Tag Archives: Epiroc

Epiroc cuts the ribbon on new Surface Mining Automation Center in Texas

Automation, Explosives and blasting, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , ,

Epiroc has inaugurated a new Surface Mining Automation Center (SMAC) in Garland, Texas, dedicated to advancing automation and electrification.

The opening marks a significant milestone in Epiroc’s commitment to driving technological innovations that transform the mining industry, it says.

The event coincided with a visit from Epiroc’s board of directors, highlighting the strategic importance of this center to Epiroc’s growth in mining automation.

The inauguration ceremony included a ribbon-cutting led by Epiroc’s Chairman of the Board, Ronnie Leten, joined by Epiroc President and CEO, Helena Hedblom, and José Manuel Sanchez, President of the Surface division. Together, they celebrated the opening of this centre, which will serve as a collaborative hub, bringing advanced automation solutions closer to customers and partners.

Sanchez said: “This facility is a crucial step in advancing automation and electrification. It allows us to bring our customers closer to our technology, enabling them to experience our solutions firsthand through live demonstrations.”

Building on the recent inauguration of another SMAC in Providence, Utah – dedicated to autonomous haulage solutions – the Garland facility focuses on innovations in automation and electrification, emphasising Epiroc’s commitment to sustainable mining. These centres represent Epiroc’s vision for a modernised, efficient and environmentally conscious mining landscape, it says.

Evolution Mining to evaluate fleet as part of emissions reduction pathway

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Evolution Mining, like many of its gold mining peers, has made a commitment to emissions reduction by 2030 on the way to achieving ‘net zero’ status by 2050. This relates to Scope 1 & 2 emissions compared with its FY20 financial year baseline.

Evolution’s recent FY24 Annual Sustainability Report shows the company’s progress on this journey, demonstrating it is almost halfway to achieving the 2030 goal of a 30% reduction, with the circa-12% reduction in emissions in the last year against the adjusted FY20 baseline.

The company’s emissions reduction pathway includes leveraging partnerships, including a new one with Caterpillar’s Pathway to Sustainability program, as part of its broader focus on emissions reduction, which is a fleet-agnostic approach.

The Caterpillar program was officially launched at The Electric Mine 2024, in Perth, Western Australia. It is a four-year program with multi-pronged experience that provides companies with holistic learning opportunities, energy transition project advisement and additional benefits related to sustainable product access, Caterpillar says.

The emphasis of the program is on understanding each participating company’s sustainability objectives and providing participants with information and tools that will help them understand where they are on their own unique journeys and where energy transition strategies may need to be customised to support individual actions.

Other notable companies to have signed up to the program include NRW Holdings and Yancoal Australia.

As Evolution explained in its Annual Sustainability Report, “We also identified opportunities to improve our understanding of, and partnerships with, low emissions fuel manufacturers and suppliers to assist with planning and assessing future fleet transition needs.

“Our long-term strategy is detailed in our Net Zero commitment. It includes the investigation, trial and shift to renewables, as well as energy storage, low emissions and diesel replacement, hybrid and battery-electric fleet, and nature-based solutions. Four major sources of emissions present opportunities for decarbonisation: power supply, mobile equipment, stationary combustion and process emissions. Activities that deliver cost-competitive decarbonisation reductions continue to be integrated into our business cycle.”

One of these initiatives the company is investigating is the use of diesel-electric loaders. Evolution acknowledges there is more work to do in understanding the benefits that electric and hybrid vehicles can bring. Some research currently suggests this could theoretically reduce felt emissions by 30-35%.

Evolution has already introduced battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) for trials at its Red Lake operation, in Canada, becoming one of the first miners to take advantage of Epiroc’s battery-electric conversion kits to transform diesel-powered loaders to battery-electric driven operation.

The company has also engaged Sandvik as part of its fleet transition plans, with the potential of carrying out a trial on DL422iE battery-electric longhole drills at Red Lake.

The Sandvik DL422iE is a fully-automated, battery-powered top hammer longhole drill designed for underground mass mining in 4 x 4 m or larger production drifts, Sandvik says. It can drill vertical and inclined fans and single or parallel Ø89-127 mm longholes up to 54 m in depth using ST58 and ST68 tube rods.

