Tag Archives: Minetruck

ARM selects Epiroc equipment to help restart Bokoni platinum mine

24th January 2023Equipment maintenance, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Precious metalsAfrican Rainbow Minerals, Bokoni, Boltec, Boomer, Cabletec, Cabletec SL, Certiq, Helena Hedblom, Limpopo Province, low-profile mining, Minetruck, Scooptram, South AfricaDaniel Gleeson

Epiroc says it has won a large order for low-profiling mining equipment from African Rainbow Minerals for use at its Bokoni platinum mine in Limpopo Province, South Africa.

African Rainbow Minerals has ordered drill rigs, loaders and mine trucks for use at the mine, which is restarting after operations were paused for care and maintenance in the past few years.

The machines ordered are built with a low profile well suited for the mine’s low tunnel heights. The equipment includes Boomer face drilling rigs, Boltec and Cabletec rock reinforcement rigs (an Epiroc Cabletec SL, pictured), Scooptram LHDs and Minetruck haul trucks. All machines come with Epiroc’s Certiq telematics solution for automated monitoring of productivity and machine performance. Other advanced features include, for example, the Boomer machines being equipped with a pilot hydraulic control system that further improves drilling accuracy.

The order is valued at more than ZAR200 million ($11.6 million) and was booked in the March quarter of 2023, with deliveries set to beging this quarter and continue into 2024.

“We are excited to once again provide equipment to the Bokoni platinum mine,” Helena Hedblom, Epiroc’s President and CEO, said. “We look forward to supporting African Rainbow Minerals as they restart and operate the mine in the most productive and safe way possible.”

Back at the end of 2021, ARM agreed to buy Bokoni from Anglo American Platinum and Atlatsa Resources, stating plans to restart mining operations in 2023.

Epiroc to deliver underground drills, bolters, LHDs and trucks to Fresnillo

8th July 2022Automation, Explosives and blasting, Mining equipment, Mining services, Precious metalsABC Total, Boltec, Boomer, Cabletec, Epiroc, Fresnillo, Helena Hedblom, Mexico, Minetruck, Rig Control System, Scooptram, SimbaDaniel Gleeson

Epiroc says it has won a large, $17 million order for a variety of underground mining equipment and automation solutions from Fresnillo plc in Mexico.

Fresnillo, the world’s leading silver producer and Mexico’s largest gold producer, has ordered multiple Epiroc underground mining machines for use at five of its mines.

“Epiroc and Fresnillo go back many years as productive partners, and we look forward to continue supporting their work to optimise productivity and sustainability in their operations,” Helena Hedblom, Epiroc’s President and CEO, says.

The equipment ordered, manufactured in Örebro, Sweden, includes Boomer face drilling rigs, Boltec and Cabletec rock reinforcement rigs, Simba production drilling rigs, Scooptram loaders, and Minetruck haulers.

Automation features include teleremote operations, Epiroc’s Rig Control System and ABC (Advanced Boom Control) Total, which enables drilling a sequence of holes (full round) automatically. The units will also be equipped with Epiroc’s telematics system, which allows for intelligent monitoring of machine performance and productivity in real-time.

Epiroc captures battery-electric, automation order from Odyssey Mine owners

14th April 2022Automation, Environmental, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Power supply for mines, Precious metals, Sustainable mining6th Sense, automation, battery-electric, Boltec, Boomer, Canadian Malartic, Certiq, Easer, Epiroc, gold, Helena Hedblom, Minetruck, Minetruck Automation, Odyssey, Patrick Mercier, Scooptram, Scooptram Automation, SimbaDaniel Gleeson

Epiroc has won a major battery-electric and autonomous fleet order from the owners of the Odyssey Mine in Malartic, Québec, Canada.

The order, from the Canadian Malartic Partnership, will be used in the new underground gold mine.

The Canadian Malartic Partnership, a 50:50 JV between Yamana Gold Inc and Agnico Eagle Ltd, is constructing the Odyssey Mine, which will become one of Canada’s largest gold mines when it is fully ramped up later this decade.

The ordered equipment includes a variety of drill rigs, loaders and mine trucks, with some of the machines will be battery powered. Automation features include Minetruck Automation and Scooptram Automation, which are part of Epiroc’s 6th Sense portfolio of digital solutions. By combining these solutions with Epiroc’s Traffic Management System, material handling is optimised within the mine, bringing benefits such as virtually eliminating the risk of collisions, Epiroc said.

Helena Hedblom, Epiroc’s President and CEO, said: “The Canadian Malartic Partnership is taking a massive next step with the new underground mine where our battery-electric and other advanced machines with state-of-the-art automation and traffic management solutions will help optimise safety and productivity. Epiroc and the Canadian Malartic Partnership have a history of successful cooperation, and we look forward to continue contributing to their success.”

The equipment order also includes education and training using sophisticated simulators, which was flagged by IM earlier this year.

This is the second equipment order from the Canadian Malartic Partnership. Epiroc also won a large order for drill rigs, loaders, and mine trucks in the September quarter of 2021.

The Odyssey Mine is located just west of the Canadian Malartic Partnership’s open-pit gold mine, which is still in operation, and to which Epiroc in previous years has provided Pit Viper surface drill rigs.

Odyssey is expected to feature an LTE mobile communication network, an automated fleet of 60 t trucks operated from the surface and on-demand ventilation, the Canadian Malartic Partnership has previously stated. All all of the major production fleet, including trucks, drills and LHDs, are also expected to be battery electric.

