Tag Archives: Komatsu

Komatsu opens A$6 milllion training centre to address WA skills shortage

Komatsu has opened a new A$6 million ($4.1 million) state-of-the art training academy in Western Australia as part of the OEM’s plans to address a critical skills shortage in the state.

The opening of the training academy in the Perth suburb of Welshpool coincides with Komatsu doubling its annual investment in training to A$12 million dollars, it says.

Construction of the recently completed Perth training academy includes advanced workshop training rooms, a 30 t crane heavy lifting bay, and labs dedicated to hydraulics and electronics.

Regional General Manager, Glenn Swift, says the purpose-built facility is Komatsu’s response to a critical skills shortage, particularly in Western Australia’s resource sector.

“Skills and labour shortages are a significant challenge for the resource sector,” he said. “We need to invest in training and upskilling programs to ensure that our workforce is equipped with the necessary skills to meet the demand for these industries.”

Komatsu’s training centre offers both apprentice and post-trade technical training in mining and construction industry jobs with a focus on diesel mechanics, auto electricians and fabricators.

Company research shows upon completion of Komatsu’s apprenticeship program, Komatsu’s customer-facing employees will be approximately one year ahead of an equivalent conventionally-trained apprentice who has completed an apprenticeship outside of this system, it says.

This, the company says, is down to its training methods incorporating VR/AR and its highly proficient educators. Komatsu also recognises the importance of equipping apprentices with important life skills, such as mental health awareness, public speaking, road safety and fatigue management, drug and alcohol awareness, and a variety of business skillsets.

In addition, Komatsu maintains an 84% retention rate, far exceeding industry standards by up to 30%, it says.

Komatsu General Manager Training and Capability, Janine Gurney, says apprentices gain experience in next-generation technology including telemetry and driverless trucks as well as learning essential life skills.

“It’s about fitting into the broader company culture where we focus on safety, community, career progression and access to the latest technologies,” she said. “Our aim is that the apprenticeship is the first step in a lifelong career with us.”

Gurney said the company aims to train 600 apprentices by 2025.

Women filled nearly half of the 2023 intake of 75 places, and the 2024 intake will open in July.

Gurney said Komatsu is a pioneer of autonomous haulage systems, and a leader in smart construction via integrated technology as it builds a workforce of the future.

She concluded: “We want to help ordinary operators become fantastic operators so that when they are cutting or digging trenches, for example, their precision is to the exact millimetre and a lot of our current technology does this for them.”

Komatsu highlights interoperability strategy at mine automation forum

Mining automation enables key processes on mine sites such as controlling a machine remotely, automating multiple types of equipment across a fleet or implementing a completely autonomous fleet of haul trucks that can operate around the clock. To share its latest automation advancements, Komatsu recently hosted customers and distributors for an Automation Global User Forum at the company’s Arizona Proving Grounds (AZPG) facility in Tucson, Arizona, USA.

With an emphasis on Komatsu’s interoperability strategy, the event highlighted the company’s equipment automation and system technology roadmaps as well as customer-presented case studies illustrating the high value autonomous haulage has brought to their mining operations and their potential paths to an automated mine site, Komatsu said. Participants also got a first look at an Autonomous Light Vehicle (ALV) that Komatsu and Toyota are jointly developing – as was announced earlier this week.

Komatsu’s partnership with Toyota is reflective of the company’s interoperability strategy for its customers’ large mining fleets. Receiving directional commands from Komatsu’s Autonomous Haulage System (AHS), one or more Toyota ALVs can integrate with and operate alongside a Komatsu autonomous haulage fleet. Integration of this kind can help improve safety and productivity in an automated mine by reducing interactions with manually operated vehicles, it says.

The forum was attended by customers representing over 20 mine sites around the world, including mines focused on the production of copper, iron ore, metallurgical coal and oil sands.

Showcasing the use and the value cases for AHS, forum attendees shared how they have used the system in multiple ways to optimise for the specific needs of their mines, based on climate and terrain. Use cases included:

  • Mountaintop mining;
  • Mining in ice/snow;
  • High altitude mining; and
  • High temperature/desert mining.

