Tag Archives: Hitachi Construction Machinery

Hitachi Construction Machinery to showcase higher payload EH4000AC rigid dump truck at MINExpo

Mining equipment, Mining events, Sustainable mining, , , ,

Hitachi Construction Machinery has implemented a full-model change of the EH4000AC-3 rigid dump truck to develop the EH4000AC-5 (nominal payload of 242 t, gross machine operating weight of 427 t), and is ready to present this at MINExpo 2024, in Las Vegas, next week.

By applying metal fabrication technologies accumulated through the manufacturing of hydraulic excavators, the company increased the durability and achieved the industry’s highest payload of 242 t. After completing field tests at mining sites, the company aims to start sales of the new rigid dump truck in 2025.

The new model increases the payload by 21t compared to EH4000AC-3 and helps to increase the productivity of customer mining operations, according to the company.

The EH4000AC-5 evolved the Hitachi AC drive system cultivated through the current EH AC-3 series models and strengthened the brakes, suspension and other aspects of the undercarriage to achieve smooth, stable driving and superior deceleration performance even under the industry’s highest payload of 242 t, HCM says. In addition, it provides a comfortable operator space and operating environment which enables the operator to achieve the desired level of manoeuvring performance. Furthermore, the change to a fully-electric specification equipped with batteries and trolley dynamic charging systems that receive power from overhead lines installed at mines is also compatible with the EH4000AC-5, similar to the current EH-AC3 series models.

The maximum speed is, according to HCM, an industry-leading 65 km/h. At the same time, it provides high productivity to customers with improved traction performance. In addition, it is equipped with a new feature that allows operators to select from three different driving modes (High Power Mode, Power Mode and Eco Mode) according to the site environment. Operators can select Eco Mode when they wish to reduce fuel consumption or High Power Mode to maximise driving performance for efficient operation. In terms of the deceleration performance, the brake performance was enhanced by changing the hydraulic brakes from front dry brakes to wet brakes and enhancing the performance of the retarder auxiliary brakes. As a result, they demonstrate stable braking force even in harsh mining environments.

The switches and monitors in a cab were completely redesigned to improve operability and comfort. Information regarding the safety conditions around the machinery, loading conditions, etc is displayed on the monitors to support safe and efficient operation by customers.

The EH4000AC-5 is compatible with the Consite Mine service solution which remotely monitors the status of mining machinery. Consite Mine issues two types of reports consisting of “Scheduled Reports” that inform customers of the machines’ operational status via email and a smartphone app and “Alarm Reports” that are issued whenever various sensors detect abnormalities in the machinery. Detecting abnormalities in the dump truck and performing maintenance, inspection and parts replacement according to the machinery’s condition reduces downtime.

The company concluded: “Hitachi Construction Machinery’s strength lies in the fact that we possess a diverse range of touch points at mining sites, and we are utilising the resources of our group companies to expand our business areas to include not only the mining process where mining machinery is used but to mineral processing as well. Going forward, we will continue to provide innovative solutions to mining sites across a diverse range of touch points.”

Hitachi Construction Machinery, Marubeni to strengthen Brazilian mining offering

Equipment maintenance, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining services, , ,

Hitachi Construction Machinery and Marubeni Corporation have reached an agreement to establish ZAMine Service Brasil Limitada, a sales and services company for mining machinery in Brazil.

As part of this agreement, both companies plan to invest 50% to create a special purpose corporation, which will invest 100% in the sales and services company.

The establishment of ZAMine Brasil will expand the mining business in the South American market by strengthening the system from new machinery sales to parts and service provision in the South American market, HCM says.

Expanding business in the Americas is one of the four core strategies stated in the HCM Group’s “BUILDING THE FUTURE 2025” medium-term management plan which started in fiscal year 2023. The North American market has been able to develop a robust network of dealers with an extensive sales and service system. However, in the South American market, which has a strong mining business, expansion had been limited until now.

