Tag Archives: automation

Sandvik to deliver advanced automation system at Codelco El Teniente’s Andesita project

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Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions is further expanding its strong automation partnership with Codelco, receiving a major order for its AutoMine® load and haul solution for the Andesita project at El Teniente mine in Chile.

Following multiple automation solutions orders from Codelco in 2023, Sandvik will implement an advanced automation system and deliver a new automated Toro™ LH621i loader during 2024.

“El Teniente mine is on its way to becoming the underground operation with the highest level and most intensive use of automated equipment in the world,”  Rodrigo Andrades, El Teniente Mine Manager, said. “To sustain this process, we require suppliers with a high level of commitment and collaboration in this objective.”

David Hallett, Vice President, Automation at Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, said: “We are thrilled to collaborate with Codelco yet again, this time delivering our leading AutoMine technology to enhance safety, efficiency and productivity in the new Andesita project. This contract reinforces our position as a trusted partner in mine automation and our commitment to meeting Codelco’s evolving needs.”

The contract includes training, workshops and essential components for comprehensive lifecycle support, as well as scalability terms for the purchase and delivery of additional Toro LH621i loaders and automation systems for additional tunnels through 2028.

“As a leading OEM in the transformation to safer and more sustainable mining operations, we value Codelco’s continued trust in Sandvik and look forward to continuing our commitment to grow our partnership,” Ricardo Pachon, Vice President, Sales South Cone and Andean at Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, said.

Meglab and Bell to collaborate on Canadian mining Private LTE/5G network projects

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Meglab is to integrate Private LTE/5G network solutions into the Canadian mining sector in partnership with Bell, setting, it says, a new standard for operational efficiency and technological advancement.

The offer for private mobile networks for the mining sector allows the secure transfer of large quantities of data at very high speeds. With these capabilities, mining companies can use artificial intelligence in their daily operations to automate and evaluate decision-making processes to maximise productivity. They are also able to perform preventative maintenance and create a more secure working environment for their employees.

Meglab’s experience in the mining sector is complemented by its specialised workforce, not only capable of operating in remote locations, but also skilled in the deployment of advanced telecommunications technologies in underground mines, it says. Combined with Bell’s private mobile network expertise, Meglab is set to power mines with connected equipment, people and processes that will advance mining operations in Canada.

“We are so proud of this partnership,” Kim Valade, General Manager of Meglab (owned by Epiroc), said. “This unique collaboration will enable us to offer the very best in private mobile networks for the mining industry.”

The partnership not only enables the use of industrial IoT and artificial intelligence, it also actively supports the automation of mining vehicles, Meglab says, adding that this is a crucial step towards modernising mining operations. This integration ensures a seamless flow of data, videos, images and voice communications. The Private LTE/5G networks are specifically designed to handle the heavy data demands and exacting operational reliability of the mining sector, thus ensuring security and speed in data transfer, and facilitating the sophisticated processes of automated mining.

Costa Pantazopoulos, VP Product, Bell, said: “Bell is proud to partner with Meglab to help bring together the diverse ecosystem of mining partners together with our private mobile network to support the digital transformation of the Canadian mining industry.”

South32 signs off on ‘next generation’ Taylor mine development plan at Hermosa

Automation, Base metals, Environmental, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , ,

The feasibility study for the Taylor deposit, part of South32’s Hermosa project in Arizona, USA, has lived up to the mining company’s expectations, with final investment approval to develop this resource granted to the tune of $2.16 billion.

Hermosa was the first mining project added to the US Government’s FAST-41 process and is currently the only advanced project in the USA, which could supply two federally designated critical minerals, according to South32.

It is a project that is also set to apply ‘next generation mine’ design principles using automation and technology to drive efficiencies and lower operational greenhouse gas emissions. This includes a plan to incorporate battery-electric LHDs, drilling and ancillary fleets. This strategy, included in the feasibility study, results in improved efficiency, reduced diesel consumption and greenhouse emissions compared with the prefeasibility study on the project.