Martin Cavassa, Manager, Automation Business Development for Komatsu, said: “Interoperability is the cornerstone of our mining automation strategy. This forum was an excellent opportunity to showcase our developments in automation as well as what we envision for the future of mining.”

Komatsu’s concept for the automated mine of the future includes a range of options from teleoperation and task-level automation to a fully autonomous mine, including automation of the following common mining tasks:

  • Loading;
  • Hauling;
  • Drilling;
  • Dozing;
  • Grading; and
  • Watering

Since Komatsu launched the world’s first commercial application of an AHS in 2008, the company has deployed over 650 trucks at 22 sites in five countries (as of May 2023). Combined, Komatsu’s AHS customers have moved over 6.2 billion metric tonnes of material, it says.

Komatsu to expand parts support for mining, construction customers in Nevada

Komatsu has announced plans for a construction project adding a new, nearly 50,000-sq.ft (4,645 sq.m) warehouse to its service centre campus in Elko, Nevada. The warehouse will expand local parts support for mining and construction customers in the Nevada region.

Planned for completion in early 2024, the new warehouse will be located adjacent to Komatsu’s 57,600-sq.m, $47 million state-of-the-art Elko service centre, built in 2019. The service centre has expanded the company’s ability to support construction equipment and large mining equipment including haul trucks, hydraulic shovels, electric rope shovels and mining support equipment, according to the OEM. The new warehouse will replace an existing warehouse on the site.

The Elko facility currently employs approximately 160 employees with anticipated growth to approximately 180 employees over the next two years.

The new building will, Komatsu says, include:

  • High-capacity racking;
  • High-density vertical lift modules;
  • Climate-controlled environment;
  • Parts counter for will call and easy pickup of Genuine Komatsu Parts; and
  • Easy access to Interstate 80, just west of Elko, Nevada.

Josh Wagner, VP & GM North America Mining Distribution for Komatsu, said: “The new, state-of-the-art warehouse will allow us to more efficiently serve our customers and partners in the region and improve the overall experience with Komatsu. This additional investment in our Elko-area facilities will not only enhance our commitment to customers, but also provide employees an improved work environment and opportunities for future employees.”

Komatsu and Cummins partner on combined mining equipment and engine monitoring platform

To create more value for customers, Komatsu and Cummins have partnered to deliver a new, integrated remote equipment monitoring solution designed to, they say, reduce unplanned stoppages, accelerate maintenance execution, and extend component life and maintenance intervals.

By sharing equipment health and performance data over common infrastructure, and collaborating on health analytics, both companies can access the same secure data and develop joint analytics and insights. The partnership will see data collected on a single device and all actions are managed in a shared case management system, allowing experts from both teams to work remotely with a customer’s maintenance staff.

Integrating machine OEM support from Komatsu with expert OEM engine insight from Cummins allows both to proactively monitor asset health and optimise maintenance management, they say, designed to help mining customers:

  • Avoid unplanned maintenance;
  • Predict maintenance needs;
  • Decrease production costs and downtime from maintenance; and
  • Increase asset utilisation.

In the past, equipment and engine data collection and generation involved multiple data logging devices, each with their own individual remote data connection. Customers typically had separate devices which created separate data silos for subsystems on a single haul truck.

“With multiple data flows, mines have less control over where the data goes and who has access, whereas a single piece of hardware can simplify data flow and may also enhance cybersecurity,” the companies said. “By removing the need for duplicative communication infrastructure and multiple points of connection, the Cummins and Komatsu solution can offer new insights to help mining managers make better decisions faster.”

Less hardware also reduces maintenance time and machine downtime as there is less hardware to install, and there are fewer components to maintain.

This combined solution is designed to improve asset protection and reduce harm to fleets, to give customers a simplified and improved experience for asset health case management, onboarding and analytics. Instead of subscribing to separate solutions from Komatsu and Cummins, this new solution offers mines a more cost-effective approach to monitoring, the companies claim.

“With this partnership, we are tying two high-value services together,” Greg Lanz, General Manager, Technology Interoperability for Komatsu, said. “By combining data analytics from both Komatsu and Cummins, we can collaborate to help our customers maximise total asset performance and health.”

