Tag Archives: Mats Eriksson

Sandvik to establish new production unit in Malaysia on underground LHD, truck demand

Sandvik is establishing a new production unit in Malaysia for manufacturing underground loaders and trucks in an effort to answer growing demand for its battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), the company says.

Equipment production is planned to begin in the December quarter of 2023 following factory upgrades and other site improvements.

While the new production unit within Sandvik Mining and Rock Solution’s primary focus will be BEVs, it will also manufacture conventional loaders and trucks as well as battery cages. Annual manufacturing capacity is planned to increase gradually to 300 loaders and trucks and 500 battery cages by 2030.

The new facility in the 445-ha Sendayan TechValley business park, 70 kilometers south of Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur and 15 km west of state capital Seremban. The factory is 90 km southeast of Port Klang, Malaysia’s largest seaport and one of the busiest container terminals in the world.

Mats Eriksson, President of Sandvik Mining and Rock Solution, said: “Malaysia is among the most technologically developed countries in Southeast Asia and has abundant skilled labour, strong local industrial suppliers and reliable infrastructure. Our mining customers in Asia Pacific will enjoy shorter lead times for equipment manufactured to the same Sandvik standards for quality and safety.”

The new factory will span more than 8,000 m and include 15 versatile assembly bays. It will support the manufacture of all Sandvik load and haul equipment models and is independent of existing supplier chains, the company explained. Production ramp-up will begin later this year with Toro™ LH517i loaders followed by Toro™ LH518iB, Sandvik’s newly-announced automation-ready battery-electric loader, in the June quarter of 2024.

Patricio Apablaza, President of Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions’ Load and Haul division, added: “Demand for our loaders and trucks is exceeding our current production capacity at our existing factories. The establishment of our new production unit in Malaysia will enable flexible manufacturing of both conventional diesel and battery-electric mining equipment.”

Sandvik to supply Rana Gruber with 19-strong fleet of battery-electric vehicles

Rana Gruber has selected Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions to supply a fleet of 19 battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), including trucks, loaders and drills, for its iron ore operations in Storforshei in northern Norway.

The agreement, worth some SEK370 million ($36 million), underpins Rana Gruber’s aim to operate the world’s first carbon-free iron ore mine by the end of 2025.

Sandvik’s second-largest battery-electric mining fleet to date will include six Sandvik TH550B trucks, five Sandvik LH518B loaders, four Sandvik DL422iE longhole drills, two Sandvik DS412iE mechanical bolters and two Sandvik DD422iE jumbos. Delivery of the equipment will begin during the March quarter and is planned to continue through 2024. Sandvik will also provide on-site service support and batteries.

Gunnar Moe, Chief Executive Officer of Rana Gruber, said: “We’re proud that our mining operations already have among the industry’s lowest CO2 footprints but we have even higher ambitions to completely eliminate our carbon emissions. We have a crystal-clear decarbonisation strategy. When we announced our 2025 goal in 2020, many did not believe it would be possible, but we’re taking another major step forward partnering with Sandvik to implement a battery-electric fleet that will improve our work environment and reduce our operational costs. Most importantly, BEVs will help us achieve our ambitious goals for carbon-free mining.”

Moe said Sandvik’s philosophy around batteries and its approach to battery safety was an important factor in Rana Gruber’s selection process.

“This is a new world for us but Sandvik has extensive battery-electrification expertise,” he said. “We are already very pleased with our cooperation with Sandvik and their commitment to support our BEV transition, not as a supplier but as a true partner wanting to take the journey with us.”

Established in 1964, Rana Gruber produces approximately 1.8 Mt/y of iron ore concentrate from its five deposits in Norway’s Dunderland Valley. Its resource base includes more than 440 Mt of iron ore.

Sandvik has supplied underground equipment to Rana Gruber for more than 25 years. The companies signed a cooperation agreement to strengthen their partnership in November 2021. Trans4Mine, Sandvik’s in-house consultancy, conducted studies and simulations to advise Rana Gruber on BEV fleet requirements, charging station locations and other mining cycle optimisation opportunities, resulting in a letter of intent in November 2022.