The drill’s electric driveline includes a battery package and electric motor to allow for zero emissions while tramming and also reduced thermal load. The DL422iE also features Sandvik’s patented Charging While Drilling technology; an innovation for reduced battery charging time without the need for additional infrastructure.

Evolution added in its report: “Application of technologies to reduce Scope 1 emissions from mine fleet is a complex decarbonisation challenge for the industry. A number of short, medium and long-term solutions are currently being assessed, trialled and considered across our operations. These include solutions that are technologically mature, such as hybrid vehicles, as well as technologies that have high potential but have limitations at present due to their practical application within Evolution operating mines and their commercial competitiveness (eg battery-electric vehicles).”

Epiroc underground drill rigs, mine trucks and loaders now compatible with HVO100

Environmental, Mining equipment, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , ,

Epiroc’s range of drill rigs, mine trucks and loaders for underground applications are now verified to be compatible with HVO100. This alternative fuel reduces particulate tailpipe emissions and other harmful substances, including greenhouse gases.

Rickard Johansson, Vice President Marketing at Epiroc’s Underground division, said: “By switching from fossil diesel to HVO100, customers can reduce CO2e emissions in operations by up to 1,000 tonnes per year, using a Minetruck MT42 S as an example. We are very proud to offer this alternative energy source to support our customers in the transformation towards more sustainable mining operations.”

HVO100 (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) can serve as a direct replacement for fossil diesel or be used in a blended form. When used in diesel engines, this renewable fuel can reduce CO2e emissions by up to 90%, according to Neste, compared with conventional fossil diesel, depending on operating conditions and production methods.

Ulrika Ford, Global Sustainability Manager, Epiroc Underground division, added: “Epiroc has ambitious sustainability targets for 2030, and we continuously strive to improve our offering by finding more sustainable customer solutions. The ability to use HVO100 in our underground rigs, loaders and trucks is an important step towards meeting these targets and helping our customers lower their carbon footprint.”

Moving from fossil diesel to HVO100 does not require any changes to service, installation or infrastructure, as it works similarly to mineral diesel, according to Epiroc. This makes the transition to HVO100 a smooth and practical alternative solution, it says.

HVO100 can be used in all underground drill rigs, mine trucks and loaders produced from December 2022. For compatibility with earlier models, and for machines already in the field.

Epiroc says it is committed to halving CO2e emissions in our own operations. For example, in the product company in Örebro, Sweden, fossil diesel usage is being phased out and all machines are now fuelled up with HVO100 instead.

In November 2023, Epiroc announced HVO100 compatibility for surface drill rigs.

Orica setting digital groundwork to open up new mining frontiers

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The integration of a digital backbone into the explosives, blasting and related processes will continue to result in miners accessing new deposits and potentially developing new mining methods, Orica’s Angus Melbourne and Rajkumar Mathiravedu told IM at last month’s MINExpo 2024 in Las Vegas.

Reflecting on a digitalisation journey that started eight years ago, Melbourne – Orica’s Chief Technology Officer – said the original ambition was about taking a very manual process like blasting and digitising the workflows.

“Essentially what we wanted to do was anchor into the design and connect the on-bench activities for a verification process as to where the drill pattern was and how this reconciled with the actual outcome,” he said. “The key was always to link this back to the hub of the machine.”

Bringing data and insights into this equation resulted in better placement of energy (ie explosives), which has since become part and parcel of Orica’s aim of “mobilising the Earth’s resources in a sustainable way”.

The second element underlying this digitised push was the acceleration of automation.

“You cannot automate unless you have a digital foundation,” Melbourne said.

This led to the company – both organically and through M&A – building up a suite of software, sensors and data science applications to enable processes within the explosives and blasting process to be automated.

Just what processes to automate has always been dictated by safety and productivity.

“Getting people off the bench, face, voids, high walls, etc becomes a clear motivator for automating certain processes,” Melbourne said. “It is a bit more difficult on the productivity side of things; you have to be generating value, not just automating for the sake of it.”

From Orica’s initial point eight years ago, the company has progressively moved into adjacencies such as post-blast outcomes, geology and more, bringing the same mindset to each part of this distinct process, while integrating it into the wider work patterns.