Dana Miller, Director and Service Solutions for Cummins, said: “Our aim with this integrated solution is to deliver a robust best-in-class solution to help our customers succeed.”

Effective asset management solutions don’t just provide more data about a site’s equipment and engines, they help ensure data is useful and organised so stakeholders can be more proactive. For example, understanding where a truck is in the mine, what its payload is, and which operator is driving it, all provide useful context to analyse why the engine is behaving a particular way. By combining engine and non-engine data, mining customers will be able to see all of their equipment data in one place, with insights and recommendations for a holistic view of the machine.

Lanz added: “The collaboration between Cummins and Komatsu on broader data sets opens opportunities for us to build more complex analytics and insights. The secret sauce is combining the expertise of both teams.”

Murray & Roberts Cementation hits shaft sinking milestone at Palabora

The Murray & Roberts Cementation shaft sinking team responsible for delivering a new ventilation shaft at Palabora Copper Mine (PMC) recently celebrated the achievement of a major milestone – reaching the 800 m mark.

This milesttone represents two-thirds of the shaft’s final depth of 1,200 m.

The ventilation shaft forms part of the copper producer’s Lift II project, which will extend mine life by more than 15 years. Originally an open-pit mine, the Palabora mine transitioned to underground block cave operations in the early 2000s when Lift 1 was commissioned.

PMC is located within Phalaborwa, in the Limpopo province of South Africa, and the extension of the life of mine will increase shareholders’ value and sustain jobs and livelihoods of the surrounding communities, according to the company. The mine has also initiated several wildlife management programs to minimise the impact of its operations on the environment as well as promote the harmonious co-existence of people, industry and wildlife.

Murray & Roberts Cementation’s contract to sink the 8.5-m diameter shaft was awarded in February 2019. According to Fred Durand, the company’s Senior Project Manager, the shaft sinking is currently making good progress, with 40-or-more lined metres of advance being completed on average each month.

“Shaft sinking operations should be completed by the end of this year with final handover of the shaft to our client, PMC, taking place at the end of the first (March) quarter of 2024,” he says.

Ground conditions have presented a challenge on the project. This has resulted in the shaft lining being taken right down to the blasted face, says Jas Malherbe, Murray & Roberts Cementation’s on-site Project Manager.

“Normally, we would line the shaft to within 12 to 18 m of shaft bottom and support the sidewalls temporarily with split sets and mesh,” he explains. “In practice, this did not prove viable, prompting us to change our approach. The method we’ve adopted is unconventional but has proven to be highly effective.”

Drilling is undertaken by two twin-boom Komatsu electro-hydraulic jumbo drill rigs. These are slung down the shaft from surface and nested in the four-deck stage for drilling the shaft bottom, a procedure which is repeated for each 48-hour blast-to-blast cycle.

Another key piece of equipment is a Komatsu excavator with a 0.3 cu.m bucket. It is lowered from surface through the stage to shaft bottom and is used for lashing. All the waste rock is loaded into a 11 t kibble, which transports it to surface.

The ground conditions at the shaft are such that blasting tends to produce large rocks that can be difficult to handle.

Malherbe said: “We break these up using the excavator, which has a quick coupler which allows it be fitted with a hydraulic breaker within a few minutes.”

The methods being used at Palabora are based on the Canadian shaft-sinking method Murray & Roberts Cementation has pioneered in South Africa at its Venetia mine contract for De Beers Group.

“We have adapted the method because of the very different conditions we’re facing but many elements remain the same or are very similar,” Malherbe said. “In particular, the high degree of safety offered by the Canadian method has not in any way been compromised.”

The number of Murray & Roberts Cementation personnel deployed per shift is 25. The total labour complement on site is currently just over 120 people, 46% of them recruited from local communities.

Murray & Roberts Cementation has a vigorous CSI program running in conjunction with its contract. It is being implemented in close association with PMC and has mainly focused on supporting local schools in the Phalaborwa area with infrastructure such as ablution facilities, fences, water storage tanks and boreholes.

Durand said: “In addition, we have trained nearly 80 youths from local communities at our Bentley Park Training Academy, near Carletonville. Another 20 are currently undergoing training. This program is giving them skills which are in high demand in mining, and which could lead to them securing permanent employment within the mining industry.”