Mats Eriksson, President of Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, said: “BEVs have demonstrated their power to reduce a mining operation’s carbon footprint. Rana Gruber is a pioneer in the mining electrification shift in Europe, and we look forward to supporting their battery-electric transition.”

Patricio Apablaza named President of Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions’ Load & Haul Division

Patricio Apablaza has been appointed as the new President of Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions’ (SMR) Load & Haul Division, replacing Mats Eriksson, who took up the role of President of SMR as of October 1.

Apablaza now becomes a member of the Business Area management team, reporting direct to the President of Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, and will be based in Turku (Finland) as soon as practically possible.

“Patricio’s proven leadership skills, commercial understanding and extensive experience within the mining industry will equip him well for his new role as President of Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions’ Load & Haul Division,” Sandvik said.

Sandvik to deliver load and haul equipment to JCHX Mining in DRC

Sandvik has received a large mining equipment order from the China-based global mining services provider JCHX Mining Management Co., Ltd to be used in the Kamoa-Kakula copper mine and the Kamoya copper and cobalt mine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The order is valued at SEK 210 million ($20.1 million) and will be booked in the December quarter of 2022.

The order is for a fleet of load and haul equipment, including eight Sandvik TH545i trucks, five Sandvik TH663i trucks, three Sandvik LH621i loaders, two Sandvik LH514E cable-electric loaders and one Sandvik LH514 loader.

The equipment will primarily be delivered during 2023, but with the first delivery expected by the end of the year.

Mats Eriksson, President of Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, said: “I am pleased to see the continued demand for our highly productive offering of intelligent mining equipment. Our highest-capacity intelligent load and haul equipment has been in operation at Kamoa since 2019, and this order is a testament to the strength and quality of the solutions we provide.”

Sandvik and Redpath to tackle underground mine safety and profitability with new pact

Sandvik and Redpath are aiming to improve safety and reduce underground mining costs through technology advancements, innovation, continuous improvement projects and standardised best practices under a newly-signed agreement guided by operational and relationship key performance indicators.

The five-year agreement includes Sandvik commitments on local presence and support, as well as an annual technology summit and factory training sessions. It will also standardise the use of equipment, leading to cost reductions and safety enhancements, the companies said.

“Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions has long been a valued supplier of underground mining solutions to our global operations,” George Flumerfelt, CEO of The Redpath Group, said. “This mutually beneficial cooperation will help ensure Sandvik provides the same service experience and quality, independently of the geographic location and size of Redpath operations.”

Mats Eriksson, President of Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, added: “This agreement underlines the trust we have in our long-term relationship and further strengthens our good partnership with Redpath. Closer collaboration with Redpath’s business will enable us to deliver on expectations and optimise our product development.”

The two companies have worked on many underground mining projects together in the past and, last year, Redpath became the first company to receive and operate a Sandvik DD212 production drill in Australia, putting it into action at Silver Lake Resources’ Rothsay gold mine in Western Australia.

Sandvik to pair Polymathian portfolio with Deswik solutions for ‘unique’ combination

Sandvik has signed an agreement to acquire Polymathian Industrial Mathematics, an Australia-based provider of advanced mine optimisation software and services.

Polymathian will be reported in Digital Mining Technologies, a division within business area Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions (SMR), Sandvik says.

Polymathian’s solutions for automated decision making and process optimisation complements the offering of Deswik, a leading mine planning software company which Sandvik acquired in April, the company added. Its product offering includes mining operations optimisation and simulation software for areas such as extraction process, material flow, energy and fuel consumption, and maintenance efficiency. It counts several of the world’s largest mining companies as customers.

Stefan Widing, President and CEO of Sandvik, said: “With the acquisition of Polymathian we continue to broaden our offering to enhance productivity in our mining customers’ value chain. Polymathian’s automated decision making and process optimisation, together with Deswik’s software tools for planning and managing production, represent a unique combination in the market.”

Polymathian will be a part of Business Unit Deswik and remain OEM agnostic, according to Sandvik.

The acquisition will enable Sandvik to further accelerate the development of its end-to-end optimisation, battery-electric vehicle (BEV) and AutoMine® offerings, by leveraging Polymathian’s unique skillset and platform, it added.