The Central and South American market accounts for 23% of the global demand for rigid dump trucks and 9% of ultra-large hydraulic excavators (including dump trucks with a load capacity of 150 t or more and ultra-large hydraulic excavators with an operating weight of 190 t or more, (based on total unit demand from 2010 to March 2024)). Large quantities of copper, iron ore, gold, and other mineral resources are expected to grow in demand, and will in turn see increased mining in the future. Because there are many ultra-large hydraulic excavators from HCM operating in Brazil, the company expects to expand the sales of parts and services and increase the sales of new vehicles.

Marubeni Brasil S.A., a 100% wholly-owned subsidiary of Marubeni, has been leading mining machinery sales in Brazil since 2017. Hitachi Construction Machinery decided to establish ZAMine Brasil to strengthen its parts and service system for operating machinery. The company also plans to build a system to provide full maintenance and services to the customer network that Marubeni has nurtured through many years of business in Brazil.

Marubeni and HCM have been collaborating since the 1970s. They have jointly established and operated mining machinery sales and service companies in Australia and Ukraine. Additionally, Marubeni subsidiaries and affiliated companies have been selling mining machinery from HCM in Peru, Chile, Colombia and other countries. The two companies are committed to applying that experience to the establishment of ZAMine Brasil in Brazil, HCM says.

The HCM Group is restructuring its mining business for all of South America, including Brazil, and aims to achieve a sales revenue of ¥300 billion ($2.12 billion) or more in the Americas from full-scale independent business in its fiscal year 2025.

Hitachi EX3600-6 excavator surpasses 100,000 hours of operation at Cerrejón coal mine

Coal technology, Equipment maintenance, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , ,

At Colombia’s Carbones Del Cerrejón mine, which faces periods of extreme heat and humidity, a Hitachi EX3600-6 excavator has surpassed expectations, clocking over 100,000 hours of operation.

This feat, which far exceeds its anticipated lifecycle, is rare, with less than 1% of machines reaching such limits, yet the Cerrejón mine accomplished it through a robust preventative maintenance strategy, according to Hitachi Construction Machinery.

Assembled in December 2008 at Cerrejón, the EX3600-6 was selected for a life extension trial. The mine’s “annual shutdown” strategy was pivotal, focusing on thorough monitoring and evaluation of key structural components. This included critical areas like the bases of all beds, the main frame, the track frame and the side frames. Components identified with a 20% margin remaining on their average life expectancy were scheduled for major shutdowns every 6,000 hours.

Aligned with this established maintenance strategy, a robust path of predictive techniques is also being implemented for the excavator. These techniques are scheduled at frequencies determined by Reliability-Centred Maintenance (RCM) methodologies and defined through data analysis, enabling the maintenance of a proactive scheme for timely detection and intervention. The predictive techniques include structural inspection of all principal components, ultrasonic testing at critical points based on historical data from the front attachments, finite element analysis simulations, vibration tests on power transmission components and the application of thermography techniques as per the inspection strategy.

To enhance this approach, new technologies are being integrated, such as the use of drones to observe the operational behaviour of components. These drones generate data that help predict component failure by monitoring temperature trends in hydraulic systems.

Throughout its more than 100,000 hours of operation, the EX3600-6 has maintained an availability rate averaging between 84.7% and 86.5%, excluding the months designated for major shutdowns. Additionally, over the last 36,000 hours of operation, the excavator has demonstrated a reliability metric of 63.3 hours of mid time between failures, further highlighting the effectiveness of the maintenance strategies in place.

The most significant finding from this study is that ensuring the extension of the equipment’s useful life has relied heavily on the creation, monitoring and execution of specific maintenance activities defined through RCM, HCM says. These activities have been enriched by various maintenance methodologies, with lean manufacturing standing out, a methodology widely used by Cerrejón. The application of these methodologies is encapsulated in the operation chart known as the “maintenance strategy”, which is periodically adjusted and improved based on the fleet’s or specific assets’ failure history.

Furthermore, a taxonomic analysis of the failure hierarchy has allowed for the clear identification of asset vulnerabilities. This process has enabled the establishment of targeted actions to ensure sustainability in performance during the equipment’s operation.