Komatsu reinstates HM400-5 articulated haul truck production line in Tennessee

To support growing demand, Komatsu has begun producing the company’s HM400-5 articulated haul trucks at its factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA.

While the trucks were produced in Chattanooga in the mid-2000s, in 2009, production shifted to the company’s plant in Ibaraki, Japan, where it has remained until now.

Used primarily in construction, quarry and mining applications, the 473 horsepower (353 kW) HM400-5 is designed to move material across challenging terrain while delivering productive, consistent performance for operators of all experience levels. To celebrate the new production line, Komatsu and the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, this week, hosted US Republican, Chuck Fleischmann, along with other local and state officials for a launch event at the company’s Chattanooga plant.

Production of the truck has already driven an increase in Komatsu’s spend with local and regional suppliers. Additionally, the new line will offer more opportunities for area students to gain experience in manufacturing, according to the company. Komatsu’s Chattanooga plant currently has a pre-apprenticeship program that employs high school seniors, part time, allowing them to earn credits toward a full apprenticeship certification through Chattanooga State Community College.

“We have seen the demand for our HM400-5 trucks grow significantly in both the US and Canada, which is why we began producing the trucks here in the US,” Rod Schrader, Chairman and CEO, Komatsu North America, said. “The domestic production of this popular truck supports Komatsu’s commitment to jobs and manufacturing in the US, and also enables us to contribute far more to the local Chattanooga economy.”

In addition to the HM400-5 trucks, the plant produces mid-size hydraulic excavators and intelligent excavators, as well as some machines for the forestry market. Approximately 525 people are employed at the Chattanooga campus. Of those employees, 425 are part of the manufacturing operation, while 100 work for other divisions of Komatsu.

The Komatsu AZPG: bringing unique mining concepts to life

Seeing Komatsu’s Arizona Proving Grounds (AZPG) in person, it is easy to understand why the OEM is in a leading position when it comes to both surface mining automation and electrification.

The 660-acre (270-ha) facility is a living and breathing example of mining’s past, present and future; touring round, one can see 20-plus-year-old machines, the latest -5 ultra-class haul trucks and concept vehicles that will form the basis for future commercial autonomous and/or electric solutions.

These concept vehicles – at least when IM visited in November – included the company’s EVX battery proof of concept vehicle and the cabless IAHV autonomous mining truck concept.

The EVX is based off the basic 860E platform (a 254-t payload machine) and was shown off at MINExpo 2021. Prior to that, it had been testing out its all-battery power functionality at AZPG.

The IAHV, which debuted at MINExpo 2016, was developed by Komatsu as an unstaffed vehicle designed to maximise the advantages of such operation. It remains on show, with the company incorporating several learnings from this vehicle into its standard Electric Drive Trucks (EDT) and autonomous products.

Pat Singleton, Product Director, EDT, refers to AZPG as the “ultimate laboratory to be able to bring unique mining concepts to life”.

He added: “The testing we do at AZPG gives us the opportunity to reduce product development risk and take the validation process one step further before the products make it to the mine.”

The original focus at AZPG was the EDT product line, yet, as Komatsu has expanded its product offerings, more solutions continue to be tested or validated at the facility each year.

This testing is extensive, as was made obvious to IM while navigating an autonomous vehicle ‘assault course’ and hearing about new wet- and dry-disc brake trial combinations, higher speed tramming on autonomous haul trucks and more.

It is not just trucks subject to these try outs either, with hydraulic shovels, surface drill rigs, water trucks, dozers and other vehicles having a presence on site.

“If anything, the importance of AZPG has increased as technology has continued to evolve,” Singleton said. “AZPG allows for a single location to harmonise development efforts of all the Komatsu entities, providing research and development into our products.”

What’s more, the facility is located in Arizona’s renowned copper heartland.

This has been very useful for Komatsu, with Asarco’s Mission mine next door to the facility representing a real life mine site testing opportunity for solutions that have graduated from AZPG.

AZPG has 23 full-time staff, but its desk count is much higher, indicating the number of visitors and partners AZPG welcomes on a weekly basis from across the globe.

Some of these visitors include FrontRunner® autonomous haulage system (AHS) customers, who have, more recently, been invited to send operators to the facility for invaluable training ahead of planned autonomous deployments.

