Tag Archives: SmartROC D65

Epiroc Pit Vipers, SmartROC D65s on their way to Newmont Boddington

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Epiroc says it has won a large order for surface mining equipment from Newmont in Australia, with a fleet of Epiroc Pit Viper 231 and SmartROC D65 drill rigs set to be used at the Boddington gold and copper mine in Western Australia.

The rigs, which will be operated tele-remotely, will replace an older fleet of Epiroc equipment.

The equipment order is valued at about SEK335 million ($32 million) and was booked in the September quarter of 2024. Epiroc will also provide service on the machines.

“We have a long-standing partnership with Newmont, which is on the forefront of advanced mining operations,” Helena Hedblom, Epiroc’s President and CEO, said. “We are happy to support them as they continue to make their operations as safe and productive as possible.”

Chris Dark, Newmont’s General Manager for the Boddington mine site, says: “Newmont and Epiroc have had a long-term relationship on the Boddington site. This order recognises and continues this successful relationship that has enabled the success of the Boddington drilling operations over the life of the mine. Together we look forward to unlocking the long-term future of the Boddington site, which is recognised globally as a Tier 1 gold asset.”

The Pit Viper 231 rotary blasthole drill rig is a flexible workhorse that can be configured in many different ways for a wide range of rotary and down-the-hole drilling operations, Epiroc says. The SmartROC D65 rig consistently delivers high-quality blastholes with accuracy and precision. Both machines are built tough, loaded with intelligent features and very fuel efficient, the OEM claims.

Delivery of the fleet will commence immediately and will continue into the first half of 2025.

Epiroc to supply SmartROC D65 drill rigs, spare parts to Pilbara Minerals’ Pilgangoora

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Epiroc says it has won a large order for surface mining equipment from Pilbara Minerals that will be used at its Pilgangoora operation in Western Australia.

The world’s largest, independent hard-rock lithium producer, Pilbara Minerals has ordered a fleet of 14 Epiroc SmartROC D65 surface drill rigs for use at the site.

The equipment order was booked in the September quarter 2024, with the company set to provide not only the rigs but also spare parts. The fleet will be delivered from September 2024 through early 2025.

“Lithium plays an increasingly important role as the world keeps transitioning to electrification to reduce emissions, including producing more hybrid and electric vehicles,” Helena Hedblom, Epiroc’s President and CEO, says. “We are happy to support Pilbara Minerals to optimise its operation.”

Epiroc’s SmartROC D65 drill rig is built tough and is loaded with intelligent features that improve safety and productivity, the OEM says.

Pilbara Minerals has been progressing its lithium asset through the Pilgangoora P680 Expansion project. This could see the company step-up its production run-rate at the operation to a total of circa-680,000 t/y of spodumene concentrate across the combined Pilgangoora operation.

Epiroc partners with Capital on SmartROC D65 battery-electric drill trial at Sukari

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Epiroc has partnered up with mining services company Capital Limited to field test the SmartROC D65 BE, a battery-electric surface drill rig for the mining and construction industry.

The battery-electric version of the SmartROC D65 surface drill rig will be tested at Capital Limited’s Sukari operation, in Egypt (owned by Centamin) during 2024. This mine already has a broad fleet of Epiroc drill rigs, according to the OEM, with Capital carrying out an earthmoving contract involving load, haul and associated drilling services.

Hakan Aytekin, Vice President, Epiroc Surface division, said: “This field test is an important step in our drive towards emission-free surface drill rigs. Capital Limited is always pushing the boundaries with new technologies, and that makes them an ideal partner for this field test.”

The field test is a major step in the mining service provider’s emission reduction and decarbonisation pathway, also representing its pledge to continue to provide a premium service to its clients, it says.

Peter Stokes, Chief Executive Officer, Capital Limited, said: “We are excited to be at the forefront of the transformation alongside Epiroc, bringing innovative electric drill rigs both to our fleet and to the broader market.

“Epiroc brings the supply of top-quality equipment, strong aftermarket support and competitive OEM financing options. Our close partnership ensures that we are appropriately prepared for the demand ahead of us.”

The autonomous SmartROC D65 MKII for production drilling applications became commercially available last year following testing in Australia, however this is the first public mention of a battery-electric version of the surface drill rig.

Epiroc has sustainability goals for 2030, which include halving the CO2 emissions from both operations and from sold products. The aim is to offer a full range of underground equipment in emission-free versions by 2025, and surface equipment by 2030.

Rio Tinto orders more Epiroc Pit Viper 271s, SmartROC D65s for Pilbara iron ore mines

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Epiroc says it has won a large order for mining equipment from Rio Tinto in Australia that will see it deliver several Epiroc Pit Viper 271 drill rigs to be retrofitted by Rio Tinto with autonomous capabilities.