Over its lifecycle, the EX3600-6 required complete replacement only for its side frames – a testament to the effectiveness of Cerrejón’s maintenance regimen, HCM says. During the annual shutdowns, significant repairs were carried out in the excavator’s internal workshop, including routine reconstruction and car body repairs. Non-structural components were continuously monitored and replaced as needed, ensuring the machine operated at peak performance throughout its extended life.

Bradken expands mining wear solutions offering and Americas presence with Linings buy

Comminution of minerals, Equipment maintenance, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining mergers and acquisitions, Mining services, , , , , , , ,

Bradken has confirmed its growth aspirations in the mining wear solutions space with the acquisition of Linings, a Peru-based leader in composite mill liners.

Bradken says its expansion into the manufacturing of rubber composite mill liners and other products confirms its focus on serving the mining sector with innovative wear solutions and the importance of South America to Bradken.

“Over our 100-year history, Bradken’s customer focus has always shaped our innovation and growth,” Bradken CEO, Sean Winstone, said. “This acquisition is a perfect example of us listening to our mining customers and seeing immense value in broadening our range of solutions to fuel our growth.

He added: “We are proud to lead the market in steel mill liners and, as mining operations develop, so will we. It’s great to expand our product offering into rubber composites and leverage the expertise and innovation of the Linings team to continue solving the challenges our customers face.”

Bradken, a subsidiary of Hitachi Construction Machinery, began as an Australian foundry organisation and has grown to be a global entity focused on the mining sector and backed by an extensive manufacturing capability. Outside of wear solutions for mineral processing, mining fixed plant and mobile plant applications, Bradken delivers engineered bespoke castings for a range of industries in North America and supports the Australian sugar industry. This is the first manufacturing facility Bradken will have in South America.

Linings CEO, Manuel Marquez, said: “Joining Bradken is an excellent opportunity to combine the innovative composite products we have developed over the past 11 years with the depth of Bradken’s centenary of foundry experience, innovation and customer focus.

“This will allow us to have world-class tools and systems to provide our customers with outstanding pre- and post-sales service, as well as continuing to strengthen our supplier partnerships.”

Hitachi Construction Machinery Americas preparing for new machine and tech launches

Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mining equipment, Mining services, Mining software, , , ,

Hitachi Construction Machinery Americas Inc (HCMA) has officially began leading the Hitachi brand’s mining equipment sales and service support efforts in North America and Latin America.

This new direction replaces the joint venture Hitachi Construction Machinery (HCM) shared with John Deere.

In preparation for this changeover, HCMA has added more than 60 new team members throughout North America and Latin America, solidified equipment dealer relationships and worked with the HCM global team on new equipment and technology innovations that can help mines reduce operational costs and support sustainable mining practices.

According to Alan Quinn, CEO of HCMA, there has been a lot of excitement and anticipation leading up to the brand’s official realignment in the Americas.

“HCM and Deere worked together for many years to become a leading equipment provider in the Americas,” he said. “As HCMA takes over control of equipment sales, service and support moving forward, we are preparing to launch new machines and new technologies while focusing on having a more direct relationship with our customers and dealers. To support those efforts, we are developing a team to specifically support the mining industry, developing relationships with dealers that support the mining industry and operating a 400,000 sq.ft (37,161 sq.m) parts distribution centre located south of Atlanta, Georgia.”

HCMA has enlisted seven dealers in North America and eight dealers throughout Latin America to support mining operations, with Quinn saying HCMA will continue to grow its dealer network in the coming months.

In addition to bolstering its dealer network, HCMA plans to introduce new machinery and technology for the mining industry.

“HCM is committed to product development,” Quinn said, “so our future mining equipment aligns with the priorities of mining companies. For example, our team is working on battery-powered haul truck technology that will help reduce equipment exhaust emissions while still delivering similar productivity. We understand mines are more environmentally conscious, and we are developing technology to support a more sustainable industry.”