As well as this, the company plans to develop an integrated remote operations centre (iROC) in Santa Cruz County. The iROC will monitor and control mining, processing, maintenance and engineering to ensure the integration of activities and to optimise the entire value chain. Dry-stack tailings are also included in this development plan.

The feasibilty study highlighted a circa-4.3 Mt/y operation with average payable zinc-equivalent output of circa-253,000 t/y over a 28-year mine life. First production could occur in South32’s 2027 financial year.

The mine design for Taylor is a dual shaft underground mine, employing longhole open stoping with paste backfill. The mine development schedule has been aligned to a federal permitting process under FAST-41, which enables earlier access to multiple mining areas and an efficient ramp up to nameplate processing capacity of 4.3 Mt/y, it says. Shaft sinking is on-track to commence in the first quarter of South32’s 2025 financial year.

South32 Chief Executive Officer, Graham Kerr, said: “Final investment approval to develop Taylor is a major milestone aligned with our strategy to reshape our portfolio toward commodities that are critical for a low-carbon future.

“Taylor is expected to deliver attractive returns over multiple decades, with the feasibility study confirming the potential for a long-life, low-cost, low-carbon operation, with an initial operating life of circa-28 years, an average EBITDA margin of circa-50% and an internal rate of return of circa-12%.”

Kerr added: “As the first phase of a regional scale opportunity at Hermosa, Taylor’s infrastructure including dewatering, power, roads and site facilities, will unlock value for future growth options. These include Clark, our battery-grade manganese deposit, and potential discoveries in our highly prospective regional land package, which has already returned high-grade copper and zinc results from Peake and Flux.”

ABB joins Euromines’ sustainable mining drive

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ABB says it has joined the European Association of Mining Industries (Euromines), the recognised representative of the European metals and minerals mining industry.

Euromines’ main objectives are to promote responsible industry practices and engage with EU institutions on mining-related policy matters. Euromines also promotes the benefit and value of both the products and the industry to society, which are critical to boosting European competitiveness.

It serves as a cooperative network of members focused on sharing responsible raw material mining practices. It also evaluates the impact of European and international policies and legislation on the industry and defines industry policy positions and actions. It represents large and small companies and subsidiaries in Europe and in other parts of the world.

Euromines has recently launched the Sustainable Mining Initiative in which members share insights on circular economy, nature restoration, decarbonisation and community.

ABB business leaders will contribute to the association’s efforts to improve responsible mining in Europe and provide examples of how innovative technologies for the processing of raw materials have been developed by ABB or in collaboration with customers, ABB says.

Joachim Braun, Division President, ABB Process Industries, will attend the Euromines Policy Committee. Max Luedtke (pictured), Global Business Line Manager for Mining at ABB, joins the Euromines Sustainability Group while Sylvain Froin, Global Head of Communications and Marketing for Mining at ABB, joins the Euromines Communication Committee.

“Raw materials are essential for industry and critical to Europe’s climate goals and strategic autonomy,” Braun said. “We are pleased to join Euromines and are looking forward to contributing with best practice examples of technologies that drive increasingly sustainable mining activity in Europe and around the world. ABB automation, electrification and digital technologies enable a more sustainable and research-efficient future; we are already helping and collaborating with customers to decarbonise and reduce energy consumption across the mining industry and across all processes from pit to port.”

Euromines provides services to its members with regard to EU policy and serves as a network for cooperation and for the exchange of information throughout the sector within Europe. The association also fosters contacts with the mining community throughout the world. Euromines represents an interface between the European extractive industry and the European authorities and international or intergovernmental bodies and advocates the extractive industry.

RCT collaborates with Barminco on latest automation project at IGO Nova

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Today, RCT’s agnostic automation can be found at many of Barminco’s operations throughout the Goldfields region, and now there is one more to add with the completion of its most recent project at IGO’s Nova mine.

Despite the site’s existing automation infrastructure, when it came time for upgrading, RCT Automation was selected as the preferred supplier by Barminco, a subsidiary of global mining services group Perenti.

“Technology and innovation are a key focus for Barminco, and we appreciated the simplicity of the RCT Automation solution – quicker setup times and ease of use for our operators,” Darren Kwok, Head of Mining Electrification and Technology for Perenti Contract Mining, said.