On top of the Pit Viper 271s, Epiroc is set to provide SmartROC D65 drill rigs loaded with intelligent features, it said. The units will be used at the miner’s iron ore operations in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

The order exceeds SEK150 million ($14.7 million) in value and was booked in the June quarter of 2022. It follows a large order by Rio Tinto in the March quarter of 2022, also for Pit Viper 271s, and a large order in 2021 for Pit Viper 271 and SmartROC D65 rigs, also for its iron ore mines in Pilbara.

Epiroc President and CEO, Helena Hedblom, said: “Epiroc and Rio Tinto have a long-standing partnership focused on optimising safety and productivity through cutting-edge innovation.”

The Pit Viper 271 and SmartROC D65 drill rigs, manufactured in Texas, USA, and Örebro, Sweden, respectively, are built to face the toughest conditions and will come installed with Epiroc’s Rig Control System, RCS, making them ready for automation and remote control, Epiroc noted.

Anglo’s digital vision for Quellaveco takes shape with Epiroc autonomous drill rig arrivals

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Anglo American’s automation plans for its Quellaveco mine in Peru are starting to take shape, with its first automated trucks having started up in “pre-mining” mode last year and now automation-ready drills on site ahead of first ore production later this year.

The company’s most digital and autonomous mine yet, Quellaveco is expected to produce 300,000 t/y of copper over the first 10 years of the mine from an orebody that currently has around 1,300 Mt of reserves.

In the company’s December quarter production results today, it said construction of the project was progressing to plan, with first ore mined in October and first copper concentrate production expected in the middle of 2022.

In the first half of 2021, the operation started up four of a planned fleet of 27 autonomous Cat 794AC haul trucks as one element in a range of technologies that will help to make Quellaveco Anglo American’s first 100% digital mine.

Anglo American plans to deploy a fleet of 27 autonomous Cat 794AC haul trucks at Quellaveco

Now, the company has drill rigs on site that, by the end of this year, should be fully integrated into its in-country remote operations centre. The rigs – six fully autonomous Epiroc Pit Viper 351s and three tele-remote SmartRoc D65s – will eventually be overseen from this remote operations centre.

IM put some questions to Tito Cacho, General Manager of Quellaveco, to find out more about these rigs and what led to the planned automation leap at the mine.

IM: How did your experience with Epiroc on developing and implementing a new tele-remote drilling project at Los Bronces influence the decision to implement a fully autonomous drill fleet at Quellaveco? Did many of the people that implemented the Los Bronces project come over to Quellaveco?

TC: One of the objectives of Anglo American has been building a modern and fully digital mine at Quellaveco, incorporating the latest technologies to make this an even safer, productive and sustainable mining operation. A team of Anglo American engineers that were involved in the Los Bronces implementation have assisted in some aspects of the project in Quellaveco, bringing the benefits from our experience gained in Chile.

IM: What qualities does Quellaveco as an asset have in terms of applying autonomous drilling (aside from the fact it is a ‘greenfield mine’ you can design around automation)?

TC: We believe that Quellaveco will set a new standard. Through our experience with automation, the industry is driving towards safer and more reliable operations. This can make a significant difference not only to the mining operations itself but for our stakeholders who increasingly demand more sustainable operations.

Our team has been developing processes and procedures to build autonomy into the operational culture from day one. We are developing multifunctional skills in our operators and technicians, so that they learn about new roles and equipment operation, giving us the flexibility for people to work in any part of the process. The enthusiasm and willingness to learn and work with this new technology that we have seen in all the groups in Quellaveco has been an incredible asset.

IM: What other benefits stood out to you when evaluating fully autonomous drilling at the asset (safety, productivity, etc)?

TC: Safety is the primary benefit, and, as you know, is our most important value at Anglo American. We can distance an operator from areas of risk and put them in an environment that is safer, with less exposure to dust, noise and vibration. The operator becomes an autonomous drilling controller and is more comfortable and in a better ergonomic position. In addition, we have been able to improve the use, efficiency and precision of the equipment, and the ability to control multiple machines per person are notable benefits over manual operation.

Anglo plans to deploy six fully autonomous Epiroc Pit Viper 351s at the operation

IM: How easy is it to implement fully autonomous drilling operations in Peru from a regulatory perspective? How does it compare with other countries?

TC: Anglo American’s approach is engaging with regulatory authorities from the beginning, and that is what we have done in Peru. We believe our stakeholders see the advantages of having a modern and fully digital mine operating in the country, from a safety, efficiency and sustainability perspective.

IM: How many rigs out of the “multiple” drill rigs you ordered from Epiroc will be autonomous? What does the timeline look like from here in terms of them reaching their capacity? When will their control and oversight be integrated into the remote operations centre?