On-board equipment technology is another area HCM is investing resources to advance. The company plans to differentiate itself through the product capabilities of these new machines, including the latest in hydraulic systems, innovative “uptime” and IoT services and enhanced safety features, it said. The mining industry can expect to see increasing capabilities of Hitachi ConSite, with an initiative to add more telematics and predictive analytics for its mining product lines.

“While our new operational structure is just getting started in North America and Latin America, we are excited to bring the full breadth of resources seen from Hitachi in many other parts of the world,” Quinn concluded.

Hitachi Energy tackling mine decarbonisation ‘sticking point’ with interoperable haul truck charger

Environmental, Mining equipment, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , ,

Hitachi Energy is working on a “truly interoperable” 8 MW electric charging solution for large haul trucks, with plans to conduct field trials by 2023, according to Matt Zafuto, VP, Industry Solutions, Hitachi Energy.

The solution – the same solution the company initially put forward for The Charge On Innovation Challenge – came to light earlier this year and was reported by IM in its Battery and Electric Machines feature in IM February 2022.

It leverages Hitachi Energy’s power systems capabilities, advanced digital technologies and proven track record of innovation in sustainable mobility, according to Zafuto, with the solution including hardware to safely charge and service the vehicles, systems for safe electrification of the environment, and services and expertise for collaborative industry partnerships.

IM put some questions to Zafuto to find out more.

IM: What partners are you working with on this interoperable solution?

MZ: We plan for this to be a truly interoperable system. No matter the manufacturer of their haul trucks, all mines will be able to use our solution on their road to carbon neutrality. The market is looking for haul truck manufacturers to build new electric haul trucks, and also to retrofit existing diesel-powered trucks. We’re developing our technology to be interoperable with either new builds or retrofits.

Our core partners, who will help us design the system, include others in the Hitachi group such as Hitachi Industrial Products and Hitachi Construction Machinery. Working together provides end-to-end, deep insight needed to calculate and achieve the power requirements of these mission-critical vehicles.

IM: When do you plan to have a prototype in place?

MZ: We intend to have this electric-powered haul truck solution in field trials by 2023.

IM: Where will this solution be tested and on what OEMs trucks?

MZ: We plan to coordinate with mines and implement field trials by 2023 to develop the best product possible. Our system will be interoperable, so we’ll be able to test it with any truck OEM.

Matt Zafuto, VP, Industry Solutions, Hitachi Energy

IM: Can you expand on how it leverages Hitachi Energy’s power systems capabilities, advanced digital technology and proven track record of innovation in sustainable mobility?

MZ: We have a proven track record for electrifying transportation with our Grid eMotion Fleet solution. Companies and organisations around the globe rely on us to develop and automate safe, efficient and cost-effective charging infrastructure for their electric buses. In this solution, we’re combining our extensive electrification and digital technologies expertise with our deep mining knowledge, where we’ve been working for decades.

We understand both how to quickly charge and maximise the power in electric vehicles and the unique situation facing mines, from the changing mine site to the automation of the vehicles to the imperative of employee safety.

We’ve laid the groundwork for electrification at operations like the DeGrussa Mine, which reduced carbon emissions by over 30,000 t and offset 11 million litres of diesel. Hitachi Energy has also delivered enterprise asset management systems, built on almost four decades of mining data, for the likes of Centerra Gold, allowing it to more effectively allocate and use equipment and achieve a new level of business efficiency.

This electric haul-truck solution brings together these areas of expertise and will push the electric mine forward by leaps and bounds. Our solution will provide 8 MW of power in three minutes of charging, about 14 times higher than any other solution available today. With this solution, we’ll create a safe, reliable way to decarbonise one of the biggest sticking points for mines in their electric future: haul trucks.

Hitachi to leverage Baraja Spectrum-Scan LiDAR tech on autonomous mining vehicles

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

Baraja, the creator of Spectrum-Scan™ LiDAR technology for autonomous vehicles, has announced its first volume commercial deal for long-range LiDAR with Hitachi Construction Machinery.

The multi-year commercial partnership will give some of the largest mines and mining operators global access to high-performance LiDAR systems capable of withstanding the world’s most hazardous mining environments, according to Baraja.