Mats Eriksson, President of Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, said: “Polymathian is a great addition to Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, and enables SMR to now have a unique digital portfolio that will help our customers to optimise their data-driven operations across the value chain and ensure their mine design is fully compatible with technologies like AutoMine and BEVs. I am very pleased to welcome Polymathian to the Group.”

Polymathian was founded in 2013, has 50 employees and is headquartered in Brisbane, Australia. The company’s annual revenues per June 2022 were around SEK100 million ($9.6 million). The transaction is expected to close during the March quarter of 2023.

Sandvik adds Turku plant to battery-electric vehicle manufacturing plan

Sandvik is expanding its plant in Turku, Finland, to incorporate the manufacture of battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) for underground mining, it says.

Alongside the expansion, which is set to be completed in the second half of 2023, the whole of the plant for load and haul equipment is set to be enhanced and modernised.

Sandvik’s Turku Business Park project represents a significant investment of over €10 million ($9.7 million), with the investment in response to increasing demand for load and haul equipment for underground mining, together with the industry’s growing trend towards electrification and digitalisation.

The objective is to increase the capacity of Sandvik’s Turku plant and improve production efficiency. Improvements will be made to all aspects of the plant’s operations, including logistics, warehousing, production and assembly areas and quality control, Sandvik said.

The OEM will acquire an additional 7,000 sq.m of production and storage space by modifying space previously occupied by Tunturi, a manufacturer of bicycles and fitness equipment. The project will provide additional capacity for the production of BEV loaders and trucks, and includes investment in new welding robots and assembly lines.

Matti Seppälä, Project Manager at Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, said: “The upgraded production environment and reorganisation of operations will improve productivity, lead times and worker safety. Warehouse and recycling improvements will enhance the sustainability of our operations.”

Three completely new machine assembly lines will be built, two of which will be designated for the manufacture of BEVs – a first for the Turku plant, which has manufactured mining loaders and trucks since the early 1980s and employs around 700 people today.

The modifications that form part of the Turku Business Park project will enable flexible manufacturing of both conventional diesel and battery-electric mining equipment. The company’s plant in Camarillo, California, is currently the company’s main battery system hub for BEVs.

Mats Eriksson, President of Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions’ Load and Haul division, added: “BEVs enable the electrification of mines, which increases productivity and improves working conditions, reducing emissions, heat and noise, although there will still remain a need for conventional diesel equipment for some time to come.”

To strengthen its development of mining BEVs, Sandvik recently acquired Akkurate, which specialises in battery technology, particularly remote battery diagnostic and prognostic platforms. Akkurate has now been integrated into Sandvik’s Load and Haul division, accelerating its expansion into battery-electric mining equipment and enhancing the current product offering.

Mine electrification is inevitable, Artisan Vehicles’ Kasaba says

As mining companies around the world seek the best ways to approach their sustainability goals, electrification has emerged as one of the most promising solutions.

With this in mind, Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology recently acquired California-based Artisan Vehicle Systems, a leading manufacturer of battery-electric underground vehicles.

Recent studies show that the electrification of a mine has the potential to reduce energy costs by up to 25% in existing operations, and as much as 50% in new mines. Looking to the future, electric power is set to become even more affordable, with the cost of renewable electricity from solar and wind power technologies projected to fall by as much as 59% by 2025, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency.

Mike Kasaba, Managing Director, Artisan Vehicle Systems, a Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology business unit, says electrification has the potential to disrupt every industry in which mobile equipment is used. Looking across all segments, development efforts are currently under way with virtually every manufacturer of vehicles or other mobile machines. Why is this? Kasaba says it comes down to the simple fact that the customers who use these machines are demanding it.

“Regardless of whether these customers are individuals, construction firms, government fleets, trucking companies, ports or mining and tunnelling organisations, what the vast majority of them have in common is that they are embracing a fundamental shift in technology away from fossil fuels,” Kasaba says.

Reducing diesel emissions to zero makes the underground working environment safer for the miners while ensuring that emissions are not vented into the environment. But, beyond the safety aspect and the obvious environmental benefit to the planet, Kasaba explains that electric mines also deliver advantages in terms of economy, productivity and performance.