The loaders are operated from the safety and comfort of Automation Centres, which have been situated both underground and on the surface of the mine.

To enhance sustainability and cost efficiency, existing cabins were repurposed, refurbished at RCT’s Kalgoorlie branch.

Kalgoorlie Branch Manager, Rick Radcliffe, said: “The cabins required sandblasting and painting before we lined them with fridge panelling and fitted them out with RCT’s state-of-art ergonomic chair and operations centre.”

In addition to providing agnostic automation, RCT was able to work with Barminco to use both the existing underground communications technology and supplement it with the RCT connect to ensure we provide the best and most cost-effective solution for the client. The team also provided extensive operator training to empower site and ensure self-sufficiency with the technology.

Kwok added: “We have a good working relationship with RCT, and this extends beyond just the service delivery and project delivery.

“Outcomes from the project have been positive and we have worked collaboratively with RCT to ensure any operational concerns raised were reviewed and their product offering improved based on our feedback.”

Radcliffe said: “When two companies have the same goal of implementing quality products into a technology focused operation, they will always be successful, and that was certainly the case at Nova.

“We are looking forward to working with Barminco over the coming months to assess the impact that the project has had.”

Ma’aden and Hexagon partner on Middle East’s first ‘digital mine’ at Mansourah Massarah

Mine operation news, Mineral project development, Mining services, Mining software, Precious metals, Sustainable mining, , , , ,

Ma’aden and Hexagon have partnered to launch what they say is the Middle East’s very first digital mine, with Hexagon’s life-of-mine technology solutions being deployed at Mansourah Massarah mine, combining sensor, software and autonomous technologies to enhance efficiency, productivity, quality and safety across the mine’s operations.

Duncan Bradford, Executive Vice President Base Metals and New Metals, Ma’aden, said: “This partnership strongly aligns with our digitisation strategy, as we work to use the vast amounts of data that we mine to make our mine safer and more efficient. We look forward to working closely with Hexagon to implement and utilise the region’s first digital mine to elevate Mansourah Massarah’s operations.”

Nick Hare, President of Hexagon’s Mining division, said: “We are excited to help bring to life this important shift toward digitisation of the mine, one that holistically leverages intelligent data and automation across workflows to minimise the impacts of mining while simultaneously improving safety, productivity and operational efficiency.

“This is about co-authoring the next chapter of mining in this region with a partner who shares in our drive toward a sustainable future.”

Mansourah Massarah, Ma’aden’s newest, largest, and most technologically advanced gold mine, is in Al Khurmah governorates in Makkah Region. The mine consists of the Mansourah and Massarah resources, which are being developed as conventional open-pit mines. The 4 Mt/y plant employs carbon-in-leach and pressure oxidation processes and autoclave technologies for ore gold production. It reached a major milestone of producing first gold in September 2022, going on to produce 11,982 oz for the year.

Amelia: the underground drilling conversation starter

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Some 16 months after launch, Sandvik’s AutoMine® Concept Underground Drill, also known as ‘Amelia’, is having the impact Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions was hoping for, influencing most forward-looking conversations it is having with new and existing underground drilling clients.

The AutoMine Concept Underground Drill, launched at the company’s Test Mine in Tampere, Finland, in September 2022, is a fully autonomous, twin-boom development drill rig capable of drilling without human interaction. The cabinless unit can plan and execute the entire drilling cycle from tramming to the face, setting up for drilling, drilling the pattern and returning home to charge for the next cycle – all on battery power.

Amelia – a name that was attached to the vehicle due to its industrious connotations – was designed to showcase next-generation intelligent automation and other new technologies and features that will be introduced for current and future Sandvik offerings.

Sandvik’s underground drilling team is now that much closer to having identified what these features are.

“Amelia was always designed as a conversation starter, and that has certainly proven true,” Patrick Murphy, President, Underground Drilling Division at Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, told IM and a select group of trade journalists during a recent visit to the Test Mine. “Hundreds and hundreds of clients have seen this vehicle since launch, and we have had a lot of feedback; much of it proving very valuable.”

