It has a been a big six months for independent mining equipment technology major FLANDERS – announcing both the opening of a major new mining-focused Innovation, Technology, and Training Center in Carmel, Indiana, known as Flanders Innovation Technology, Training (FITT), plus signing a deal with the world’s leading mining services company Thiess to collaborate on bringing hybrid-based decarbonisation options for its already running mining fleets in North America along with a Letter of Intent (LOI) for Australia and Asia, both specifically relating to the deployment of its innovative and patent pending FREEDOM® hybrid haul truck solutions.

IM Editorial Director Paul Moore caught up with FLANDERS Chief Commercial Officer Wayne Chmiel and Senior Manager of Advanced Development, Brian Havens, at MINExpo 2024 in Las Vegas in September

Chmiel said FLANDERS sees a significant opportunity to invest in training and workforce development as the demand for skilled talent continues to grow in mining. As new lower-emission technologies are introduced, there is a rising need for specialised expertise, from diesel mechanics and technicians to electrical technicians with diagnostic skills. FLANDERS is eager to lead in this space, developing hands-on innovative training for individuals who want to learn beyond the standard handbooks.

The new centre is well located in Carmel, near the Indianapolis International airport. “It has 16,000 ft2 of space with four collaboration centres – we can capture real life mine scenarios on video and bring them back to the centre. This allows trainees to experience some real-world situations alongside simulation based and hands on training at the centre using all the latest interactive digital tools.”

This includes simulators for training ARDVARC autonomous drill operators which have recently been developed by FLANDERS completely in-house. The first sim was on show during MINExpo 2024. “We are aiming to put people through an autonomous drilling training program, not just to teach them how to use it and fully understand it, but in some cases, it will allow us to scan initial trainees and assess the best candidates for this role – the best might not always be a former in the field drill operator. It is a high impact position – in some cases the operator is monitoring multiple drills and even drill fleets at more than one mine – we have the ability to do this.” Chmiel added several major customers have already shown interest in purchasing a simulator for them to use for on site training.

Will the FITT centre’s activities be mining specific? “While mining remains a primary focus and growth area, the FITT centre also aims to cover training needs in other industries like steel, aluminium, and paper mills, especially focused on roles involving motors, drives, PLCs, troubleshooting, and diagnostics.”

Aside from training, technology development plus R&D will be the FITT center’s other major focus. “One of the things people are concerned about today is the location where they want to work. A lot of technology coding skills are coming out of the top Mid-West universities, making Carmel an ideal location.”

There will be no fabrication or assembly at the FITT centre – but it will house the autonomy engineering team – including for autonomous drilling technology, where FLANDERS is a global leader. It will also be the hub for further development and evolution of the FREEDOM for haul trucks technology from FLANDERS, which is focused on retrofit upgrades of mechanical drive and diesel electric drive mining trucks to diesel engine plus battery hybrid.

The actual FREEDOM cabinets will be made in the main FLANDERS factory in Evansville, Indiana, as it is a large manufacturing facility with significant manufacturing capacity – but software and electronic product development will be focused on in Carmel.

Thiess was present at the FITT Carmel centre opening ceremony and its agreement with FLANDERS will make it the FREEDOM for haul trucks launch customer. What synergies are there between the companies? Chmiel: “Mining is a cost competitive business, and we sought a partner that is focused on producing at the lowest costs. Our hybrid solution is a decarbonisation solution for sure, but more importantly it is a cost improvement solution and we sought out Thiess as they are the lowest cost producer in the market. Together we have a very clear and common collaborative vision for reducing mining fleet emissions, but profitably, which has been the case right from my initial meetings with Thiess VP Operations North America, David Perkins. We also have very complementary offerings – both companies are very good in the segment they operate in. Thiess’s skill set is running mining equipment efficiently and at the lowest cost per tonne for clients, while FLANDERS leads the industry in advanced drive solutions, technology, automation, and retrofitting capabilities across any OEM.”