Anthony Cook, Vice President, Autonomous Systems, Mining Technology Solutions, told IM that this approach is enabling mining operations to leverage more of the benefits of AHS from day one of deployment, reducing the need to conduct a ‘soft start’ with the technology as operators come to terms with the transition from staffed to autonomous operations.

A representative from Komatsu’s dealer network was receiving training on the AHS system during IM’s visit, with Cook confirming another major mining customer and Komatsu distributors had sent operators to Arizona earlier in 2022 ahead of a planned deployment in 2023.

AHS developments are a key focus area for AZPG, with the on-site trucks testing out many different scenarios that customers could experience at their operations.

Software updates make up many of the ongoing FrontRunner AHS developments, but the company also continues to explore the use of more sensors and cameras on board its vehicles for obstacle detection and positioning. This is all geared towards improving visualisation, communication and safety, reducing potential false positives during operation and ultimately helping to improve productivity.

As for software upgrades to FrontRunner AHS, all developments are initially tested in a bench environment where the company can simulate the system. This may be within the former Modular Mining facility, also in Tucson, or at another one of Komatsu’s many testing hubs.

“Once it has passed virtual testing then final functional and stability testing is validated at AZPG before release to the customer,” Singleton said.

Some recent testing related to mixed fleet operations of staffed and autonomous trucks that originated in the lab to later emerge at AZPG has since led to a FrontRunner first at Anglo American’s Los Bronces mine in Chile.

The mining company only recently started its AHS deployment at the copper mine, initially going live with ten 930E-5 trucks, but Cook confirmed to IM that these vehicles are now interacting with staffed trucks in the mining environment.

“We’ve got off to a very strong start at Los Bronces, with Anglo American really embracing the technology and pushing it to its limits,” he said.

The full Los Bronces deployment could see 62 electric drive Komatsu 930E trucks running by 2024.

Those who visited MINExpo 2021 in Las Vegas will also remember the PC7000-11 shovel that was being teleremote operated live from the show, while the unit was over 600 km away at AZPG. This unit (above) is still positioned on site and the teleremote operation is continuing to be refined from inside the facility, with AutoSwing and AutoDump functions a few recent notable additions for improved operability.

Komatsu expects to replace this shovel with a backhoe version later this year, to also be teleremotely operated.

Trolley transformation

The first vehicle IM saw when driving up to AZPG was the EVX; its shiny yellow exterior providing the perfect contrast to the rich blue backdrop of the Tucson sky.

Since leaving Las Vegas in September 2021 and heading for Tucson, the company has made preparations to remove the small on-board battery which was displayed on the Komatsu stand and begin replacing it with a larger one from one of its integration partners.

The connectors for trolley were still on board and the team was awaiting final commissioning of the on-site trolley line ahead of further testing.

IM Editor Dan Gleeson (left) on site at AZPG with some of the Komatsu team

Singleton explained: “The EVX was a proof of concept to demonstrate that a large electric drive haul truck could be powered by a battery. Now that we better understand the ability of this technology to work in our EDT products, we must continue to advance the technology to drive increased performance and reduced operating costs.”

To date, Komatsu has continued with truck testing to learn how the various subsystems work with batteries while finalising its battery chemistry.

“We’ve also installed trolley infrastructure, which will allow us to conduct further testing on batteries and other alternative power sources,” Singleton said.

This infrastructure – made up of 39 poles that are ‘movable’ and ‘self-supporting’ – could support two 980E-5s running on the line at the same time.

Initially, it will support both the EVX and one 930E running in tandem.

The line itself is powered by a 9 MW substation, which Siemens and a local electrical and engineering company established.

The trolley course has been designed with a 60° corner to demonstrate to operators that this technology is for more than just straight hauls.

“This highlights the flexibility of the system and shows mining operators where the technology can already go today,” Cook said. “The concrete pillars, which can be moved with wheel loaders and other support equipment, are an indication that the trolley can ‘move with the mining’, too.”

Singleton said the next development for the EVX will focus on an increase in the battery capability and the investigation of proof of concept on a variety of static and dynamic charging options.