TC: Quellaveco will have six Pit Viper 351s that operate fully autonomously and three SmartRoc D65s that operate in tele-remote (operator controlled from a distance with some autonomous functions). We aim to integrate full control and oversight of the drill fleet into the remote operations centre by the second half of this year.

Epiroc to provide IAMGOLD’s Côté mine with autonomous blasthole drills

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Epiroc says it has won a large order for surface mining equipment from IAMGOLD Corp in Canada that will optimise safety and productivity through advanced automation at its greenfield Côté Gold operation in Ontario.

The order includes several Pit Viper 231 and SmartROC D65 drill rigs for the open-pit gold development, which is currently under construction and expected to start production in the second half of 2023. The Pit Vipers will be fully autonomous, while the SmartROC D65 rigs are prepared for remote operation.

The order is valued at approximately SEK130 million ($15.1 million) and was booked in the September quarter of 2021.

“IAMGOLD, a returning Epiroc customer, is taking safety, sustainability and productivity extremely seriously,” Epiroc’s President and CEO, Helena Hedblom, said. “As IAMGOLD is preparing a new exciting mine project, we are proud to contribute to their success with our advanced machines and solutions for autonomous operation.”

IAMGOLD has previously employed different levels of autonomous drilling at its other operations using Epiroc Pit Vipers. It launched the first automated drill rig in West Africa with assistance from Epiroc back in February 2020 at its 90%-owned Essakane mine in Burkina Faso. This followed a series of automation steps carried out on the company’s fleet of Epiroc PV235 blasthole drills, beginning with the ‘Operator Assist’ phase back in 2016.

The Pit Viper 231 and SmartROC D65 surface drill rigs are built to face the toughest conditions while optimising productivity, safety and fuel efficiency, according to Epiroc. Advanced features include Epiroc’s telematics system, Certiq, which allows for automated and intelligent monitoring of productivity and machine performance.

Mineral Resources achieves Aussie first with new gen Epiroc blasthole drill rig

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Mineral Resources Ltd says it has become the first company in Australia to start up Epiroc’s new generation SmartROC D65 drill rig.

The updated SmartROC D65 delivers high-quality blast holes with accuracy and precision and is loaded with smart features such as automated drilling and rod handling, according to the miner and technology and service provider. It also uses less hydraulic oil than previous versions and has fewer hoses and pumps. This helps to reduce costs and makes servicing easier, while increasing sustainability and reducing the environmental impact of the rig, Minerals Resources says.

Back in October 2019, Epiroc’s Kris Thomas, Product Manager – SED at Epiroc Australia, told IM that Australia was the first big target market for this new rig, with the new model already having been put forward in several major tenders, particularly in the Western Australia iron ore industry.

Mineral Resources’ own portfolio of iron ore assets comprises numerous known deposits and highly prospective targets across two of Western Australia’s premier iron ore provinces – the Yilgarn and the Pilbara.

“We decided to bring our drill and blast function in-house to enable greater agility, innovation and optimisation,” Mineral Resources said. “We’re always looking at ways to reduce our environmental footprint, not only with the work we perform but also in our choice of equipment.”

Having the new drill rigs on site allows for further efficiencies, the company says, as a platform drill is no longer required to drill up to 229 mm blastholes.

“By being more efficient in everything we do means we’ll continue to achieve our aim of being a leading provider of innovative and sustainable mining services and a low cost mining operator,” the company concluded.

Epiroc charged up by automation, digitalisation and battery equipment wins

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Epiroc’s second ever Capital Markets Day, in Stockholm, Sweden, was an enlightening affair, with the original equipment manufacturer backing up its credentials as a leader in the mine automation, digitalisation and electrification space.

Speakers including Per Lindberg, President and CEO; Helena Hedblom, Senior Executive Vice President Mining and Infrastructure; Sami Niiranen, President Underground Rock Excavation; and Jose Sanchez, President Drilling Solutions, with all of them reeling off a number of statistics worth highlighting.

For example, the company said around 60% of Epiroc equipment is now being delivered with its rig control system (RCS), a system that on Pit Viper blasthole drills is the next “evolutionary step toward fully autonomous mining”, the company recently said.

At the same time as this, 3,400 of its machines have been delivered with “connectivity”, Lindberg said, a transition that is allowing customers to monitor, in real time, elements of a machine’s performance. As recently as the company’s June quarter results release, Lindberg said more than 2,500 machines were ‘connected’.

When it came to automation underground, Epiroc said it had 43 projects on its books, with 600 drill rigs equipped for complete automation of the drilling process; the latter up from the more than 550 Lindberg quoted in the June quarter results.

Epiroc has also seen a 30% increase in utilisation of connected Simba production drills globally, according to Lindberg.

On surface, meanwhile, Epiroc was involved with autonomous and teleremote drilling in 16 countries on five continents, he said.