Baraja has worked closely with Hitachi Construction Machinery, a strategic partner and investor, to develop a LiDAR, Spectrum Off-Road using the core Spectrum-Scan platform, configured specifically for autonomous and semi-autonomous mining machines and vehicles.

Earlier this year, Baraja partnered with automotive supplier Veoneer to deliver Spectrum-Scan LiDAR for L2+ through L4 autonomous vehicle applications.

Spectrum-Scan, Baraja says, is built for the automotive industry and mining machines and vehicles at scale and will continue to evolve to implement its technology into many different types of vehicles to meet the world’s ever-changing needs.

“Baraja’s Spectrum-Scan LiDAR technology is built to enable true autonomy in mining, optimised for heavy industrial settings, and delivers high-resolution point clouds tested in a ruggedised system capable of withstanding hazardous environments,” the company says. “Baraja’s Spectrum-Scan technology has been tested in mine sites around the world, and proven outperformance in dust and fog, designed for high thermal tolerance (-40°C to +85°C) and built to endure shock and vibration in the harshest of environments on the planet.”

Federico Collarte, CEO and Founder of Baraja, says: “With this high-volume commercial deal, Hitachi Construction Machinery confirms Baraja’s maturity in long-range LiDAR by moving our technology to the real world at scale. This is a significant indicator that Baraja’s long-range LiDAR technology trumps the competition given the ruggedisation and reliability of the technology in mining environments. As a continuation of our existing relationship with Hitachi Construction Machinery, this will include the funding and testing partnership. The data and durability testing under this partnership will enable a step-change in LiDAR performance and durability in all sectors including autonomous vehicles.”

Hideshi Fukumoto, Vice President, Executive Officer and CTO, Hitachi Construction Machinery, added: “Following our strategic investment in Baraja earlier this year, this commercial deal demonstrates our continued confidence in Spectrum-Scan LiDAR as a high-performance system. After comprehensive testing with Baraja, we have been able to work closely with Baraja to accelerate the development of Spectrum-Scan LiDAR products with mine site specifications and the commercialisation of advanced autonomous driving and mining.”

Hitachi CM looks for access to resource industry start-ups with Chrysalix fund investment

Automation, Environmental, IoT, Mining finance, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Chrysalix Venture Capital, a global venture capital fund with a history of commercialising innovation for resource intensive industries, has announced Hitachi Construction Machinery Co Ltd has invested in the Chrysalix RoboValley Fund.

Hitachi Construction Machinery, a leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, joins a cluster of mining and metals players such as South32, Severstal and Mitsubishi Corp in the fund, and “will leverage Chrysalix’s extensive network in the mining field to strengthen open innovation by connecting with start-ups that possess the latest technologies for mining in areas such as robotic systems, IoT, AI and data analytics”, the company said.

“Chrysalix has made step-change innovations in the metals and mining, manufacturing and machinery industries, through digital solutions and advanced robotics technologies, a major theme of our fund, and we are delighted to welcome Hitachi Construction Machinery to the Chrysalix RoboValley Fund,” Alicia Lenis, Vice President at Chrysalix Venture Capital, said.

Just some of the companies included in Chrysalix’s portfolio include Novamera, which is developing its Sustainable Mining by Drilling technology for narrow-vein mines; and MineSense Technologies, a Vancouver-based start-up developing real-time, sensor-based ore data and sorting solutions for large-scale mines.

Naoyoshi Yamada, Chief Strategy Officer at Hitachi Construction Machinery, said: “We identified Chrysalix as having a valuable network of start-ups in its global innovation ecosystem, and a unique window on innovation opportunities in the mining industry.

“With the trends toward digitalisation, the autonomous operation and electrification of mining machinery, as well as the growing need for solutions to streamline and optimise not only mining machinery but also overall mining operations, many start-ups offer novel technologies and services, and our investment in the Chrysalix RoboValley Fund will enable Hitachi Construction Machinery to tap into these new breakthroughs.”