Two months ago, FLANDERS celebrated the successful deployment of its 182nd ARDVARC drill automation system worldwide for mining customer in Peru, installed on an Epiroc PV351 electric drill. It was also the 50th autonomous drill utilising FLANDERS technology in South America

It is also an ideal collaboration as neither Thiess nor FLANDERS are tied to any particular OEM in any way – both are truly agnostic, searching for the best solution for their customers. “Both companies have similar DNA and are first and foremost very pragmatic and open minded. FLANDERS OEM-agnostic, retrofittable solutions to the new and to the old, allow us to address the diverse challenges of mining fleets globally, equipping them to reduce emissions while maintaining operational efficiency.”

So how will the FREEDOM for haul trucks collaboration proceed from here? Chmiel: “We have talked about conversion of trucks, both diesel electric and mechanical drive. Thiess has over 3,000 pieces of equipment so there is no shortage of candidates, but we have narrowed things down to a few different truck models that keep coming up. We are having strategy sessions and looking at both the North American market, as well as their operations globally.”

Once the initial conversions are carried out and proven, Thiess will ultimately carry out the conversions to the FREEDOM for haul trucks hybrid system themselves, under licence from FLANDERS and under FLANDERS supervision, and with Thiess people being trained by FLANDERS either at its own site or at the new FLANDERS FITT centre in Carmel. Chmiel: “We would continue to supply the components including the motors in the case of the mechanical drive system. The solution will be very front facing with Thiess customers and will become an integral part of asset management plans and roadmaps.”

The FREEDOM for haul trucks motor can handle anything from a 100-ton class mining truck up to a 400 ton truck. Brian Havens: “When we designed this system we were given the directive to create a regret free upgrade path for our customers. What does this mean? No matter which energy mix is dominant in a decade, the FLANDERS solution is there for the customer. We created an energy agnostic solution in addition to our OEM-agnostic drive system for hybrid haul trucks. It is a modular inverter cluster where we add a single inverter or dual inverter and DC to DC controllers – and can make it work on any class of mining truck with the same componentry. Our system was designed by field service engineers for field service engineers, and we designed the system not to fail but should there be a need for maintenance we wanted to get the vehicle up and running as soon as possible.”

Havens adds: “Component commonality for example is very important – it simplifies maintenance and reduces spare parts inventory for mining operators. The whole modularised system and cabinet is designed for very easy maintenance – anything that ever would need to be touched has a handle on it, making everything very accessible. So, you would never have to spend hours taking the cabinet apart to replace a power module or capacitor – they are right up front and require only a few bolts to be taken out. It is energy agnostic – no one knows what energy mix is going to dominate in a decade. Our current hybrid technology will reduce operating cost today, and tomorrow when battery costs reduce we can adapt it again, plus if trolley is at the mine we can also accommodate that with a few minor modifications. If full BEV is in the pipeline, we can do that too – truly we have developed a regret free solution that can have a meaningful impact on operating costs today.”

Neither Thiess nor FLANDERS are tied to any particular OEM in any way – both are truly agnostic

This is a big reassurance for customers nervous about using new technology. The cabinet is liquid-cooled, dust-proof, and compact, fitting seamlessly onto mining trucks without obstructing visibility from the cab. And FLANDERS designed everything in house including the hardware and the firmware and the power electronics. Havens: “This means FLANDERS can always fully support every aspect of FREEDOM’s hardware, firmware, and power electronics ensuring consistent support for our customers without having to get any third party involved. The control board is in fact a common hardware between FLANDERS’ truck drives, dragline drives and shovel drives. We know the interfaces and we know how to make it forward and backward compatible.”

Training is simple as well, so if there is a problem the service personnel will know how to address it without having to involve external experts. Havens: “Some of these truck operators no longer have support for their power electronics systems – even without the battery module, operators can deploy our FREEDOM cabinet today and when they are ready to hybridise or switch to a different power source, our cabinet will support without additional modifications.”

FLANDERS is already leading in autonomous drilling with its OEM-agnostic solutions. This means most big miners are already very familiar with the company and its approach – FLANDERS FREEDOM for haul trucks represents another opportunity for them to transform mining operations. By reducing emissions and enhancing efficiency, FLANDERS continues to drive sustainability and innovation in the industry.