Mathiravedu (Orica Digital Solutions Senior Vice President) explained: “What we are seeing in the digital space is the fact that, with blasting, you can either create or destroy value. With all the tools and expertise we have, plus the ability to connect the physical and digital components, we are making the whole process more productive, as well as optimising the use of consumables like water and energy.”

Rajkumar Mathiravedu presenting Next Gen SHOTPlus at MINExpo 2024

And as Orica has opened further to the wider mining ecosystem – think of recent tie ups with Epiroc on the Avatel™ semi-autonomous explosives loading solution showcased at MINExpo or Caterpillar on a potential integration between Rhino™, BlastIQ™ and FRAGTrack™ technologies with Cat® MineStar™ Terrain – its influence across the whole flowsheet continues to expand.

Melbourne said: “If I go back a decade, Orica would have been doing a lot of these things itself…but both Raj and I have worked in other industries that, for various reasons, were collaborative. As a result, we were far more open to working with others.”

This openness is seen with one of Orica Digital Solutions’ latest launch, Next Gen SHOTPlus™, which unlocks the power of the Model Through Time; a cloud hosted, spatiotemporal, digital replica, Orica says. Incorporating the proprietary physics engine, Helfire Damage Model and Advanced Vibration Management solution, Next Gen SHOTPlus enables drill and blast engineers to model and predict blast movement, damage and vibration.

Predictive blast movement modelling is enabled by Predict Physics Engine, allowing engineers to understand the impact of decisions on the post-blast muck pile. The Blast Damage, meanwhile, feature provides 3D damage modelling, allowing engineers to evaluate the predicted damage generated on both blasted and in-situ rock masses.

As the Avatel system loomed over the Orica booth at MINExpo (it was on the adjacent Epiroc stand, see below), it seemed only right to ask about the potential to fully automate the explosives loading process based on the safety and productivity drivers Melbourne outlined.

“The goal is to go fully autonomous,” he replied. “If you look at the safety and productivity drivers, semi-automation advances both of those, but there are opportunities to improve upon both – we are clearly still underground at the moment, which comes with risk, and there are other elements of cleaning, priming and loading that could be accelerated in the development headings through full automation.”

One of the underlying technologies of the Avatel platform is the WebGen™ wireless initiation system, which has been key to unlocking new mining methods and techniques, with numerous case studies detailing a strong value case.

A fully autonomous Avatel unit could do similar, according to Melbourne, ticking that productivity box.

“With full autonomy, you can start to employ new mining methods and go to different parts of the mine you couldn’t previously,” he said. “On a case-by-case basis, you can look at individual mines where they understand the mineralisation that, because of safety constraints, cannot currently be classified as a resource or reserve.

“If we’re able to remove that constraint, we can start to tangibly assess bringing that into a resource or reserve and mining that.”

Epiroc Pit Vipers, SmartROC D65s on their way to Newmont Boddington

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Epiroc says it has won a large order for surface mining equipment from Newmont in Australia, with a fleet of Epiroc Pit Viper 231 and SmartROC D65 drill rigs set to be used at the Boddington gold and copper mine in Western Australia.

The rigs, which will be operated tele-remotely, will replace an older fleet of Epiroc equipment.

The equipment order is valued at about SEK335 million ($32 million) and was booked in the September quarter of 2024. Epiroc will also provide service on the machines.

“We have a long-standing partnership with Newmont, which is on the forefront of advanced mining operations,” Helena Hedblom, Epiroc’s President and CEO, said. “We are happy to support them as they continue to make their operations as safe and productive as possible.”

Chris Dark, Newmont’s General Manager for the Boddington mine site, says: “Newmont and Epiroc have had a long-term relationship on the Boddington site. This order recognises and continues this successful relationship that has enabled the success of the Boddington drilling operations over the life of the mine. Together we look forward to unlocking the long-term future of the Boddington site, which is recognised globally as a Tier 1 gold asset.”

The Pit Viper 231 rotary blasthole drill rig is a flexible workhorse that can be configured in many different ways for a wide range of rotary and down-the-hole drilling operations, Epiroc says. The SmartROC D65 rig consistently delivers high-quality blastholes with accuracy and precision. Both machines are built tough, loaded with intelligent features and very fuel efficient, the OEM claims.

Delivery of the fleet will commence immediately and will continue into the first half of 2025.

