Tag Archives: Patricio Apablaza

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

Automation, Mining equipment, Mining services, Power supply for mines, , , , , , , , , ,

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.”

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

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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 equip Movitec with autonomous drilling solution at Codelco Rajo Inca

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Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions has received a large order in Chile for surface mining equipment and its AutoMine® Surface Drilling solution from Movitec, a contractor on Codelco’s Rajo Inca open-pit project.

The order includes two Leopard™ DI650i down-the-hole (DTH) drill rigs and two Sandvik DR412i rotary blasthole drill rigs, including AutoMine® Surface Drilling systems for fully autonomous operations.

AutoMine Surface Drilling is an autonomous solution for a wide range of Sandvik iSeries surface drill rigs, designed to improve safety, reduce costs and increase productivity. It enables an operator to control multiple rigs remotely from a comfortable location in line-of-sight or a distant control room – improving working conditions and safety, Sandvik says.

Sandvik iSeries drill rigs are equipped with iDrill technology, a scalable automation platform that provides automation options and digital services designed to speed up the production process and support mining operations. Performance and navigation iDrill technologies work together to produce accurately placed, consistently clean and precision-drilled holes – delivering improved fragmentation, downstream throughput and asset utilisation.

“We are pleased to work with Movitec and Codelco on this project,” Emilio Vega, Business Line Manager for Automation, Sales Area Andean and South Cone at Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, said. “The AutoMine Surface Drilling solution will enable the customer to use the drill rigs to their full potential and boost productivity with capabilities for fully autonomous operations.”

The new order also includes one Sandvik D75KX rotary blasthole drill rig with added intelligence and improved operator ergonomics. Delivery will take place in two phases before year-end 2022, with fully autonomous operations ramping up in 2023.

“We thank Movitec for their well-placed confidence in the Sandvik brand and technology,” Patricio Apablaza, Vice President Sales Area Andean and South Cone at Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, said. “We look forward to supporting them in increasing the safety, productivity, profitability and quality of their operations.”

In addition, Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions will also provide contractor Movitec with remote operation training and six months’ on-site service to ramp up support as they transition to autonomous operations.

David Hallett, Vice President Automation at Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions’ Digital Mining Technologies Division, said: “We are excited to partner together with Movitec on their journey to adopt AutoMine Surface Drilling at Codelco’s Rajo Inca open-pit project. This project will play a significant role in establishing Sandvik’s position as a leading technology partner for autonomous surface mining within the Chilean and South American market.”

Codelco officially began the works of Rajo Inca last year, moving from underground mining to open-pit mining.

Sandvik Chile becomes renewable energy champion with IE seal from IMELSA

Environmental, Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining industry recognition, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , ,

Sandvik Chile says it has obtained the IE seal, certifying that it obtains 100% renewable and environmentally friendly electricity supply for its Santiago de Chile site.

On December 6, Sandvik Chile obtained the IE seal certification from IMELSA, validating it as a renewable energy frontrunner at national level, Sandvik said.

The award ceremony, held at Sandvik’s facilities in Santiago de Chile, was attended by 30 senior representatives from its own organisation, together with those from IMELSA handing over the IE seal (pictured from left to right are: Alejandro Espriella – BLM Rock Tools, Cristian Niklitschek – PU Manager, Julio Phillips – EHS Manager ANSCO, Jocelyn Black – IMELSA Energía Commercial and Corporate Affairs Manager, John Daly – IMELSA Energía Assistant Manager, Patricio Apablaza – VP Sales Area Ansco, and Alejandro Guzmán – Sandvik Santigo Site Administration Chief).

IMELSA Energy has long been at the forefront of the Chilean national energy market, aiming to offer internally generated and renewable supplies for energy and back-up systems. The IMELSA IE seal, therefore, certifies that a company obtains its energy from renewable sources and confirms its commitment to the environment as a sustainable supplier.

At the award ceremony, Patricio Apablaza, Sandvik’s Vice President for Sales Area Andean & South Cone, said: “We are very pleased to have obtained the IE Seal for Renewable Energies. Sandvik’s aim is zero harm to our people and the environment in which we work and operate. Our 2030 Sustainable Business Goals are Climate, Circularity, People and Fair Play, and this recognition by IMELSA is very much aligned with those goals.”

The IE seal for the use of renewable energies is just one of several actions that Sandvik has taken in recent times to position itself as a national benchmark in the use of environmentally-friendly energy. “This award, together with our use of electric taxis, underlines our constant commitment to the environment and use of renewable energy sources and confirms our ongoing focus on sustainability moving forward,” Apablaza said.

Codelco El Teniente on its way to fully-automated mining solution, Sandvik says

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Sandvik says it will deliver AutoMine® fleet solutions for underground trucks to Codelco’s El Teniente mine in Chile, continuing the copper miner’s “vision of creating the most advanced underground mines in the world”.

This AutoMine Fleet system is the first step in implementing a fully-automated mining solution using Sandvik trucks at El Teniente, the biggest underground copper mine in the world, Sandvik said.

“Codelco’s goal is to dramatically increase the productivity, safety and efficiency of its operations with AutoMine. Together with the existing OptiMine® system, the mine will become a world-class benchmark,” the mining equipment maker said.

This agreement follows the April announcement that Sandvik will deliver its AutoMine and OptiMine solutions to Codelco’s Chuquicamata mine as it converts the site from open pit to an underground mine. This development is part of Codelco’s 10-year strategic project to extend the life of its existing mines.

Rafael Guzman, Chief Engineer for Automation and Technology at El Teniente, said: “As a state-owned mining company, it is our responsibility to implement technology and solutions that ensure the safety of our people and the sustainability of our mines. Being a good corporate citizen is not negotiable. It is critical to our success.”

Sandvik and Codelco started their automation journeys together at El Teniente with the first-ever AutoMine Loading system installation, in 2004.

Patricio Apablaza, Vice President for Andean and South Cone, Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology, said: “We are proud that Codelco continues to choose Sandvik as a strategic partner for its most innovative projects. Our technology will drive even safer, smarter and more productive mining for Codelco.”

The AutoMine product family allows customers to scale up automation at their own pace, according to Sandvik. The solution covers all aspects of automation, from remote and autonomous operation of a single piece of equipment to multi-machine control and full-fleet automation using automatic mission and traffic control capabilities. AutoMine installations have logged more than 2.5 million hours with zero lost time injuries.

OptiMine, meanwhile, is a suite of digital tools for analysing and optimising mining production and processes. It integrates all relevant data into one source, delivering both real-time and predictive insights to improve operations. “OptiMine is open and scalable, giving customers the flexibility to build at their own speed and incorporate other equipment, systems and networks,” Sandvik said.