Tag Archives: Mining OEM

End of an era for Liebherr T 282 C ultra-class haul trucks

Coal technology, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , ,

The delivery of five Liebherr T 282 C haul trucks to BHP’s Peak Downs coal mine in central Queensland, Australia, marked a milestone for the original equipment manufacturer, being the last ultra-class machines to come off the production line at the factory in Virginia, USA.

National Mining Services recently purchased the five trucks and rented them to BHP. The machines were built over a period of about three and a half months.

The delivery was reported earlier this month by National Mining Services, but Liebherr put together a press release of its own in recognition of the milestone.

The 363 t payload class T 282 C truck will now officially only be produced by Liebherr as the T 284. The T 284, first introduced at MINExpo 2012, continues to be the lightest (lowest vehicle weight) and most capable (highest payload) ultra-class mining truck while offering reduced fuel consumption, delivering over 4,000 hp (2,983 kW) of power, according to Liebherr.

National Mining Services has also recently purchased an R 996 B Hydraulic Excavator, which is working in Western Australia for Fortescue Metals Group at the Christmas Creek iron ore mine. This machine is designed for the best mechanical force distribution, with the production-tailored attachment delivering high digging and lifting forces, according to Liebherr.

ASI acquisition to reinforce Epiroc’s OEM-agnostic transition

Automation, Base metals, Coal technology, Energy minerals, Equipment maintenance, Industrial minerals, IoT, Mining equipment, Mining mergers and acquisitions, Mining safety, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Precious metals, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , ,

Amid all the justified hype surrounding the launch of Epiroc’s second generation of battery-electric machines in Örebro, Sweden, this week, the company’s recent M&A activity was somewhat forgotten.

The acquisition of 34% of ASI Mining, a subsidiary of Autonomous Solutions Inc, is one of the more interesting buys the company has made in the past month or so and Helena Hedblom, Epiroc’s Senior Executive Vice President Mining and Infrastructure, provided further insight into why the company made the move for the US-based company.

ASI Mining’s products include on-board hardware and software that convert vehicles to autonomous operation, as well as system level software platforms for command and control of autonomous fleets across various mining applications. The solutions integrate with various mobile mining equipment, regardless of make or model. While the company aims to provide a broad mining remit with its Mobius solution, it has so far only made inroads into the surface mining space.

Hedblom, first off, said ASI’s automation retrofitting capability would bolster Epiroc’s open-pit mining offering, which includes production and exploration drilling equipment.

The partnership with ASI will also reinforce a much deeper shift in the company’s future product and systems strategy.

Hedblom said: “Our strategy when it comes to system integration…is to be able to offer a solution that can really drive productivity for our customers. To do that, you need to combine the full system of vehicles. You cannot only do it with one type of equipment.

“That’s why we have a clear strategy to be OEM-agnostic in everything we do.”

She continued: “The solutions you will see here [in Örebro] and, also the capabilities ASI brings, is [all around being] OEM-agnostic. It allows us to respond to the needs that the customers have when it comes to being OEM agnostic…I do believe that is what the industry needs, otherwise it will not be possible to reach the full potential when it comes to productivity.”

This philosophy can also be seen in the latest generation of battery-electric machines and systems, according to Epiroc’s Global Marketing Manager – Electrification, Erik Svedlund.

“OEM-agnostic goes to everything we do. For example, in the charging of our machines, we have already selected the solution from surface where we use the same type [of charger] that the car manufacturers do. This is a super-fast charging system for the car industry, but it will be our standard charging.

“This is important because then we can standardise an open interface between all the OEMs and all equipment in mines can be charged from the same charging infrastructure. It’s very important not to lock in customers to special designs.

“We believe, long term, this will be a benefit,” he said, adding that this charger change came about from the learnings of some 65,000 hours of operations with its first generation of battery-electric equipment.

Epiroc eyes Baltic expansion with purchase of Estonia-based mining equipment distributor

Automation, Base metals, Equipment maintenance, Mineral exploration, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining mergers and acquisitions, Mining services, Precious metals, Steel and iron ore, , , , , ,

Epiroc has made another acquisition, this time taking over Sautec AS, an Estonian distributor of mining and construction equipment.

Sautec is based in Tallinn, Estonia, and is active also in Latvia and Lithuania. The company, which has six employees, distributes underground mining equipment and construction demolition tools with related parts, services and consumables.

This is Epiroc’s third acquisition in as many weeks, after buying exploration rock tools manufacturer Fordia and 34% of mining autonomy major ASI.

Helena Hedblom, Epiroc’s Senior Executive Vice President Mining and Infrastructure, said the deal was focused on expanding the company’s presence in the Baltic region.

Epiroc said the purchase price was not material relative to its market capitalisation and, therefore, had not been disclosed.

Sautec will become part of Epiroc’s Mining and Rock Excavation Service division.

Metso and Ironbark Zinc sign equipment and services MoU for Citronen

Base metals, Equipment maintenance, Metallurgy, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , ,

Ironbark Zinc and Metso have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in relation to a potential services and equipment contract for the Citronen zinc project in Greenland.