From speaking to Murphy and the AutoMine team, it is apparent many customers would have liked to acquire one of these concept machines upon launch in September, however its true value remains as a technology demonstrator for testing and development purposes.

Amelia uses a SLAM-based algorithm to improve tramming and localisation accuracy

The self-contained drill has no cable, being powered instead off an on-board battery. It uses and optimises power and electricity based on need, making that power supply last even longer. Automated tramming, mission management, drilling and bit changing are some of the elements Sandvik highlighted upon launch, and much of the initial customer discussion has centred around these features.

“Having a machine that is sitting here in the Test Mine, is tangible, functional and can be demonstrated, allows us to have these practical conversations with customers, more so than any model we could put up on a screen,” Murphy said.

One of the elements that has caught the attention of customers is an automated lifter tube installer that removes personnel from the face charging procedure.

“When speaking to many operators, the potential to automate lifter tube installation keeps coming up,” Murphy said. “These tubes – installed in the bottom rows of a drill pattern to ensure no cuttings or muck from the holes above fill the previously-drilled holes – typically require a ‘nipper’ or ‘offsider’ to come in beside the face of the drill for installation. The potential to remove this person from this hazardous environment has really captured the attention of customers.”

The automated process Amelia currently uses for lifter tube installations is unlikely to be commercialised, but a variant of it could feature on the underground development drills in the future.

Patrick Murphy, President, Underground Drilling Division at Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions

Some other elements included on the concept vehicle likely to come into the commercial drilling line-up include an artificial intelligence-guided automatic drill bit changer to identify when bits are worn and then, changed automatically, a SLAM (simultaneous localisation and mapping)-based algorithm to improve tramming and localisation accuracy and, of course, battery-backed drilling.

Amelia is designed to drill a whole round off battery power, and Murphy says a commercialised, economic option would be of interest to customers.

“If we can offer that cost-effectively compared with a diesel-powered machine, then there would be a market pull,” he said. “The solution isn’t there yet, but the flexibility showcased with Amelia – in not having to supply cables or water hoses during operation – has been highlighted by many customers we have interacted with.”

Johannes Välivaara, Vice President R&D and Product lines in the Underground Drilling Division at Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, says the commercialisation of RockPulse technology for continuous rock mass feedback to optimise drilling performance will be on the underground drilling roadmap, too.

“Rock Pulse has been built to measure the stress vibrations going in and out from the hole through drilling consumables,” he said. “This is a future upgrade for our drills as this real-time rock information will allow operations to make plans for ground support and get the geotechnical information off the unit in real time.”

RockPulse technology already featured on Amelia could be further integrated on commercial drill rigs with geoSURE, a rig-integrated, high precision, online rock mass analysis and visualisation system initially developed for tunnelling process optimisation. geoSURE is an important tool for the assessment of rock reinforcement or injection requirements, as well as serving as an assisting tool for charging and blasting control and geological mapping, according to the OEM.

“This (geoSURE) could be further enhanced when RockPulse is integrated into it,” Välivaara said. “It is currently only available for face drilling applications but will come into the longhole drilling space, too.”

Amelia, in this case, has not just lived up to her ‘industrious’ and ‘hardworking’ traits, she has also acted as a catalyst for change.

For example, since launch, automated options for longhole drilling have risen to the surface in customer discussions. And it is hard to see AutoMine for Underground Drills having been introduced as quickly as it has without this concept vehicle having launched.

This platform, which enables operators to remotely and simultaneously control and supervise multiple automated Sandvik underground longhole drills, can increase efficiency, safety and overall productivity in mining operations.

It has also put Sandvik in a club of its own; being the only OEM able to offer a unified traffic management system for drills, loaders and trucks. This means all three types of automated equipment can be operated and tram within the one AutoMine-controlled zone.

Testing: the secret sauce of Sandvik R&D

Automation, Communications in mining, Environmental, Explosives and blasting, IoT, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Mining software, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Jani Vilenius has his plate full at Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions. As Director of Research and Technology Development, he is brought into most conversations the business area has about future mining products.