Fortescue ready to disrupt the decarbonisation status quo

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It was hard to keep up with Fortescue at MINExpo 2024, in Las Vegas, last week – IM did its best – with the mining company having on-booth presentations throughout the three days and four press events on four other stands during the show.

The company’s presence was felt far beyond this, with the headline $2.8 billion agreement to supply 475 new Liebherr machines featuring Fortescue’s innovative green technology to Fortescue’s operations in Western Australia being a major talking point.

This was swiftly followed by announcements that the company would work with MacLean on delivering a fleet of 30 GR8 electric graders to its sites, take delivery of Australia’s first Epiroc Pit Viper 271 E (PV271E) electric-driven blasthole drill rig at one of its mines, and work with Scania on developing and validating a fully integrated autonomous road train solution, leveraging Scania’s technology in truck automation and Fortescue’s own fleet management system (FMS).

The common theme among all these was the perception that Fortescue should be viewed as more than just a mining company.

“There is an opportunity here for Fortescue to be seen as a technology company, as opposed to solely an iron ore miner,” Dino Otranto, CEO of Fortescue Metals, told IM after another press event appearance.

The technology the company acquired and is now deploying via its purchase of Williams Advanced Engineering in early 2022 is a key part of this transition. This has led to the development of battery-electric solutions as well as charging solutions – Fortescue Zero now has a 6 MW charging solution to call on.

Otranto got into some of the specifics behind this offering – including mention of an in-house DC-DC converter that is significantly smaller than other ultraclass battery-electric trucks showcased at the show, as well as batteries that are both cheaper and offer higher power densities than others on the market – and said these elements would all come into the Liebherr and MacLean machines that appear on site in Western Australia.

The Fortescue MINExpo 2024 booth was a hive of activity, with many interested parties looking to find out more about the company’s battery-electric solutions

He went further than this though, outlining how the company’s “Fortex” solution – which combines autonomous haulage, FMS and Level 9 collision avoidance – would seamlessly integrate all the elements to create optimised autonomous and electric sites of the future.

“What we are developing with Fortex is akin to Android,” he said. “Where the traditional OEM models lock you into Apple and iOS, we want to offer an Android-style open source platform that allows you to share data and interface with other apps within the ecosystem.

“You will soon see us demonstrate that through the process of a traction power system at a mine site.”

With some of the energy requirement numbers for full battery-electric fleets being discussed today it is hard to see any company being able to commercialise zero-emission fleet haulage solutions without an overriding energy management platform. The operation will inevitably have to be optimised (read: automated) to ensure no kilowatt of energy is wasted and no machines run out of battery power. Add in automation, and the safety element around vehicle interaction also comes into play.

The AHS solution Fortescue and Liebherr have jointly developed as part of its latest rollout in Western Australia has a fleet management assignment engine at the core to monitor fleet energy levels. This should mean material movement and energy replenishment tasks can be assigned efficiently within zero emission fleets equipped with the system.

In this regard, Fortescue has its ‘ducks in a row’ to compete with the traditional mining OEMs in the evolving decarbonisation space.

The company will have to take these OEMs on, with Otranto acknowledging there are a finite number of Liebherrs and MacLeans willing to provide the machines that the company’s batteries will power, as well as an even smaller pool of companies open to accepting the type of AHS and FMS integration Fortescue currently envisages.

“We’re aware that some OEMs will do everything they can to protect their supply chain, but what we are offering – especially on the software side – represents real disruption,” Otranto said.

“We are looking to take a decent market share in the mining sector when it comes to decarbonisation, but there are even bigger opportunities outside of mining – in construction, in shipping, with locomotives, etc.”

IM Editor, Dan Gleeson (left), with Dino Otranto, Fortescue Metals CEO (right), at MINExpo 2024

Such a move would bolster the company’s bottom line, as well as allow Fortescue to be rated by the investment community as something equivalent to a technology stock: a status that comes with premium trading multiples.

This business model adaptation already appears to be gaining traction.

IM has spoken to mining companies in touch with Fortescue about potentially deploying some of its solutions within a mine decarbonisation context.

Reuters also reported, last week, that Fortescue and Liebherr have secured orders for 100 autonomous battery-powered mining trucks for other mining and transport companies, quoting Fortescue Executive Chairman, Andrew Forrest.

