking to partner with more mine sites to further augment the system’s unique capabilities.