Global mining services provider Thiess recently achieved the major milestone of safely moving more than 10 million banked cubic metres semi-autonomously since launching its fleet of six Cat D11 dozers with the semi-autonomous tractor system (SATS) three years ago at Lake Vermont mine in Queensland. Original equipment manufacturer Caterpillar and Cat dealer Hastings Deering also attended the celebration event onsite.

Thiess Group Executive Chair and CEO Michael Wright said: “Our strong relationships with original equipment manufacturers like Caterpillar enable Thiess to provide our clients with cutting-edge technology to meet and surpass their operational and sustainability targets. Thiess has one of the world’s largest active deployments of SATS technology. Since introducing this technology at Lake Vermont in 2020, we’ve seen a 10% reduction in unit cost and 25% improvement in dozer utilisation.”

The Cat D11 dozers on site are equipped with Cat MineStar Command for dozing, enabling the machine to perform repeatable processes, such as loading the blade, pushing, dumping and grade control with consistent accuracy each time.

Thiess Group Head of Autonomy and Operations Technology Trent Smith said: “Ten million banked cubic metres is equivalent in volume to 4,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools – moving this amount without an operator in the machine is a significant milestone. It reflects Thiess’ ongoing commitment to linking people and technology to deliver safety and operational efficiency outcomes. With this technology, a single operator can quickly and easily control multiple dozers from the comfort and safety of a remote operating station, significantly improving production output and reducing fatigue.”

Caterpillar Senior Vice President Marc Cameron reinforced: “10 million banked cubic metres moved by Cat semi-autonomous dozers is an outstanding milestone. We are proud to collaborate with Thiess as they leverage our technology and deliver demonstrated results in productivity and cost improvement at site.”

Hastings Deering Resource Industries Business Manager Brad Scholz said: “We are excited to celebrate this milestone with our valued client, Thiess. This achievement highlights our strong relationship and commitment to delivering innovative solutions in the mining industry.”

Thiess is also implementing Cat MineStar Command for dozing technology within a rehabilitation application in Queensland.