Fortescue is evidently ready to disrupt the decarbonisation status quo. The question is: is the wider mining company community willing to accept this new market dynamic?

Epiroc focused on ‘connecting the dots’ to create mine of the future

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Ahead of Epiroc’s Capital Markets Day (CMD) and MINExpo 2024 at a hotel just outside of Las Vegas, Helena Hedblom, Epiroc President and CEO, was happy to tackle the industry’s big three: automation, digitalisation and electrification.

Hedblom, like the heads of her fellow OEMs, has big ambitions for these three technology pillars, but the way Epiroc is looking to meet these ambitions is different.

The company’s “agnostic” philosophy has been a key differentiator for the past years, and even as more OEMs start to open up their architecture and platforms to the wider vendor marketplace, it is this attitude that is likely to help it lead from the front.

“Our ambition is to provide mixed fleet automation,” Hedblom told IM last week. “That is what we have invested in quite heavily over the last two years; we have acquired two companies in RCT and ASI Mining to allow us to achieve this.

“This is how we see the future of mining when it comes to automation, having the capabilities to operate whatever type of equipment there might be in that mine, including utility vehicles.”

Epiroc has, as of the CMD last week, 3,100 machines running without drivers. This is up 29% from the last CMD in June 2023, with the company noting that there was “great potential to connect an even larger fleet” via Epiroc machines and/or units from other OEMs.

RCT, underground, has a track record of achieving such autonomy on a wide range of machines, while, on surface, ASI Mining has proven it can do the same with the fleet at Roy Hill, in Western Australia.

Epiroc is currently converting Roy Hill’s mixed fleet to driverless operation in Australia, with 78 autonomous haul trucks made up of Caterpillar and Hitachi trucks, and over 200 utility vehicles.

Roy Hill remains the sole case study on surface, but Hedblom says the company will soon transition to the ‘scale’ of its “nail and scale” process that leads to adding more mine sites to its agnostic automation platform.

Hedblom is convinced the ability to automate the entire fleet – whether the machines are “digitally connected” or not – plus integrate the highest levels of collision avoidance solution, will go far in eradicating the need to allow autonomous and staffed equipment to operate in the same zones underground and on surface.

“If you have all the utility vehicles automated, that is the key,” she said. “It is more than just automation; through the Mernok acquisition, we’re now able to bring in Level 7, 8 and 9 collision avoidance technologies.

“Technology-wise, it is all coming together.”

IM Editor, Dan Gleeson, met with Epiroc President & CEO, Helena Hedblom, ahead of the company’s CMD and MINExpo 2024 in Las Vegas

Electrification

The big stats in terms of electrification include:

  • 42% of the offering in “fossil free” versions;
  • Battery-electric vehicles deployed at 34 sites;
  • An active electric fleet of rigs, loaders and trucks totalling over 600 units (of which a large portion is historical fleet, including cable);
  • Recurring battery-electric vehicle orders from 12 sites; and
  • A three times increase in the utilisation rate of battery-electric vehicles during the last 12 months.

The other statistic of note is that, as it stands, Epiroc group revenues related to electrification amount to just 4%.

This indicates both Epiroc and the industry are still in the initial stages of this transition; an opinion backed up by claims from the Electric Mine Consortium that Sandvik’s battery-electric truck population across the globe represents only 15% and, as it stands, no battery-electric load and haul equipment has been sold commercially in one of the biggest underground markets: Australia.

Hedblom, here, sees parallels with the automation uptick in the industry.

“This transformation is happening in the same way that automation evolved,” she said. “A couple of years ago, we had some customers that had greenfield operations and decided to go fully electric. Now we see more customers looking at repeat orders.”

The automation analogues also come with the fact that Epiroc – unlike other OEMs – is offering a mid-life rebuild option to convert some of its existing diesel-powered load and haul fleet to battery-electric operation.

Epiroc has plans to offer this conversion option across its full existing diesel-powered load and haul fleet by 2030.

The addition of ‘fossil free’ in the Epiroc lexicon over the last few years reflects the need to put multiple options on the table for miners.

“We see that there will be different types of solutions needed during the coming 10 or 20 years, depending on mining method, type of application, etc,” Hedblom said.