The ASX-listed company said the MoU sought to provide a platform to negotiate a commercial and binding agreement regarding services and equipment to be provided by the mining OEM for Citronen. The pact would enable Metso to commence engineering tasks preceding the completion of detailed engineering of processing equipment, including the provision of technical specifications for specific third-party supplied equipment, the company added.

Ironbark said it was also in discussions with other “highly regarded groups” regarding the supply of all components of the Citronen facility. “These companies have the potential to significantly assist with the overall project financing,” it said.

Metso has collaborated with Ironbark for several years and was instrumental in the preparation of the process flow sheet for the Citronen feasibility study, according to Ironbark.

“The two groups have maintained open communication during this time. A Metso technical representative visited the project site in August 2018,” the company added.

The future commercial agreement will contain and address the following matters:

  • Scope of Metso’s supply of services and equipment;
  • Price for Metso’s supply of services and equipment and payment terms, including a lump sum cost for remaining engineering works and project management scope;
  • Delivery terms;
  • Provision of process guarantee;
  • Metso compliance with Greenlandic Government requirements and guidelines as applicable.

Ironbark Managing Director, Jonathan Downes said: “We are delighted to have moved towards building on our long running relationship with Metso and the Citronen zinc project. Metso is exceptionally well regarded internationally and has direct experience with projects with very similar commodities, grades and scales to Citronen. Metso is also located in Scandinavia and therefore is well positioned to comply and assist with the training and employment obligations that Ironbark is operating under in Greenland.”

The wholly-owned Citronen project is held under a granted 30-year mining licence. The $514 million project envisages a production rate of 3.3 Mt/y with up to 200,000 t/y of zinc metal produced over 14 years.

In August, Ironbark signed an MoU with Byrnecut Offshore Pty that could see the contractor carry out mining, model underground mine costs and provide the fleet for the project.

Epiroc posts solid Q3 as it looks to battery-electric equipment launch in Q4

Automation, Base metals, Coal technology, Energy minerals, Environmental, High tech minerals, Industrial minerals, IoT, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining services, Mining software, Power supply for mines, Precious metals, Steel and iron ore, , , ,

The three months from July to September saw Epiroc increase its orders received, revenue and profits as it registered good customer demand in the markets it serves.

Revenue increased 27% year-on-year to SEK9.65 billion ($1.06 billion), while operating profit jumped 25% to SEK1.90 billion, from SEK1.52 billion.

Epiroc CEO Per Lindberg said it was a solid quarter with strong revenue and profit growth.

“We saw a continued good sentiment and customer demand in the market. Mining production remained high in all major markets and activities in infrastructure continued to be good. The order intake was higher than the previous year, and I am pleased with the strong order development for our service business and also for our surface equipment,” he said.

Lindberg noted that the order intake was lower than in the past two record quarters, though, partly due to fewer large orders received.

“Such large orders are not evenly distributed over time, and will consequently impact quarterly order intake. Orders received are also typically lower in quarter three compared to quarters one and two,” he explained.

For mining equipment a majority of the orders continued to be for expansions in existing mines, he said.

On the company’s innovation initiatives, Lindberg said the company was generating strong interest from its customers with a high share of its equipment ready for automation.

“Our newly inaugurated Control Tower in Örebro, Sweden, is designed to be an innovation arena for exploring and developing automation solutions,” he said, adding that the company would introduce its second generation of battery-operated equipment during the current quarter.

“All-in-all, our customers will benefit from increased productivity, safety and energy efficiency,” he concluded.

Earlier this week, the company announced the acquisition of fellow exploration rock tools manufacturer Fordia.

Orders, revenue and profit increase for Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology

Automation, Base metals, Equipment maintenance, Industrial minerals, IoT, Mineral project development, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining finance, Mining services, Precious metals, Steel and iron ore, , ,

Sandvik’s Mining and Rock Technology business reported a solid set of financial results for the September quarter, supported by high demand from both the aftermarket and equipment businesses.

Order intake improved 8% year-on-year to SEK10.47 billion ($1.17 billion) as a result of strong development in most product areas, the company noted.

Revenues increased 14% to SEK10.84 billion, supported by strong order intake in recent quarters and favourable demand in the aftermarket business, while operating profit increased 34% to SEK1.97 billion.

On key items impacting order intake and revenues compared with the year-earlier period, Sandvik said there was a “high level of demand in both the aftermarket and equipment businesses”.

Demand for equipment was mainly driven by replacement or upgrades of existing machines and fleets, with additional support from expansion activities in existing mines, the company said.

Meanwhile, Sandvik said underlying customer activity remained favourable for mining equipment throughout the period although the impact from the timing of sizeable orders hampered the company’s growth rates.

There was strong demand in the aftermarket business for both parts and service, and consumables, according to the company. This aligned with the aftermarket business accounting for 62% of revenues during the quarter, compared with 38% for the equipment business.