“As the cost of this new technology decreases and the range, reliability and performance increase, electric drive systems are starting to outperform fossil fuel systems on overall cost of ownership, competitive advantage, return on investment and driver preference,” he says.

Many of these new mobile machines are being built from the outset with future technological advancements in mind.

“They are ready for remote upgrades, range performance improvements and more,” he says.

When it comes to the all-important economic arguments, a mine site stands to benefit in several ways from electrifying its mobile fleet. The cost of the ventilation systems, one of the most expensive aspects of developing and operating a mine, can be reduced by anywhere from 30-50% when using battery-electric machines that produce zero diesel emissions. Furthermore, less ventilation translates to a net reduction in electricity use and therefore a more energy efficient mine site overall. Meanwhile, the eliminated cost of buying diesel fuel equates to tens of thousands of dollars in savings – per vehicle and per year.

Maintenance costs are also reduced, since electric vehicle propulsion rigs have around 25% fewer parts than diesel propulsion rigs. Battery-electric machines produce one-eighth of the heat produced by a diesel machine, which can make new projects in deep mines, and mines with active geothermal conditions, more viable than they would otherwise be, due to the reduced heat factor.

Last but not least, regulatory bodies are gradually starting to favour mines that commit to an all-electric underground environment, resulting in approvals for permits that would otherwise be denied, along with a faster permitting process, both of which are potentially game-changing for mining companies around the world.

For its size, an electric motor has far more power and torque than a combustion engine. Since total horsepower does not have to be limited to mitigate ventilation system costs, far more power can be packed into a smaller machine. As a result, battery-electric machines can be designed from the ground up to handle more torque and power and therefore increase productivity in any given machine size class.

Although the advantages of electric mining speak for themselves, the industry is taking time to adapt. However, Kasaba says change is in the air.

“There are no obstacles preventing the use of electric,” he says. “The machines are at least as productive as diesel machines, the overall costs are lower, and batteries and electric components are being made in high volumes so production is scalable.” He adds that throughout modern history most technological advancements that have offered greater productivity, environmental, health and other benefits have tended to come with trade-offs such as increased costs, but this is not the case with electrification.

“The view is that, in the case of the electrification, overall costs will be lower,” Kasaba says. “This, coupled with the fact that zero diesel emissions are inherently healthier and safer for mine site workers, makes electrification inevitable.”

As a leading supplier to the mining industry, Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology has been quick to recognise the huge potential benefits of electrification. In February this year, Sandvik completed the acquisition of Artisan Vehicle Systems to secure access to its cutting-edge technologies and solutions, which include proprietary battery packs, electric motors, power electronics, software and control systems for hard-rock underground mining.

Mats Eriksson, President of Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology’s Load and Haul division, says this is a logical step in complementing the market-leading competence and experience that already exists at Sandvik’s state-of-the-art battery-electric vehicle and electrification research centre at the Load and Haul facility in Turku, Finland.

“Artisan is a front-runner in electric vehicle development, and Sandvik’s new R&D foothold in this area will complement the know-how and skills we already have from developing and making world-leading loaders and trucks,” Eriksson says, adding that the acquisition is advantageous to both parties.

While Sandvik will benefit from Artisan’s quick, agile approach to innovation and battery-electric vehicle expertise, Artisan will gain access to the established strength and operational experience of Sandvik, which has been the market leader in tethered electric underground loaders since 1981.

“The acquisition of Artisan battery-electric vehicles places Sandvik in a leadership position in terms of electrification within underground mining, which is clearly the direction in which the industry is heading,” Eriksson concludes.

The full version of this article appeared first as a Sandvik Solid Ground online news story, see following link: https://solidground.sandvik/an-electric-future/

Sandvik ups battery-electric machine capacity with Artisan Vehicles buy

Sandvik has acquired privately-owned Artisan Vehicle Systems as it looks to capture more market share in the fast-moving battery-electric mining equipment space.