The Chrysalix RoboValley Fund, Chrysalix says, seeks to achieve significant returns for its investors by enabling resource intensive industries, including energy, mining, construction, infrastructure and mobility, to tap into innovation from high growth start-ups.

Hitachi to trial autonomous tech on ultra-large hydraulic excavators in Australia

Automation, Communications in mining, IoT, Mining equipment, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , , , , , , ,

Hitachi Construction Machinery (HCM) is looking at trialling autonomous ultra-large hydraulic excavators at an Australia mine site as part of a series of verification tests.

The tests, set to begin from the start of the 2021 financial year (from April 1, 2021), are geared towards improving future mining site safety and productivity, HCM said.

“The remote controlled ultra-large hydraulic excavator will be developed in order to improve the working environment and ensure the safety of operators,” the company stated. “This excavator will be equipped with operator support systems, such as a collision avoidance system with other mining equipment, to ensure the same level of operability as with the operator on board the machinery.”

Following the initial development, some part of the excavation and loading operation will be automated to allow a single remote operator to operate multiple ultra-large hydraulic excavators, the company said.

“The incremental development will eventually realise the ultra-large hydraulic excavators with autonomous operation features,” HCM said.

The remote control, driving support system for manned excavators and autonomous operation features are all retrofittable onto the EX-7 series of ultra-large hydraulic excavators to enable mining site customers to use the equipment they currently operate, while supporting autonomous operation at mining sites in the future, HCM said.

The company explains: “Mining resources including iron ore and copper sustain the activities of global industries, and the sites which mine these resources are required to operate in a stable manner 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

“In contrast, the operators of ultra-large hydraulic excavators are required to repeatedly perform complex operations for a long period of time while paying attention to avoid collision with surrounding equipment and the stability of the vehicle, in order to excavate and load mining resources in an efficient manner.”

Because the safety and productivity of ultra-large hydraulic excavator operation largely depends on the operator’s skill and experience, building a production system that does not depend on these skills and reduces the operator’s workload are important issues at mining sites, it said.

Such developments have been coming from the group considering the company entered the mining machinery business in the late 1970s, and has made leaps in tele-remote operations of excavators within other sectors.

For example, the company used a remote-controlled unmanned excavator to advance the development of technologies in the reconstruction work at Mount Unzen Fugen-dake volcanic eruption in 1992. In 2013, it also led the industry by advancing the development of technologies for long-distance remote control by remotely operating a hydraulic excavator located in the Urahoro test site, Hokkaido, over an internet connection from approximately 800 km away in Tsuchiura City, Ibaraki Prefecture.

“Now, we have decided to begin verification tests at an actual mining site to advance the development of autonomous driving for ultra-large hydraulic excavators, reflecting the needs of customers,” it said.

The autonomous operation for ultra-large hydraulic excavators can be deployed as a standalone system, or as a part of fleet management system (FMS), such as the Fleet Control from Wenco International Mining Systems, a HCM subsidiary with a solid implementation track record at large-scale mines.

“Our goal is to balance a high degree of safety and productivity by having autonomous operation through sharing the information among the autonomous ultra-large hydraulic excavators, dump trucks and other equipment,” the company said.

Operation support system

Because it is difficult to assess the conditions around the vehicle and the inclination of the vehicle during remote control compared with a manned operation, the actual machinery will be equipped with a collision avoidance system and a vehicle stability monitoring system to reduce the burden on the operator performing the remote control during the verification tests, HCM said.

In addition, Wenco has been advancing the development of an excavator payload monitoring system, which measures the weight of the material inside the bucket, and plans to test this feature at the same time.

Reflecting the needs of actual customers through verification testing will further improve remote control and driving support technologies in ultra-large hydraulic excavators, HCM said.

“These operator support systems can be retrofitted onto the EX-7 series of ultra-large hydraulic excavators and are scheduled to be ready for the market during the 2022 financial year (April 1, 2022 onwards) as systems installed on actual machinery to increase operation safety,” the company said.