This was made apparent on the floor at MINExpo where Epiroc showcased the MT66 S e Drive, a Pit Viper 271 E and a SmartROC D65 BE. The former is a diesel-electric haul truck that uses both diesel engine and electric drivetrain to reduce fuel consumption and emissions, the SmartROC D65 is a battery-electric down-the-hole drill demonstrator that trams on battery yet is plugged in for drilling, while the Pit Viper 271 E is currently envisaged as a unit connected to the site’s renewable electricity infrastructure for that ‘fossil free’ operation.

The Minetruck MT66 S e Drive

“We believe there will be a combination of different energy sources in this mix,” Hedblom said, reeling off the likes of battery-electric, cable, trolley and hybrid options. Additionally, biofuel ‘drop-in’ solutions are already available for conventionally powered machines in its offering.

She added: “Sometimes the discussion is all about benchmarking diesel against a fossil-free machine, but the reality is that every machine we are developing now cannot just be on par with its diesel counterpart. It must be better – faster up the ramp, filling the bucket faster, etc – to ensure we provide productivity benefits and a lower total cost of ownership for customers.”

Digitalisation

From an M&A perspective, digitalisation has been a key focus area for Epiroc since the Atlas Copco spinoff in 2018, with many of the 27 acquisitions since listing tied to this trend.

This, as well as many organic initiatives, has led to the company building up a revenue base for its Digital Solutions division of SEK2.4 billion ($234 million).

“Our digital solutions are agnostic, working on different types of machines and systems, so this opens up many ways to engage with our customers,” Hedblom said, noting that the platforms it had created are being used by existing Epiroc equipment customers, as well as those with fleets from other OEMs.

“The areas of high interest are around collision avoidance, situational awareness and mixed fleet automation,” she said. “I see that digitalisation creates that transparency needed to drive productivity.”

Digitalisation, itself, represents an easier ‘sell’ for Epiroc due to its seamless nature – ie not creating multiple change management issues – when compared with adopting automation and electrification technologies, Hedblom added.

Going forward, she is convinced a digital backbone will become more important with the increasing uptake of automation and electrification.

“Today, a lot of the different tools mining companies are using – for the mine plan, for maintenance, etc – are still not connected,” she explained. “You don’t use all data at the same time for the best type of decision.

“A lost hour of productivity is a lost hour of productivity; we are seeking to avoid this through increased digitalisation.”

This is where the individual solutions Epiroc has acquired through the likes of Mernok (collision avoidance), RCT and ASI Mining (agnostic automation solutions), Meglab and JTMEC (battery-electric chargers and infrastructure) could combine with its digitalisation platforms to optimise the overall mining process.

“By connecting the dots, there are many more optimisation opportunities to be had,” Hedblom said.

The difference here is that Epiroc is willing to look outside of its own four walls to the broader industrial space to ‘connect these dots’, meaning the idea of a fully-electric, fully-autonomous, fully-digitalised mine could be much closer to becoming a reality.

Epiroc to deliver Australia’s first Pit Viper 271 E to Fortescue

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Epiroc and Fortescue, this week, announced the handover of Australia’s first Pit Viper 271 E (PV271E) electric-driven blasthole drill rig at MINExpo 2024 in Las Vegas.

Marking a key milestone in Fortescue’s decarbonisation journey, the PV271E will soon be deployed at Fortescue’s Pilbara iron ore operations making it the first electric PV271 in Australia to operate on a mine site.

This versatile drill rig is designed to enhance productivity while eliminating the need to operate on diesel. With the ability to drill single-pass holes up to 18 m deep and 270 mm in diameter, the drill rig has a 34 t bit load capacity, ensuring reliable operation across diverse mining conditions, Epiroc says.

Enhanced automation features also maximise safety and productivity, making the PV271 a crucial step forward for reducing emissions in mining practices.

President of Epiroc’s Surface Division, José Manuel Sánchez, said: “For Epiroc, partnering with Fortescue to deliver Australia’s first electric-driven autonomous Pit Viper drill is a milestone achievement in our shared pursuit of a zero-emissions, sustainable mining industry. The electric-driven Pit Viper 271E, equipped with advanced automation features, will play a vital role in making mining more sustainable while ensuring safety and productivity.”