In fact, he even works across the Sandvik Rock Processing business area on occasion, as well as overseeing the design centre in Bangalore, India, which provides “value engineering” across Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions divisions.

“We coordinate research programs and projects, not products,” Vilenius told IM recently in the company’s newest office in Tampere, Finland. “This may be overseeing the concept machines that we have been producing for several years, as well as technology partnerships with universities.

“We aim to think long term within the Research and Technology Development and Services team, but not too long term as the world is much more agile nowadays than it used to be.”

This means Vilenius’ team has to coordinate all of the activities taking place at the Test Mine in Tampere, provide a ‘steer’ on engineering services and safety processes needed to satisfy today’s and tomorrow’s requirements and regulations, drive cybersecurity and sustainability developments across Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions in the R&D phase, plus integrate the thinking between the rapidly-expanding Digital Mining Technologies division within Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions and the R&D team.

And, as of a month ago, his team also coordinates testing at the new Surface Test Pit: a new surface mining test bed being developed 40 km northwest of the underground test mine.

This is all underwritten by the strategic priorities across the business area he primarily works in, as well as the Sandvik group goal of ensuring 25% of revenue comes from products that are less than five-years-old.

To tackle these tasks, he has a sandbox (soon to be two) that all equipment providers would like to have.

The Test Mine in Tampere comes with 6 km of tunnels at a depth of 40 m, with potential to expand further. Positioned beside a glass factory and close to the company’s rock drills factory, this test mine offers the company and its customers everything they need to make strategic business decisions in an environment that can, for instance, replicate the heat and humidity of a deep underground mine in South Africa, as well as the biggest and widest mine galleries the industry has on offer.

This facility – which has everything your typical underground mine has except a daily throughput target – allows the company to run all its underground drills through a rigorous testing procedure prior to customer dispatch. It also allows the various divisions under the business area a chance to test out prototypes, applications and products from time to time.

For the concept machines Sandvik is becoming renowned for, the test mine acts as a place to validate conceptual thinking in a real-life environment, helping engage customers in detailed discussions as to what on-board and off-board technology elements would provide the greatest value to their operations in the near-, medium- and long-term.

The aim is to replicate this process on surface with the Surface Test Pit, providing the catalyst the company needs to reach its ambitious surface drilling market goals over the next several years.

IM sat down with Vilenius to find out how he coordinates all this R&D work, and how day-to-day testing works from a practical perspective.

IM: I imagine your department is inundated with requests from various business lines when it comes to testing. How do you go about prioritising these requests and turning them into an easy-to-follow roadmap that can lead to commercial solutions?

JV: I’ll answer that by taking a step back.

We have a technology focus built on supporting both Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions and Sandvik group strategy. We then have roadmap items where we try to leverage technologies across many applications. These technology platforms are not always 100% suitable for both surface and underground mining, but there are elements that have similarities. For example, our latest electric concept surface rig uses the same thinking and philosophy used on other concept machines for underground. Of course, there are new elements included, but the platform thinking remains in place.

Jani Vilenius, Director of Research and Technology Development

Based on this, we have different forums and conversations with the divisions and the R&D heads, discussing together where we need to put the focus in terms of testing. There are, of course, differences in sizes of the division with those who invest a bit more in R&D entitled to more access, but we also have to remain strategic about how to capture the market attention within Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions; knowing when and what to launch, as well as what developments will allow us to achieve the required technology momentum to support both our own internal goals and the goals set by our customers.

With all these technology developments – projects, concept machines, theoretical testing – there needs to be a value proposition. For the concept machines, for instance, there is value from a marketing perspective to showcase Sandvik as a technology leader, but there is also the value of engaging with customers in conversations that, through the actual machine development, allow them to comprehend what the technology may mean for them on a practical operational level.

This rapid agility – which I would say is unique to Sandvik – means we can receive valuable customer feedback on these concept machines before we commercialise certain elements. It allows us to effectively manage risk in a market calling out for technology breakthroughs to solve complex challenges.