Integration with the autonomous haulage system (AHS)

HCM began researching AHS in 2009, with six EH5000 rigid dump trucks now starting 24-hour autonomous haulage at Whitehaven’s Maules Creek coal mine in New South Wales, Australia.

Because a diverse and large quantity of manned and unmanned machineries mix together in a large-scale mining operation, the radio communication needed for the operating control must be managed in a stable manner, HCM explained.

“The AHS from Hitachi Construction Machinery runs on the Wenco FMS and utilises various technologies from the Hitachi Group to realise a significant advantage by extending its range of control up to a maximum of 100 vehicles,” the company said.

The goal of autonomous ultra-large hydraulic excavators is to balance a high level of safety and productivity, even in the autonomous mining sites of the future, by sharing information with dump trucks and other machinery.

The Hitachi Construction Machinery Group has thus far been engaged in realising “reliable solutions” to solve social issues as a close and reliable partner for our customers, it said.

“Going forward, we will continue to promote the development of long-distance remote control and autonomous driving, ultra-large hydraulic excavators using ICT and IoT for mining industry customers around the world to help provide the higher level of safety and mine management productivity improvements that our customers require,” the company concluded.

Hitachi moves into a new mining automation zone

Automation, Communications in mining, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mining equipment, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Back in 2017 when it was soon expecting to commercially apply its mining truck haulage automation system, Hitachi Construction Machinery (HCM) made the bold claim that it had “commenced development of an autonomous haulage system (AHS) that will leapfrog over current market offerings”.

With trials of the technology at its first mine site concluded and the rollout of automated haulage in New South Wales, Australia, ramping up, HCM’s Adrian Hale, Business Development Manager – AHS, International Operations, Global Mining Group, and Greg Smith, General Manager – AHS Business Unit, Client Solutions Division, provided IM with a bit more information about HCM’s AHS technology, the third commercial offering from a mining OEM.

IM: How would you summarise the Hitachi approach to mining AHS versus others in terms of fundamental development, capability, and overall aims?

AH: Hitachi undertakes a broad investment to leverage group entities and technologies within the development of our AHS capability. This has resulted in formation of cross-entity teams, and adoption of technologies that have been applied in industries including high-speed rail to underpin command and control. It’s definitely a new and contemporary approach in delivering our Open Autonomy vision that extends value across all areas of the mining business. Our objective is to drive operational outcomes for our customers.

IM: What advantages do the wider capabilities within Hitachi Ltd, Wenco, etc bring to your AHS system? How easy was it to adapt systems designed for the rail and automotive groups, for example, for the mining AHS sector?

AH: Leveraging multi-industry capabilities from across Hitachi remains a foundation AHS development and this One Hitachi vision is driving the contemporary method of our ongoing investments. As mentioned earlier, adopting permission control technologies from Hitachi’s rail traffic control applications has delivered innovative efficiency in network communications and supports large scale fleet potential. In the case of Wenco, there remains a seamless integration of design and development team that has accelerated our AHS platform. This continues in terms of our objectives to lead Open Autonomy strategies.

IM: Comparisons are always going to be made between the major OEM providers of AHS: can you highlight some of the differences between your AHS systems and the likes of FrontRunner and Command for Hauling (LiDAR/RADAR differences, on-board/off-board computing power, truck speed restrictions, shovel interaction with AHS, etc)?

AH: Without a doubt there will be areas of difference in the baseline capabilities of all OEM AHS platforms. Command & control functions, sensor and technology integration, base truck engineering and design, as well as services methodologies and support delivery will all factor into these differences.

IM: What are the ‘entry’ requirements for Hitachi’s AHS system in terms of networks and connectivity? How has the Rajant wireless mesh network functionality enabled the Hitachi AHS to avoid the connectivity problems that have been an issue in deployments in the Pilbara (ie the trucks stopping and having to be manually restarted every time they lose connection)?

AH: We remain open on our supporting technologies and infrastructures and these elements remain a key focus of discovery as our regional development progresses. There is always a view to collaborate with our customers importantly to utilise already established assets wherever possible.