Based in Camarillo, California, US, Artisan is a manufacturer of battery-powered underground mining equipment. It has three commercially-available machines: a 4-t capacity LHD (A4, pictured), 10-t capacity LHD (A10) and a 40-t capacity haul truck (Z40).

The core technology behind Artisan’s offering is battery packs, electric motors, power electronics, software and control systems, according to Sandvik. “Artisan’s underground mining loaders and trucks are designed with these high-powered, highly reliable and field proven battery electric powertrains,” the company said, adding that Artisan is the market leader with most battery-electric vehicles currently operating in underground mining.

Lars Engström, President, Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology, said: “I am pleased to see the strategic acquisition of Artisan so soon after the opening of Sandvik’s state-of-the-art battery electrification innovation and development centre in Turku, Finland, in 2018. It is in line with our ambition to be leading in the market for battery-electric vehicle solutions.”

Artisan will be a business unit in the Load and Haul Division within Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology, the company said.

Mats Eriksson, President Load and Haul Division, Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology, said: “The area in which Artisan is located is a frontrunner in electric vehicle development. Our new R&D foothold there will complement the skillset we have in Finland. The combination of knowhow and skills creates a very strong platform.”

Prior to this acquisition, Sandvik had just one battery-powered underground machine, it’s DD422iE jumbo drill.

Artisan is a start-up company which, in 2017, had revenues of $12.3 million and approximately 60 employees.

The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price, but the transaction is expected to close during the March quarter. The deal is initially neutral to earnings per share, Sandvik said.

Miner collaboration playing a key role in battery-electric developments, Sandvik says

Sandvik says it understands the underground hard-rock mining industry’s need for productive and safe mining with battery-electric vehicles and, as a result, is working on even more solutions to cater to this demand.

Innovations and ideas for these future solutions are being discussed and validated in customer forums, participated by several major mining houses, and organised by the OEM.

These customer workshops and forums have proven to be an effective and successful means of collaboration, according to the company.

“Today, Sandvik understands customer needs for productive and safe mining with battery-electric vehicles, and uses these forums to discuss the changes, challenges, and opportunities that electrification is expected to bring to the mining industry,” it said.

As part of Sandvik’s customer validation process, pioneering mining houses get their voices heard and needs analysed in discussion forums, the company says. One example is Goldcorp, which is developing the world’s first all-electric underground mine in northern Ontario, Canada, at the Borden Lake gold project, and presented in the recent Canada customer forum.

Sandvik said: “The benefits that electrification and battery-electric equipment are expected to bring – for the Borden Lake mine as well as any other operation planning to introduce new technology – will include, for example, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, reduced diesel fuel consumption, and reduced power consumption.

“Additionally, as diesel engines are replaced with battery-electric solutions, underground mines will produce less heat, noise and exhaust gases, including diesel particulate matter. Thus, the innovative technology will result in decreased mine ventilation needs, which are currently a significant cost factor in deep and complex underground mines.”

While Sandvik’s customer electrification forum occurred recently, previous efforts have been instrumental steps in the journey to providing an electrified product offering to replace diesel, the company said.

Sandvik has previously developed innovative products for the underground mining industry such as electric LHDs, remote control LHDs, and automation.

Learnings following two years of testing with the Sandvik LH307 battery LHD prototype (pictured) have been important building blocks to the knowledge bank, which is guiding the ongoing R&D efforts, and have driven a clear understanding that “successful electrification implementation involves much more than simply replacing the diesel engine with an electric motor and a battery”, Sandvik says.

“Thus, solutions in progress at Sandvik are based on a holistic approach of electrified equipment, ensuring that the final products make no compromises to performance.”

Mats Eriksson, President of Product Area Load and Haul, Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology, said: “Finding new solutions to reduce heat and emissions in underground mines, without compromising the customer’s productivity, is perfectly in line with our strategy, safety first.

“Also the targeted benefits of battery electric vehicles speak for Sandvik’s aim to align with the United Nations Global Sustainability Development Goals. We believe that developing battery electric technology is one of the future directions to take.”

IM will be hosting The Electric Mine conference in Toronto, Canada, on April 4-5, 2019, where developments in this fast-evolving sector will be discussed. For more information on the event, click here.