The trolley line will, no doubt, play a role in this testing, although it is not yet known if a single or hybrid power setup will be selected initially.

What is more certain, however, is the status of fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) testing on the EVX. Singleton said research into this area continues, yet a practical test where fuel cells and a battery were mounted on the chassis was some way off.

At this early stage, Singleton says the first commercial power-agnostic offering the company establishes will likely be diesel and/or diesel trolley.

He explained: “This approach delivers reduced risk to the overall portfolio by blending the power-agnostic chassis with a refined version of an existing technology (diesel engine + overhead dynamic trolley).”

“It also serves the secondary purpose of allowing battery technology the opportunity to mature from a performance perspective as we work to define overall truck fleet performance. Additionally, static and dynamic charging options (including development of an industry-standard connector) are within the scope of this product.”

And the first commercial power-agnostic truck will be in the 291 t (320 ton) class – the same size as a 930E – Singleton confirmed, adding that scalability was something being considered at every stage of the truck’s development.

“Scalability is the overall goal and is in alignment with the general power-agnostic approach to our design,” he said. “The major challenge will be the scalability of the energy storage componentry from a cost and performance standpoint. This is the primary driver behind the continued deliberate development cadence designed to give the battery technology time to mature over the intervening period before the design is finalised.”

When asked about fixed fast charging – a concept that has risen up the mine truck charging rankings of late with Charge On Innovation Challenge work from Hitachi Energy and a consortium led by Shell, respectively – Singleton referred to developments as a “two-way street” and a “work in progress”.

“Essentially those solutions need better definition and ‘mining proofing’ before we introduce them into AZPG,” he said. “Perhaps an opportunity exists to co-develop these technologies and improve speed to market but, again, this is still being defined.”

The trolley infrastructure at AZPG – made up of 39 poles that are ‘movable’ and ‘self-supporting’ – could support two 980E-5s running on the line at the same time, according to Komatsu

All this work sounds encouraging for those companies interested in adding to their ultra-size class truck fleets in the 2030s in line with industry-wide decarbonisation plans, but Komatsu customers looking to buy trucks today will be after future-proofed solutions.

Komatsu is all too aware of this and planning to provide a battery retrofit solution for its current -5 products, Singleton said.

GHG Alliance and beyond

As has been well documented, Komatsu has aligned with a core group of customers under its GHG Alliance to accelerate developments on the electric haulage front.

Rio Tinto, BHP, Codelco, Boliden, Teck, Antofagasta Minerals SA and Freeport-McMoRan are key stakeholders within the alliance and will be keen to see what testing emerges on that trolley line into 2023.

While Singleton said the communication process with these customers was still being refined, he acknowledged AZPG’s role in future developments.

“There is no question AZPG will provide a critical backdrop to accelerating our efforts and streamlining our ability to communicate and advance the development progress with our customers,” he said.

Whether the company chooses to initiate an early-learner program like the other big yellow equipment maker it competes with is yet to be seen, with Singleton saying its plans will leverage the “Komatsu approach” regardless of what the competition is doing.

What is clear is that AZPG will continue to keep Komatsu on the leading edge of mobile mining equipment technology developments.

As evidence, Cook reeled off several ongoing projects the company was engaged in, including an autonomous water truck in Australia, automated dozers in Brazil and plans to semi-automate electric blasthole drills.

Going forward, another consideration will be the ability to integrate AHS with trolley operations.

“Komatsu, as an organisation, is committed to solving our customer’s and the industry’s challenges, and we will continue to leverage AZPG and the wider Komatsu network to do this,” Cook said.

Komatsu to expand its underground mining equipment offering with GHH acquisition

Komatsu has entered into an agreement to acquire Gelsenkirchen, Germany-based GHH Group GmbH (GHH), in a deal that will see it significantly expand its underground mining equipment market share.

Founded in the 1960s and currently part of the German-owned Schmidt Kranz Group, GHH offers a wide range of equipment focused on loaders (LHDs) and articulated dump trucks in the mid-seam mass mining, narrow-vein and low-profile market segments The company also supports customers with aftermarket parts and service support through the entire life of each machine.

With this acquisition, Komatsu will add GHH’s factories and rebuild facilities in key markets, in addition to its robust product offerings and talented staff, the company said.