Among these automation projects were the fully autonomous electric drill at Boliden’s Aitik copper mine, in Sweden, an autonomous SmartROC D65 at Newmont Goldcorp’s Hollinger mine, in Canada, and autonomous Pit Vipers at the leading gold miner’s Penasquito mine, in Mexico.

A map shown by Sanchez also included first remote/teleremote operations in Morocco, Ukraine (see Ferrexpo Yeristovo story), Chile and Papua New Guinea. There was also mention of first autonomous solutions in South Africa (along with a first multipass autonomous operation) and a first autonomous drill in operation in Australia.

And, of course, the company provided an update on its battery-electric solutions, which Epiroc believes will improve health and safety, reduce emissions, lower total cost of operation and improve productivity for its customers.

Lindberg said the company had accumulated 100,000 hours of battery-electric machinery operation to date and, so far, customers had achieved a more than 70% reduction in energy consumption – mainly through reduced ventilation needs.

On the company’s recently-launched Minetruck MT42 Battery, specifically, Niiranen said Epiroc had observed 10% increased productivity through faster ramp cycle time at operations where the machine was being trialled/operating. One of these machines is currently being trialled at Agnico Eagle’s Kittilä gold mine, in Finland, as part of the EU-funded Sustainable Intelligent Mining Systems project (a project Epiroc is coordinator of).

Epiroc lifts the lid on automation success in Q2 results

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After many years of automation talk, the mining industry finally appears to be investing in this new technology judging by Epiroc’s latest financial results.

The Stockholm-based company reported record revenue of SEK 10.6 billion ($1.13 billion), alongside a 25% year-on-year operating profit increase to SEK 2,263 million in its June quarter financials, but the most interesting elements from this release were comments from the company on automation.

Epiroc says it is a market leader in automation, connectivity and battery-electric vehicles, with the company noting customer interest in, and demand for these solutions, is growing quickly.

In the quarter, the company launched 6th Sense, its new offering of solutions to enable customers to optimise processes by connecting machines, systems and people using automation, information management and system integration, and to achieve higher production at lower operating costs.

Even though it is early days for this initiative, Per Lindberg, President and CEO of Epiroc, said the company has more than 2,500 connected machines on its books; a number that is rapidly increasing.

“For example, for production drill rigs, the number of connected machines has doubled in the last year. We also see that connectivity is an enabler for increased utilisation,” Lindberg said.

In underground drilling, Lindberg said more than 550 of its drill rigs are equipped for complete automation of the drilling process and, in surface drilling, it has the largest installed base of autonomous rotary drill rigs. On the latter, the world’s first fully autonomous SmartROC D65 down-the-hole drill rig is now operating in Canada, it said.

“Also, the interest in our next generation underground battery-electric vehicles continues to be strong and we received more orders for these machines in the quarter,” the company said.

Epiroc to connect machines, systems and people with ‘6th Sense’

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Epiroc is presenting a new approach to the mining and infrastructure industries that combines digitalisation and automation to, it says, boost its customers’ performance.

The “6th Sense” solution addresses a growing need for the two industries to look to digital technologies to enhance productivity, sustainability and safety, according to the company. The approach is the Epiroc way to optimise customers’ processes by connecting machines, systems and people using automation, information management and system integration.

“With 6th Sense comes a great focus on system connectivity, using interoperability to unlock the full potential of automation for production gains at lower operating costs,” the company said.

Helena Hedblom, Epiroc Senior Executive Vice President Mining and Infrastructure, said: “6th Sense is a formula we have developed for getting the right solutions in place and achieving operational excellence in mining and infrastructure operations.

“The name 6th Sense implies that the solution brings something extra and that is just what it does, providing a significant advantage such as track and respond to real-time working conditions and equipment needs.”

One example of Epiroc’s focus on automated and productivity-enhancing solutions comes from the Hollinger mine in Timmins, Canada. Together with long-term partner Newmont Goldcorp, Epiroc has put the world’s first fully autonomous SmartROC D65 surface drill rig in production, it said. The operator can be positioned remotely and perform other tasks while the drill rig completes a full drill pattern autonomously. “Besides increased operator safety, this boosts productivity thanks to Global Navigation Satellite System accuracy, non-stop operations and less wear and tear on drilling tools, reducing production costs and improving reliability,” Epiroc said.

Another example is the new Teleremote e-tramming option for Epiroc’s range of Simba long-hole underground drill rigs. The automation package includes functionalities to monitor, plan and automate drilling operations from onboard the rig or from a remote location. “Not only is the tramming process faster and simpler, the e-tramming function also provides a safer work environment and reduces variability in performance,” Epiroc said.

Hedblom said: “The 6th Sense approach is based on our customers’ needs for implementing digitalisation, automation and new process integrations. We are continuously rolling out new innovative features, always with the customers’ needs in mind.”