Normet says its first Utimec XL 1100 Agitator ED has arrived in Australia, with final field tests currently being conducted ahead of deployment at BHP’s Olympic Dam mine.

The Utimec XL 1100 Agitator ED, part of Normet’s recently announced ElectroDynamic® electric driveline platform, has a concrete transportation capacity of 10.5 cu.m. It is designed for concrete transportation in underground mines and tunnels with a minimum tramming height of 3.3 m.

Tailor-made for harsh underground conditions, the vehicle is equipped with a voluminous, wear-resistant and remote-controllable concrete drum and a hydraulically-operated discharging chute, allowing for more versatile vehicle positioning, Normet says. Both mixing and unloading are controlled electrically and can be operated with zero local emissions by plugging the machine into the mine’s power grid. This increases operator comfort by significantly reducing heat output and noise and by eliminating underground emissions, according to the company. The XL 1100 Agitator ED comes with a spectrum of features such as both front and rear support legs to ensure maximum operating stability, a form oil system to prevent concrete from adhering to the vehicle’s surfaces and a high-pressure washer with a 500-litre on-board water tank.

The arrival of the first unit in Australia follows one-year-long extensive tests in Finland, Normet says. It is set to be operated at Olympic Dam by Redpath, which ordered several XL 1100 Agitator EDs for its operations after visiting Normet’s factory in Iisalmi, Finland, last year.