Peter Salditt, President and CEO, Komatsu Mining Corp, said: “We are very excited about this acquisition as it represents a great opportunity for Komatsu to expand its offerings for underground mining equipment and accelerate new product development through synergies with Komatsu’s existing team and product offerings.

“By adding GHH’s factories and rebuild facilities in key markets in Europe, South Africa, India and Chile, we also aim to strengthen production and service capabilities for our customers.”

Komatsu intends to continue the service GHH provides and plans to support business as usual post-acquisition. The combined team will then work together to expand Komatsu’s offering for underground mining equipment and increase customer access to products in new territories.

GHH Group CEO, Dr Jan Petzold, said: “GHH is excited to be able to start a new journey with a strong player in the mining world. This opens huge doors for our people and our products to develop further and grow beyond what we could have hoped for.

“This is the next logical step in becoming a true global player and we look forward to becoming part of the Komatsu family.”

The official close of the acquisition is projected for the first half of 2023. 

In line with its ongoing mid-term management plan “DANTOTSU Value – Together, to ‘The Next’ for sustainable growth”, Komatsu says it is working to expand offerings for underground hard-rock mining, creating new value for customers with the development of new equipment, processes and technologies that will help operations step forward to the next stage for the workplace of the future and provide a more sustainable environment for the next generation.

GHH for its part has been doing exactly this, expanding its offering of, especially, load and haul equipment for the hard-rock mining space with the launch of the likes of the MK-42 underground truck (pictured) and, most recently, the LF10-NEO.

Komatsu on gaining control in room and pillar mining through automation

Komatsu has made automation headway in several different underground mining areas, with the room & pillar (R&P) space being another key market where it is making inroads to improve safety and increase productivity by moving operators away from harm’s way.

IM caught up with Toby Cressman, a Senior Product Manager for R&P Automation and Data Solutions at Komatsu, to gauge how advanced the market is with its automation transition, as well as where the focus areas are for the company going forward.

IM: Compared with both the underground longwall sector and underground hard-rock haulage and loading sector, how advanced is your automation offering for the R&P sector? What elements are yet to be automated within the R&P mining setup?

TC: Compared with the longwall (LW) sector and hard-rock (HR) sector, R&P automation is not as advanced. These reasons are market-, application- and regulatory-driven.

When it comes to market demand, we saw a much earlier push from the longwall side as customers were dependent on these high productivity systems. We have spent considerable time and focus on automating longwall faces over the years as they are critical to the success of our customers. We now see that demand trending into entry development machines and our continuous miners (CMs) as they become the limiting factor for our customers.

Regarding the application, as the LW sector operates in a more controlled and consistent environment, the act of automating the process becomes easier because the number of variables is reduced. Since this is a system, things like utility management have been designed into the system before automation – not to mention the lack of requirement to bolt as the roof is allowed to subside as the system advances.

On the HR side, their application has haulage routes that are similar for long periods of time and operate in an environment where regulatory controls around the types of sensors used are not as rigid when it comes to the approval process (ie explosive environment).

Currently when it comes to R&P automation, we have automated the CM to cut repeated sump and shear cycles in a straight line. We have the technology to keep the heading of the CM straight. In applications using our Flexible Conveyor Train (FCT), the FCT has been automated to follow the CM in and out of these cut cycles until the sequence is stopped by an operator. The FCT can make steering corrections to adapt to the direction of the CM.

IM: Do you tend to offer all new equipment as ‘automation ready’, or are many of these advances being made with hardware and software upgrades to existing equipment?

TC: This really depends on the market, product type and level of automation. Today, most of our original equipment CMs leave the factory automation ready, all the way up to our highest commercially available automation package. Even for our higher levels of automation that are currently being tested, those kits could easily be retrofitted in the field. When machines come in for rebuild, upgrading is an easy option that some customers take advantage of.

For our haulage products, the automation option we offer is on our FCTs. We have an option for FCT follow-me mode where the FCT will follow the CM in and out of the cut, making miner steering corrections. Though the field upgrade is a simple task, these are only being shipped equipped as such when requested by the customer.