IM: How many tests/trials can you have going on at the same time at the Test Mine?

JV: It varies. All underground drill products are tested there before they go out to customers, which puts a lot of load on the facility, while ensuring that when customers get these units, they have been run in an environment similar to a real-life mining operation.

Then we have new prototypes not under my remit that are tested ahead of becoming ‘products’, for example in underground drilling. Then, we have several technologies we test on a daily basis with different types of test benches and subsystems.

The reality is that we would not be as agile as we are without this test mine. It is not easy to go to a customer site and get permission to test equipment as it can negatively impact their (the customer’s) production. The ability to test at our own facility gives us a layer of comfort and confidence ahead of getting to the customer site.

We cannot try or test every application in our test mine, but those scenarios we do test provide real value.

IM: Are there plans to expand the test mine further?

JV: We have a roadmap for our test mine, but this is determined with a cost versus value equation. We don’t want to have empty tunnels without testing going on regularly.

We have all the opportunities to have a third, fourth and fifth level at the Test Mine. We have, for example, recently expanded into a new area to support our underground drill products to allow testing for that. This is a function of the offering getting wider and the need to expand the tunnels to make sure the new products receive the same testing opportunities as the existing ones.

We have expansion plans focused on automation and electrification too.

IM: Speaking of automation, is fully automated (without any personnel involved) battery swapping one of the ongoing projects you are working on?

JV: I can say we have some ideas on this. It is a topic that needs addressing and discussing as automation is coming on all our equipment and all processes in the future.

Fully automated battery swapping testing is, of course, part of the roadmap.

IM: I also understand that your team originally came up with the MineGame tool for modelling battery-electric equipment fleets and infrastructure. What was this designed for?

JV: Yes, this is a tool we needed to develop to support fleet-wide electrification. It is not designed to recommend the type of machine you will get; it is more about how you implement the many electric machines in the mine, what impact this has on infrastructure, how many tonnes we can get out of different fleets, etc.

This modelling tool gives comfort to customers about the value proposition of fleet-wide electrification, while also showcasing how new, developing technologies can be implemented in greenfield and brownfield mines.

This tool – on top of those from Deswik and Polymathian within the Digital Mining Technologies division – will be a game changer for us.

IM: What about the interaction of manual and autonomous equipment? Is this something you are already testing at the Test Mine?

JV: This is an ongoing requirement from customers, who look to always alleviate production stoppages.

It is not an easy challenge to address though. Everyone knows we want to get safe systems in place with a mixed fleet as not all machines are currently automated.

There is obviously a value case for this, and the Test Mine is a good place to test it out.

All I can conclude with is to say we have many tests going on in the Test Mine…

IM: A cheeky question, I know…What will be the next concept vehicle? You’ve set yourself a big challenge with bringing one of these out every year. How are you keeping up with this?

JV: We have smaller concepts, and we have bigger concepts on the table. We need to ensure we develop the technology to get those concepts done in a timely manner and in a way that, as I keep saying, provides value.

Maybe the next one coming out will be one of those smaller concepts.

Then, of course, we have wild ideas for underground equipment further down the line.

IM: The Digital Mining Technologies division is becoming a much bigger part of SMR. Do you see a point where you will start using the day-to-day data coming off sensors on your machines to revamp existing machine designs and come up with new machines?

JV: Yes, this is mandatory for us to do at some point in time. Integrating data from the field and systems into the engineering process is a tried and tested policy in many industries – some of which Sandvik are serving – so we need to do that more in mining.

The big step I foresee on this front is when we truly understand the value of using artificial intelligence in mining. Leveraging these tools will ensure there is a continual optimisation loop that goes throughout our software, hardware and services.

Sandvik looks to shape the surface drilling electrification conversation

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“We are showing what technology can do today.”

These were the words Mats Eriksson, President of Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, during the Capital Markets Day in Tampere, Finland, last week when describing the launch of Sandvik’s latest battery-electric concept surface drill rig.

This rig is representative of more than just technological advances in the mining industry, also acting as a tangible example of Sandvik’s efforts to become a leader in the surface drilling space.