GS: One of the key advantages of the Hitachi Autonomous Solution is that autonomous haulage trucks (AHTs) can continue to operate on their assigned permitted path, despite intermitted loss of connection. The AHTs have the ability to navigate within their permitted path and bring themselves to a safe and controlled stop at the end of the assigned path, should the network not be re-established prior. Several safety layers above those linked to network stability are in place to ensure safe and efficient operation.

IM: I believe in a 2017 release, it was quoted that “limiting constant communication between the truck and the FMS, Hitachi’s autonomous technology was able to control up to 100 vehicles under the one system”. Is this the ‘ceiling’ in terms of the number of AHS haul trucks you expect to deploy on any one mine site?

AH: While we don’t perceive there would be ceiling limits, it is reasonable to acknowledge AHS fleet will have an optimal design utilisation within operations. This includes, of course, instrumented equipment that is not fully autonomous that has to have visibility within these areas.

IM: How do your TCS and Exclusive Permission Control functions differ to the traffic management and navigation procedures of other AHS systems? Does it enable your AHS system to reduce the number of false positive ODs (object detections) on mine sites?

AH: Without making direct comparison to other AHS solutions, integration of these systems and functions delivers optimised AHS fleet & network management. As a design principle, Hitachi AHS is a complex, contemporary ‘system of systems’ and that platform delivers these benefits.

IM: Outside of the obvious productivity and safety benefits your system will offer, what other external benefits are you expecting (fuel use, haul road degradation, tyre life, etc)?

AH: The basis of AHS technologies from a customer viewpoint reinforces the absolute need to deliver safety and compliance as #1, as well as productivity and efficiency benefits that would include optimisation of input cost areas. Hitachi has every expectation to meet market demand for reducing cost per tonne, optimising production, enabling grade control management and investing in workforce skilling for future mining. These priorities are also strengthened by our corporate sustainable development goal commitment and corporate social responsibility focus.

IM: Is your AHS focus likely to remain with the retrofit or ‘new’ market? Will the system likely become available for EH4000AC3 and EH3500AC3 trucks?

AH: Terminology in this space is quite fluid, regarding retrofit and new market. All Hitachi AC-3 rear dump trucks are designed for AHS and we can confirm the commissioning of these models is now in place. The assembly and commissioning of AHTs (ie on-board hardware) occurs wherever possible prior to customer delivery. Fleets that are already in operation at a customer site can be managed for retrofit without issue.

IM: Do the open architecture of the Wenco FMS and your wider DX initiatives mean you will be able to retrofit AHS on other truck manufacturers’ products in the long run?

AH: Hitachi’s continued R&D initiatives in the mining sector focuses on providing greater technology benefit across the value chain – not solely haulage. Our AHS market growth remains fixed at this time on our own fleet portfolio. Open Autonomy strategy ultimately provides choice and flexibility to the mining community.

IM: You have large haul truck fleets in important markets like Colombia, Zambia, and Indonesia. Is the business case for AHS as strong in these countries?

AH: Our clear priority remains on our commitments in Australia. Developing business value in other markets remains important to Hitachi and we will continue to engage in conversation with all customers.

IM: What can you say about the performance of the initial deployment of a fleet of six EH5000 AHS-enabled in commercial operation? How have these trucks performed compared with the test work you previously carried out on site?

AH: The current phase of deployment has produced ongoing and very encouraging results. Implementing within coal operations as well as the first AHS operation in NSW has also provided some great learnings – working with the customer teams, regulator and our multi-national implementation delivery model. Moving from test to production now validates the performance objectives we had established, and, as the fleet population meets its full size in AHS operation, further operational gains.

IM: How different is the AHS-enabled trucks Hitachi has compared with what you initially presented at Meandu (have any major elements changed)?

AH: There is a continuing investment in terms of engineering and development for our next-generation AHS capabilities, but aligning these priorities with strategic directions. Our supported AHS base truck fleet as deployed at Meandu remains our core platform but we are extending the EH class fleet models and ancillary supported fleet that operate within the autonomous zones.