Fortescue Metals CEO, Dino Otranto, said: “At Fortescue, we’re moving at speed to decarbonise our iron ore operations by deploying a green mining fleet and locomotives. The deployment of the electric Pit Viper marks another milestone in our decarbonisation journey and the first step in our ability to deploy zero emissions blasthole drill rigs across our sites. By acquiring the Epiroc PV271 we’re proving that the technology for zero emissions mining is here now.”

Epiroc unveils Groundbreaking Intelligence: a flexible digital mine ecosystem

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Epiroc says it is set to redefine the digital landscape of the mining industry at MINExpo 2024 with the unveiling of Groundbreaking Intelligence, a flexible digital mine ecosystem designed to help mines take a pragmatic and unified approach to digitalisation.

Groundbreaking Intelligence is the fruit of Epiroc’s strategic expansion of its digital and automation solution portfolio. Through multiple acquisitions in recent years, Epiroc has enhanced its ability to offer comprehensive, scalable solutions that align with the industry’s shift towards sustainability and efficiency.

Epiroc’s expanded digital solutions portfolio now supports data-driven planning, collision avoidance, situational awareness and tracking, production and equipment health monitoring, and equipment automation, as well as comprehensive network and connectivity solutions and support.

Paul Bergström, President, Digital Solutions division at Epiroc, said: “People know our equipment and services, but they may be less aware of our digital solutions. With the launch of Groundbreaking Intelligence, we’re excited to share not only our expanded technological offering, but also the broader human competencies and insight that our team now offers.”

He added: “We understand that every site varies in terms of technological maturity, and with their digital transformation journey. However, we also recognise that every site shares one common trait – the potential for improvement. Making it easier to improve is the driving principle behind Groundbreaking Intelligence.”

The challenge of integrating standalone systems, mixed fleets, legacy solutions and equipment from existing partners is one of the key issues Epiroc seeks to address with Groundbreaking Intelligence. Epiroc also stresses its OEM-agnostic approach, allowing mines to integrate existing systems without starting over from scratch.

“We hope to help mines stay agile and adaptable,” Bergström says. “Whether it’s tackling the complexities of deeper mines, enhancing safety and sustainability, addressing workforce shortages, or simply working smarter, Groundbreaking Intelligence is not just about achieving goals faster – it’s about revolutionising the mining landscape.”

Epiroc brings COPROD drilling system to the Simba underground mining family

Explosives and blasting, Mining equipment, , ,

Epiroc says it is bringing the successful COPROD system to the Simba underground production drill rig family.

Compared with traditional drilling methods, COPROD for Simba offers up to three times higher penetration rate with excellent precision, Epiroc says. Chile-based copper miner Pucobre has already seen the benefits of the system and recently ordered three new Simba E70 S COPROD.

Sebastián Rios, CEO of Pucobre, said: “The underground mining that Pucobre carries out in our mines in the Atacama region, Chile, is becoming more challenging every day due to variable rock quality as well as smaller and irregularly shaped ore bodies that are located further away. COPROD for Simba has allowed excellent precision levels while drilling at rates and distances that ensure efficient production. Last quarter, we decided to change our entire production drilling fleet to this equipment.”

COPROD is, according to Epiroc, a unique rock drilling system combining the greater penetration rate and significantly lower energy consumption of tophammer equipment with the hole quality and straightness of DTH drilling. Historically only available for surface drilling, COPROD now makes its way to the Simba production drill rig family – taking precision and speed to a whole new level underground.

Mathias Edhammer, Global Portfolio Manager Rock Reinforcement and Production Drilling at Epiroc’s Underground division, said: “With drilling being the first step in the process flow, COPROD for Simba creates huge opportunities for optimisation and downstream benefits. The system will help improve fragmentation and ore recovery, while decreasing hole dilution significantly.”

Pucobre has used COPROD for Simba since 2022 and quickly saw strong results such as better fragmentation after blasting, dilution reduction to 5% and increased burden to 2.4 m.

Lars Bergkvist, Head of Accounts and Applications at Epiroc’s Underground division, said: “Pucobre is an excellent example of how COPROD for Simba can unlock new opportunities in mine design with the potential to lower cost per tonne, for example by enabling double benches and higher draw bells.”

COPROD for Simba combines the rock drill with the smart series of Simba production drill rigs, as well as digital tools and Epiroc’s 6th Sense optimisation approach – creating a complete package for improved quality and performance of long hole drilling.