Komatsu has an option for FCT follow-me mode where the FCT will follow the CM in and out of the cut, making miner steering corrections

IM: Are the majority of your clients taking advantage of these automation advances, or does it differ between sectors (ie are coal clients more open to this than those in potash, for example)?

TC: A majority of our clients are taking advantage of our level-one continuous miner automation (CMA). This is our one touch shear option. In this mode, the roof and floor points are set, and the operator simply controls the sump depth. This has been popular in the market for years. Our level-two CMA is growing in popularity and now running successfully in more than five countries. At this level, the machine functions are controlled by a sequence table and the CM will complete multiple cycles until stopped by the operator.

We have seen the adoption of automation features more widely implemented in our industrial minerals markets, where the coal markets lag some. I would generally credit this difference to cutting conditions, application and haulage methods.

IM: Can you single out some major automation releases or upgrades in the last few years that represent ‘game changing’ innovations? Were these developed specifically from customer requests?

TC: Our level-two CMA is definitely making waves in the industry. We are rolling it out on more and more machines globally and it is proving to be valuable in various applications. Some of the best news – in terms of technology and automation features – is that it is highly affordable. This feature wasn’t directly requested by the customer (our customers are always asking to assist in moving operator’s further from harm’s way, increase productivity, extend component life, etc).

This feature is excelling at those things, based on the data we have analysed to date. We can do this in near real time with customers who have connected machines (machine to surface communication) taking advantage of our Smart Solution product offerings. Even with customers who don’t have connected machines, this can be accomplished manually through data dumps taken locally at the machine. This feature is also critical in enabling customers who want to operate their equipment from remote management centres. Automation and operator assist features will be key in teleremote mining.

IM: What part of the R&P mining process is next up for an automation advance? Where is this potential product/solution in terms of your R&D pipeline?

TC: We are currently working on field trials for bolter automation and in the initial phases of automating our batch haulage products. These are next for the room and pillar products.

IM: Anything else to add on trends within the room and pillar sector?

TC: When it comes to R&P automation, we are focusing on those repetitive tasks an operator is performing that could be completed by the control system. This allows an operator to focus on the task at hand and reduce fatigue. As we continue to assist the operator with these tasks, it also enables flexibility of where the operator is positioned, improving the overall operating environment for them.

Komatsu and Proterra to showcase battery-powered hydraulic excavator at Bauma

Komatsu Ltd is to exhibit a 20-ton (18-t) class electric hydraulic excavator equipped with a lithium-ion battery system for the first time at bauma 2022, in Munich, Germany, from October 24 through 30.

The machine is powered by a lithium-ion battery system from US-based Proterra, representing the first electrically-powered solution to come out of the two companies joint development work on electric medium-sized hydraulic excavators. In addition to this, Komatsu and Proterra have been collaborating on development of battery-electric LHDs, drills and bolters for underground hard-rock mining.

Komatsu and Proterra have been conducting proof of concept tests on advance research machines at customers’ construction sites. The machine is scheduled to be introduced to the Japanese and European markets in the 2023 financial year.

Hydraulic excavators are the most versatile type of construction equipment and the mid-size class, in particular, is used in a wide range of job sites and applications, mainly in earth excavation and loading operations, requiring power and durability to withstand heavy-load work.

This model optimises the entire body control system by capitalising on Komatsu’s proprietary coordinating technology, Komatsu says. It specifically integrates Proterra’s lithium-ion battery technology, which has a proven track record for use in heavy-duty and commercial vehicles deployed in various fields around the world, with Komatsu’s components, such as the hydraulic pump, controller and electric motor, for work equipment operation.

In addition, Komatsu has developed a robust cage structure to provide additional protection on-board the vehicle for its battery packs. As a result, Komatsu says it has achieved digging performance and durability equivalent to those of engine-driven hydraulic excavators. In addition, the high energy on-board the excavator’s Proterra powered battery system enables operation for up to eight hours when fully charged.

As global awareness of climate change accelerates, Komatsu has declared to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 with the aim of realising a sustainable society. In collaboration with its partners, Komatsu is developing electric construction equipment to achieve zero exhaust gas emissions and a significant reduction in noise emissions with the vision of developing safe, highly productive, smart and clean workplaces of the future.