Category: Equipment & Technology

There has been a considerable increase in the use of drone technology across various scenarios in the wake of the global Covid-19 pandemic, with drones proving to be “of immense assistance”, says mapping service provider Southern Mapping’s Jaco Wiesner. He explains that the integration of advanced technology – such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning – in drones offers significant growth prospects to the market, as drones integrated with AI technology, for example, can “better understand their surroundings, map areas accurately, track and monitor the movement of specific objects, as… Read More Here

ABB and Hitachi Construction Machinery have signed a collaboration agreement to develop an electric rigid dump truck with a customised on-board energy storage system. Using ABB’s innovative battery technology will enable trucks to transform from diesel to full electric operation. The electric vehicle draws the power needed from overhead catenary while simultaneously charging the on-board energy storage system. The use of ABB’s high power and long-life energy storage systems will reduce the vehicle’s curb weight and lower the initial, as well as, lifecycle costs of the vehicle. In-motion charging eliminates… Read More Here

Rio Tinto will deploy the world’s first fully autonomous water trucks at its $2.6bn Gudai-Darri iron ore mine in Western Australia’s Pilbara region. The new vehicles, primarily used for dust suppression on site, will enhance productivity by enabling mine operations to digitally track water consumption and reduce waste. Caterpillar autonomous water trucks added to Gudai-Darri’s fleet Developed through a successful collaboration with leading equipment manufacturer, Caterpillar, three water trucks will join Gudai-Darri’s fleet of Caterpillar heavy mobile equipment including autonomous haul trucks and production drills. The vehicle’s intelligent on-board system detects dry… Read More Here

Swedish mining equipment maker Sandvik has added a 16-liter Stage V engine as an option for customers its largest truck, the Toro TH663i. Sandvik said the cleaner new engine, developed by Volvo Penta, will delive 585 kW output. The engine’s after treatment system uses Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) rather than a diesel particulate filter. The SCR uses diesel exhaust fluid to reduce emissions of NOx without sacrificing performance or fuel efficiency Further emission reduction is possible through use of ultra-low sulphur , renewable paraffinic diesel fuel, in conjunction with and low-ash engine oil.… Read More Here

Nouveau Monde Graphite and Caterpillar have signed an agreement pursuant to which Caterpillar will develop, test and produce Cat® “zero-emission machines” for the Matawinie graphite mine, in Quebec, Canada, with a view to becoming the exclusive supplier of an all-electric mining fleet for deployment at the mine by 2028. Looking to accelerate and tailor the equipment development, Caterpillar will engage with Nouveau Monde’s team to incorporate “voice of customer” throughout the development, and for testing of the zero-emission fleet and infrastructure prior to commercial production, the companies said. To this… Read More Here

Swedish mining engineering company Sandvik has added fully autonomous capabilities to its Leopard DI650i down-the-hole (DTH) drill rig by adding a new automation platform, iDrill. Sandvik said the addition of iDrill enables the rig to interact with the company’s AutoMine Surface Drilling automation system, meaning it can be operated fully from a control room. “The latest development is a major step on Sandvik’s DTH drill rig automation journey,” said Jari Läntinen, Product Manager, Surface Drilling. “This means shifting from individual automated tasks and sequences towards a genuine ecosystem of automation… Read More Here

Sandvik expects the market for battery-electric underground mining equipment to hit a higher gear in two to three years, as mining companies attempt to lower emissions and cut costs. With an electrification boom looming, Sandvik, whose competitors include Epiroc and Caterpillar, could sell more electric than diesel-driven underground mining kit in ten years, its mining business head said. Although Sandvik has some 30 battery-electric loaders and trucks in underground mine production, which it says is more than any competitor, these make up less than 0.5% of its total fleet of loaders and… Read More Here