The Odyssey Mine will be accessed by a ramp and a shaft estimated to be 1,800 m deep. Plans are to extract 19,000 t of ore at an estimated grade of about 2.75 g/t gold and roughly 5,000 t/d of waste rock during peak operations.

Patrick Mercier, General Manager of the Odyssey Mine, said: “Over the years, Epiroc has clearly demonstrated its willingness to be a leader in the technical evolution of mining equipment, whether in electrification or automation. Obviously, this transition will not happen by itself. We are privileged that Epiroc has proposed us a collaborative approach in order to effectively integrate their equipment into the Odyssey Mine and actively participate in this evolution. The benefits from this collaboration will contribute to making mines even safer and jobs more accessible in the field.”

The equipment ordered during the March quarter includes battery-electric versions of the Boltec (an M10 Boltec, pictured) rock reinforcement drill rig, Simba production drill rig and Boomer face drilling rig (jumbo). It also includes an Easer raise boring rig, Scooptram loaders, and Minetruck haulers. The machines will be equipped with Epiroc’s telematics system Certiq, which allows for intelligent monitoring of machine performance and productivity in real time. Epiroc will also provide service and spare parts, as well as expertise on electrification solutions.

Epiroc to supply Turkey’s largest mining company with drills, loaders and trucks

14th October 2021Automation, Base metals, Communications in mining, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining services, Mining softwareArtvin Murgul and Siirt Madenköywhile, Boltec, Boomer, Epiroc, Gokhan Zengin, Helena Hedblom, Kastamonu Küre, Minetruck, RCS, Scooptram, Simba, TurkeyDaniel Gleeson

Epiroc says it has won a large order for mining equipment from Eti Bakir in Turkey, which includes a variety of drill rigs, trucks and loaders.

The machines will be used to expand three underground copper mines – Kastamonu Küre, Artvin Murgul and Siirt Madenköywhile – making the operations as productive and safe as possible, the OEM says.

The equipment order is valued at approximately SEK140 million ($16 million) and was booked in the September quarter of 2021. In addition to the equipment, the customer has also ordered service, spare parts and consumables.

Helena Hedblom, Epiroc’s President and CEO, said: “Epiroc has a long-standing, strong partnership with Eti Bakir, and we are happy to play a key role as the company expands its operations while focusing on safety and productivity.”

“We are proud that 42 t underground trucks with ejector box in copper mines will be used for the first time in Turkey,” Gokhan Zengin, Eti Bakır Machine Manager, said. “Our cooperation with Epiroc has a long history; we also have a component agreement since six years and we started using Epiroc MD20 rock drills for underground operation development as of last year.”

The machines ordered include Boomer face drilling rigs, Simba production drilling rigs, Boltec rock reinforcement rigs, Scooptram loaders and Minetruck haul trucks. Most of the units will be equipped with Epiroc’s telematics system Certiq, which allows for intelligent monitoring of machine performance and productivity in real time, and some of the machines will have Epiroc’s Rig Control System, RCS, installed, which makes them ready for automation and remote control.

Epiroc to supply drill rigs, bolters, loaders and trucks to Mexico’s CoMinVi

29th June 2021Automation, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining servicesBoltec, Boomer, Certiq, CoMinVi, drilling, Epiroc, hauling, Helena Hedblom, Loading, Minetruck, Rafael Villagómez Contreras, Rig Control System, ScooptramDaniel Gleeson

Epiroc says it has won a large order for underground mining equipment from Mexican contractor CoMinVi for use at several mines throughout the country.

CoMinVi SA de CV, headquartered in Guanajuato, Mexico, has ordered a variety of Epiroc machines, including face drilling rigs, production drilling rigs, rock reinforcement rigs, loaders and mine trucks. The equipment will ensure the mines are operated with strengthened productivity, safety and cost efficiency, the OEM said.

The machines will be used at several mines in Mexico where CoMinVi serves as mining contractor. Aftermarket services such as on-site maintenance supervisor and spare parts consignment will be provided by Epiroc.

The total order value of the equipment exceeds $45 million, of which the majority was booked in the June quarter of 2021. The remaining part is expected to be booked in the second half of 2021.

“We are proud to partner with CoMinVi to enhance safety, productivity and sustainability in their operations,” Helena Hedblom, Epiroc’s President and CEO, said. “The equipment and services will support CoMinVi to successfully execute on their mining projects.”

Rafael Villagómez Contreras, CoMinVi’s CEO, said: “The acquisition of this new equipment is a historical part of CoMinVi’s growth in recent years and represents a competitive advantage for us. It will ensure our ability to respond immediately to our potential customers by having the necessary resources that allow us to be one step ahead of our competition. We are very satisfied with the commercial partnership with Epiroc as this is a long-term relationship that will be supported with a high-level technical backup and a reliable supply.”

The equipment includes Boomer face drilling rigs, Simba production drilling rigs, Boltec rock reinforcement rigs, Scooptram loaders and Minetruck haulers. The machines will be equipped with Epiroc’s Certiq system, which allows for intelligent monitoring of machine performance and productivity in real time, and some of the units will have Epiroc’s Rig Control System, RCS, installed. This system makes them ready for automation and remote control.

The equipment is to be delivered in 2021 and 2022.