Bis and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) have announced a world-first joint venture, Auto-Mate, to deliver the next generation of mine site automation to the global resource sector.
“The Auto-Mate joint venture represents a significant advancement in mining automation,” Brad Rogers, Bis CEO, said in a release. “The flexible and scalable solution is the ultimate partner in mining automation, delivering superior technology, to a wider range of miners, at a lower cost.”
The 50-50 joint venture uses IAI’s technology, which has been operating in heavy off-road vehicles since the early 1980s. Offering fully-scalable and adaptable levels of automation, Auto-Mate’s technology is tailored to the requirements of each mine site.
Bis has been delivering innovative haulage and equipment solutions to mining customers for over 100 years
With an open architecture model, the system connects any asset to the operation’s fleet management system, regardless of brand, age or type of asset or desired level of automation.
“Auto-Mate is a game-changer because of its exceptional utility,” Rogers added. “It is a gateway to automation for small and big miners. It is uniquely flexible so that a customer can choose how far down the pathway to automation they want to go. It is asset agnostic. It can be deployed at any mine, on any asset and to any degree of automation the customer chooses.”
Rogers also added that IAI-created Auto-Mate “allows miners to automate any asset, and retain long term optionality on fleet decisions,” which is expected to make automation accessible for a larger section of the mining industry.
Rogers continued that the global value uplift and efficiency gains from automation in the resource sector have been estimated at over $50 billion. “Auto-Mate makes automation a reality at mines where it would previously never have been thought possible,” he said. “It can be delivered efficiently and at a lower whole of life cost than other technologies in the market.”
According to Rogers, the JV is an important strategic initiative for the company.
“As a trusted resource logistics partner, we identified a gap in the market for flexible automation technology that offered greater interoperability to our customers,” he said. “We’re extremely pleased to have forged a partnership with IAI to become their global partner for this industry first in mining automation.”
Yoav Tourgeman, CEO of ELTA, a subsidiary of IAI, said the interoperable scalable system is a union of cutting-edge technology and practical application.
“Auto-Mate delivers a flexible approach to automation, delivering usability for multiple levels of automation across all haulage assets and ancillary equipment, with one central command centre.”
Auto-Mate CEO, Daniel Poller, has over 20 years of experience in the global energy and mining sectors.
“Auto-Mate is a compelling commitment to innovation and disruption in the mining and automation sector to deliver new solutions to our customers, which drive value at their operations,” Rogers concluded.
Bis is a resources logistics company, providing logistics, materials handling and specialized equipment solutions to the global mineral resources sector. The company has been delivering innovative haulage and equipment solutions to mining customers for over 100 years.
IAI is Israel’s largest aerospace and defense company and a globally recognized technology and innovation leader, specializing in developing and manufacturing advanced, state-of-the-art systems for air, space, sea, land, cyber and homeland security. IAI has 20,000 employees, which includes 5,000 engineers with world-class expertise in robotics and automation, and has been designing and deploying robotic and autonomous vehicle and asset solutions for over four decades, and has automated over 35 different asset classes.
(This article first appeared in the Canadian Mining Journal)