Tag Archives: SMS Equipment

SMS Equipment brings Komatsu PC8000-11 mining shovel to Hudbay Copper Mountain mine

Base metals, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining services, Power supply for mines, , , , , , ,

A new Komatsu PC8000-11 surface mining excavator has arrived at Hudbay Minerals’ Copper Mountain mine in Princeton, British Columbia, Canada, as part of the company’s plans to reduce emissions and up productivity at the operation.

Officials from SMS Equipment, Komatsu Germany and Hudbay Minerals Inc gathered at the mine recently to celebrate the arrival of the machine, which, at 9.7-m tall, 10-m-wide and weighing nearly 800 t, is the largest surface mining excavator on the market, according to Komatsu. The PC8000-11 operates solely on electricity, contributing to the operation’s emissions-reduction strategy.

“Embracing a sustainable future through electrification is an important step in our collective journey to decarbonisation,” Dennis Chmielewski, Executive Vice President, Mining at SMS Equipment, says. “We are a proud equipment, service and technology solutions partner to Hudbay and a long-time supporter of the Copper Mountain mine trolley-assist project. The addition of a large-capacity excavator to the mine’s electric infrastructure marks exciting progress on its path to net-zero.”

The Copper Mountain mine is one of the only open-pit mines in North America to operate an electric trolley-assist haulage system. The 1-km haul ramp and seven pantograph-equipped electric haul trucks that comprise the project were commissioned in the spring of 2022, in partnership with SMS Equipment, Komatsu, ABB, Clean BC and B.C. Hydro. The latest PC8000 joins two other electric excavators operating at the site that complement the mine’s overall electric fleet.

Walt Halipchuk, Director of Sustainability and Assets, Hudbay, said: “Electric equipment and infrastructure significantly reduce our reliance on diesel, the largest source of GHG emissions at the mine. With the help of this technology, we are on track to reduce our emissions in 2024 by 6,000 t of CO2e.

“The journey to net-zero is not one we can navigate alone. With the help of value-added partners like SMS Equipment and Komatsu, we can explore our challenges and find sustainable solutions without sacrificing productivity, efficiency or profitability.”

The Komatsu shovel was made in Germany and assembled at Copper Mountain mine earlier this year. Komatsu officials, including the President and Managing Director of Komatsu Germany GmbH, were on-site for a handover ceremony and reception for Hudbay employees and SMS Equipment representatives.

Conuma Coal chooses Komatsu 830E-5 electric drive haul trucks for Wolverine

Equipment maintenance, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , , , , ,

Conuma Coal Resources has replaced a fleet of haul trucks at its Wolverine metallurgical coal mine, in British Columbia, Canada, with five new Komatsu electric 830E-5 models supplied by dealer SMS Equipment.

Conuma said it carried out “comprehensive engineering and financial analysis” on this move and determined the deployment of the new trucks would “meaningfully increase production” at the mine, largely due to their improved overall availability. Contributing factors included easier maintenance and higher durability, while the 830E-5’s are also quieter and more fuel-efficient than the existing haul trucks, according to the company.

John Schadan, Conuma’s President, said: “Conuma is confident that we have chosen the right partners for results with Komatsu equipment and SMS Equipment’s parts, service and support. Their proven results and experience speak to the quality of their products and service.”

The first 227 t-payload 830E-5 was released to the mine, which produces more than 1.5 Mt/y of hard coking coal, at the end of August, and the remainder of the fleet will be delivered over the next two months. The new trucks complement existing equipment that SMS Equipment supports on Conuma’s mine sites, the companies said.

Dennis Chmielewski, EVP of Mining at SMS Equipment, said: “SMS Equipment is committed to working with Conuma through the long term to ensure full support, resulting in maximised uptime and availability of their Komatsu fleet.”

The Komatsu 830E-5 electric truck is a leader in the 250-ton (227 t) class market with proven durability and reliability, according to the mining OEM. Powered by a 2,500 hp (1,864 kW) Komatsu SDA16V160 engine, the drive system provides efficient transfer of power to the ground while realising low fuel consumption and excellent reliability, it added.

SMS Equipment to distribute Komatsu heavy equipment in Alaska

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SMS Equipment says it has been appointed the official Alaska distributor for the full line-up of Komatsu heavy equipment, serving the construction, forestry, mining, and utility markets in the region.

The Anchorage facility is the 39th location for SMS Equipment in North America, which also has facilities in Mongolia, making it one of the largest heavy equipment distributors in the world.

SMS said it was selected to represent the Komatsu product line in the state thanks to its excellent record of providing world-class customer support in areas with challenges like those faced by Alaskans.

Sales/Operations Manager, Drew Clerc, said: “We’re looking forward to offering the customer-centred support and industry-leading products that both SMS Equipment and Komatsu are known for. SMS and Komatsu have strong reputations for delivering excellent customer service and leading the competition in the integration of new technology.”

To staff the Anchorage branch, SMS has built a team of locals with the experience to meet these challenges head-on, the company said.

“Hiring local talent is key to ensuring that we meet our customers’ needs; however, the reason SMS Equipment did this is much deeper. Supporting the communities where we live and work is a core value of SMS Equipment,” Clerc said.

The Anchorage branch is the first step toward what SMS Equipment envisions as a long and successful relationship with its Alaskan customers, it said.

“Our goal is to develop a solid foundation by delivering exceptional customer support,” Clerc said. “We want to be the number-one solutions provider in Alaska. It will certainly take some time to reach that goal, but I’m confident that we will achieve it one customer at a time.”

In addition to Komatsu, the Anchorage branch will carry and service products from Fecon, Terramac, Takeuchi and others.