Sandvik says it is readying the release of its first Stage V compliant underground loaders for hard-rock mining applications following extensive testing.

In early 2020, the company’s newest intelligent loaders, the Sandvik LH517i and Sandvik LH621i, will get the Stage V treatment. The Stage V Volvo Penta engines will be globally available as options, but require ultra-low sulphur fuel and low-ash engine oil to operate, Sandvik said.

The planned release follows more than 10,000 hours of LHD testing underground, on multiple customer sites in Europe, and with millions of hours of on-highway experience from Volvo. This has led to the new technology meeting customer expectations, equipment performance requirements and the most stringent emission regulations valid at the moment, according to Sandvik.

The base engine and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) purifier are proven Volvo technology, enhanced now with a ceramic diesel particle filter (DPF), according to Sandvik.

“As a result of the collaborative product development work, the engine – delivered by Volvo Penta – and Sandvik load and haul equipment work seamlessly together to maintain productivity and reliability in the most challenging environments,” Sandvik said.

The benefits of Stage V compliant loaders include reduced amounts of particles in the diesel exhaust – helping mines to improve air quality underground – and the ability to operate with up to 3% reduced fuel consumption, compared with previous stage engines.

Sandvik said: “Another key enabler for the equipment availability is passive regeneration of the diesel particulate filter; the soot accumulated in the filter is burned off during equipment normal operation, without the need for frequent stand still regeneration.”

A new feature in the Stage V engine is the modulating engine brake, which enables the operator to adjust the engine braking power, allowing for better control of vehicle speed downhill, while minimising brake and transmission overheating and brake wear. Both the modulating engine brake and the passive regeneration contribute to high uptime of the equipment.

Added benefits of the Stage V engines include high altitude operating capability – up to plus-3,500 m above sea level – and lower noise levels compared with previous Stage engines.