It has been four years since Sandvik announced this ambition, with the company having made significant headway on achieving this goal.

Sandvik doubled its order intake for rotary drills from 2019 to 2022. Over this three-year period, the company launched the Leopard™ DI650i down-the-hole (DTH) drill rig to support fully autonomous drilling operations and went on to capture major autonomous drilling contracts in Latin America, Australia and Finland.

The OEM is looking to at least double its surface mining revenue from 2022 to 2028. Key contracts in 2023 from Boliden and MACA have already provided early positive momentum towards such a goal.

There is potential for Sandvik to steal a march on its competitors in this space – companies who have already been able to automate the largest blasthole drills in key markets in the Americas and Australia – by leveraging the electrification expertise it has built up underground.

This was highlighted by Eriksson last week and was reiterated further when IM spoke to the company’s experts in Tampere in front of the second battery-electric surface concept rig.

The concept vehicle is the first in its size class, capable of drilling DTH holes up to 229 mm in diameter and blending the autonomy of battery with the continuous endurance of power cable, Sandvik says.

Dan Gleeson, IM Editor (centre), with Petri Virrankoski, President of the Surface Drilling Division (left), and Lauri Laihanen, Vice President, R&D of the Surface Drilling Division (right)

Flexibility and optionality are the name of the game, with the rig equipped with a battery able to carry out seven hours of tramming or one hour of drilling based on Sandvik research, plus plug into electrical infrastructure with a  37-mm diameter, 180-m-long tethered cable.

Lauri Laihanen, Vice President, R&D, Surface Drilling Division, Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, told IM at the Sandvik Capital Markets Day event last week: “The main benefit of this battery-electric solution is the ability to tram independently for up to seven hours.

“When you need to move the rig after drilling a certain portion of the pit ahead of blasting, you can disconnect the cable and tram the rig away from the pit independently without worrying about managing the cable logistics. Then, when you have carried out the blasting and explosives loading process and are ready for the next drilling sequence, you can tram back without recharging in between.”

Petri Virrankoski, President of the Surface Drilling Division, added: “The application where these drills are used is somewhat different to rotary drills. To a degree, they are used in production drilling, but in a very dynamic way – carrying out pre-splits or blasthole patterns on smaller benches, for example.

“They need to manoeuvre around more, so there are more demands placed on them from a flexibility and cable management perspective.”

There are other potential benefits Laihanen talks up – the ability to carry on drilling or tramming during “black outs” and, on mine sites where cable-electric equipment is already used, connect the rig to the grid after diesel-electric blasthole drills and cable shovels have started up (to avoid power surges).

“For some of our frontrunner customers that have already adopted electrification on surface and have the infrastructure in place, they would only need to add one transformer to lower the voltage level from what their larger pieces of equipment are working off to start using this rig for drilling and tramming,” he added.

This type of talk – more practical than conceptual – is representative of Sandvik ‘making the shift’ when it comes to electrification in surface mining.

It has only been just over a year since the company unveiled its first electric concept rig, based off a much smaller top hammer drill rig meant for urban construction, but the understanding of what it may take to electrify these large rigs has grown tremendously.

“From a technology development and demonstration point of view, it is crucial to understand the framework that you have from the lower and upper end of the drilling portfolio,” Laihanen said. “This helps you track it with the customer base and finalise your productisation plan to hit that 2030 goal of having an electrified offering for the whole range.”

Eriksson says the company is confident in being able to offer electric surface drilling products across its range by 2030, with Sandvik’s continued advances in underground mine electrification spurring this on.

It is worth, therefore, noting some of the numbers that came out of the Capital Markets Day from the underground load and haul division.

Brian Huff, Vice President of New Technologies for the Load and Haul Division within Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, said the company had won more than 75% of the tenders it had been involved in from January-October this year, with more than 15% of the company’s load and haul order intake over this period representing battery-electric equipment.

One can also add sales of the company’s underground battery-electric drills, which started to be offered to the market from 2016, to these numbers.

