It has been some years since there has been any progress in upscaling large mining rope shovels, but this is now changing with the P&H 4800XPC machine from Komatsu, which has completed detailed design, with the first unit in manufacture, expected to start production digging in North America in late 2019.

This is a major turning point in the industry in terms of bringing a true loading tool for the industry’s ultraclass trucks to the mining stage as well as representing a new option for high tonnage IPCC systems. As with any new size class of equipment, and one of this complexity, the program has come with engineering challenges but Komatsu has added key design features that have transformed the production of the unit.