The company’s Test Mine in Tampere, which IM visited last week, has played a key role in this growing Sandvik underground battery-electric population, and the recent announcement that Sandvik will look to replicate this on surface with the Sandvik Test Pit – some 40 km away – is another indicator of how serious the company is about becoming an open-pit drilling major.

Virrankoski explained: “If you look at the peak capabilities that have enabled us the successes underground, one of these is the Test Mine. This has been helpful for testing and developing not only the drill rigs, but also tooling, digital tools, automation, rock drills, etc.

“It became pretty clear about four years ago that we needed a similar capability for surface.”

This location just outside of Tampere was chosen due to the “good rock” availability, the ability to offer significant scale where the company could test out all boom and rotary drill rigs up to the DR413 class at the same time as providing customer showcases both on electrification and automation, the ability to cross-fertilise underground learnings from the existing Test Mine with surface drilling developments, and the continued development of existing and new Sandvik surface mining engineers.

The Sandvik Test Pit, which has previously served as a quarry, will be developed by its own drilling plan

The company already has multiple rigs, both boom and rotary, at the site – which is still being setup for testing – with the new electric concept rig expected to soon join it.

“The next action after that is to begin customer trials next year,” Laihanen said. “We have had preliminary discussions with several customers, but we need to finalise our own internal development testing before locking in these trials.”

This is indicative of the emphasis the company is placing on surface mining and the opportunity it has to shape the battery-electric conversation in the surface drilling space.

“For us, it is important to have a physical specimen to have these conversations with customers,” Laihanen said. “When you have something available, it makes the conversation around capabilities and limitations a lot easier, taking these discussions to a whole new level.”

Virrankoski added: “This will lead to a conversation around maintenance processes, the skills requirements, the service models, etc.

“Having a machine that can play in a real-life sandbox is very different to showing a model on a screen.”

Sandvik has laid its surface drilling marker down. The market will now decide if this is the direction it wants to move in.

Sandvik recognises OEM ‘first’ with AutoMine for Underground Drills introduction

Automation, IoT, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , , ,

Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions is introducing AutoMine® for Underground Drills, a cutting-edge tele-remote solution that, it says, enables operators to remotely and simultaneously control and supervise multiple automated Sandvik underground drills, increasing efficiency, safety and overall productivity in mining operations.

With AutoMine for Underground Drills, Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions has become the first OEM to introduce a unified traffic management system for drills, loaders and trucks, according to the company.

Jouni Koppanen, Product Line Manager, Underground Automation at Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, said: “Sandvik’s holistic approach to integrate drills, loaders and trucks into the AutoMine system will set a new standard for underground mining efficiency. AutoMine for Underground Drills is another milestone in our commitment to revolutionising out customers’ mining operations. This tele-remote system redefines underground drilling autonomy and safety standards.”

The new offering is available for Sandvik longhole drills (DL) series machines, offering three levels of teleremote operations: single drill, drill fleet and machine fleet. Operators have the flexibility to choose between operating from an AutoMine chair or console station, depending on which offering level best suits their operational requirements.

The AutoMine for Underground Drills teleremote system includes advanced tramming capabilities, allowing seamless control and coordination of drills, loaders and trucks operating in the same area with sophisticated traffic management, the company added.

Prioritising safety, AutoMine incorporates an enhanced Access Protector System. This safety feature is designed to prevent personnel from entering the machine area while the system is operating in automation mode or remote mode. In addition, it also has an advanced traffic management system that enables operators to easily control the traffic flow of multi-machine operations and handle complex operating situations, resulting in greater flexibility and mining output.

Sami Anttila, Product Manager, Longhole Production Drilling at Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, said: “We have developed this system to offer our customers a deeper integration and cooperation in between the underground drills, the loading and hauling machines and especially the AutoMine environment. This means added value through improvements in machine and fleet flexible utilisation in remote operation.”

Sandvik’s history of providing proven underground solutions with automation for loading and hauling dates back to 2004. Today, more than 1,000 underground and surface units operate worldwide at more than 100 customer sites, underlining Sandvik’s commitment to delivering reliable and innovative AutoMine solutions for mining.